King Saul – Was He or Wasn’t He?

King Saul – Was He or Wasn’t He?

Some say he was. Others say he wasn’t. Some feel he was living his life out of touch with God, away from the Lord - a backslidden believer. Most strongly feel he didn’t have the root of the matter in him. The tragedy is: the testimony of his life is so confusing we just don’t know. Saul knows and God knows.

Saul walks on to the stage with great potential. Being tall and handsome didn’t hurt either. The nation of Israel was doing poorly. ‘King’ Jehovah was no longer real enough for them – too distant; they now wanted a king they could see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears. God granted them their request. Saul became their first King.

Saul seemed to be modest and humble at the start. He said to Samuel, God’s prophet: “…Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? (1Samuel 9:21) He felt too insignificant to become the nation’s king. But he was God’s choice.

Saul had definite dealings with God. God gave King Saul victories over the nation’s enemies. He prophesied. Saul engaged in religious activities.

So was he a believer?  Ummm…

There were other things about Saul’s life that … well, they just don’t add up.

1)     He seemed to be lacking a real, daily, vital relationship with the Lord. Unlike his successor David who left us multiple accounts of his communications with the Lord, there’s a noticeable lack of such times in Saul’s life.

2)     When he’s talking to Samuel in 1Samuel 15, he doesn’t refer to God as ‘my God’ or even ‘our God;’ instead he says to Samuel: ‘your God.’

3)     His life was marked by disobedience or ‘incomplete’ obedience – if there is such a category.

4)     He presumptuously offered a sacrifice to the Lord.

5)     Jealousy gnawed at his core over the rise of David.

6)     He utilized the services of a witch to contact Samuel who had died.

7)     He ended his own life.

So was he a believer or not?

Sadly, as believers we have times when we grieve our Lord, disappoint Him and sometimes even deny Him. Provision for those dark exceptions has been made. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9) Sin in the life of a believer is an exception – not a way of life.

But here’s the issue: what kind of a testimony will I leave behind? If I died today, would people whisper: “Was he or wasn’t he?”  Will someone respond: “Your guess is as good as mine?” 

Or would my friends and acquaintances be able to say: “One thing for sure: he loved His Lord. Christ came first in His life. He wasn’t perfect but we all knew what motivated him.”

Since you professed faith in Christ, what kind of a testimony do you have?  Are you sending out conflicting signals? Are you living in such a way that people are convinced you are genuine or are they confused by some of the things you are doing?

Do you have the root of the matter in you? Do you know Christ or just know about Christ?

Let your light so shine before men

that they may see your moral excellence

and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds

and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

(Matthew 5:16 Amplified)

As believers, we are to live in such a way it will be unmistakably clear to those around us that we definitely belong to Christ.

“Lord, help me to send out clear signals to this perishing world.

Preserve me from behaviour and choices that have the potential to dim or darken or cloud my testimony for Thee.

May there be no question in the minds of others where my loyalty lies. I want it to be clear: I love My Saviour!”