God's Tolerance: Part 3 "Rebellious Presumption" 1 Samuel 13-15

     As a leader, I believe that I must earn your respect. I don’t think I deserve it because of my title or education. One of the ways that I attempt to earn respect is by being consistent to what I value and require of those around me. Being too stringent or too lenient will cause the respect level to diminish. If it diminished too much, God may make a change. Two things that God simply does not tolerate for very long are presumptuous and rebellious leaders.
     We understand why God would not wish to tolerate these, because we can’t stand them either. There is a certain relief when a presumptuous leader is removed. The whole organization takes a collective deep breath and pours out a sigh of relief. What becomes sad is when an otherwise good leader has their success turn into arrogance and rebellion. I think we all understand why humility and godly obedience is a prerequisite to being used by God. As I say this, I can’t help but think to myself of the leaders that I know who battle this. May we learn the needed lessons before we are removed. So, whatever role you play, may you understand that rebellion and presumption will be the cause of us loosing what we should be (1 Samuel 15:22-23). 

     The context of this statement in 1 Samuel (Chapters 13-14) is complicated and multi-layered.  

The people feared by the threat of the Philistines under the leadership of Saul (13:1-7). Saul failed to wait for Samuel and made the offering himself. This was an act of disobedience that disqualified him from leadership (13:8-23). Though Saul was a failed leader, God saved the Israelites from the Philistines through the hand of his son Jonathan (14:1-23). Because of this, Saul made a rash vow and it almost cost him his son’s life (14:24-46). Finally, Saul disobeyed the Lord’s commands and keep what he was supposed to destroy (5:1-34).

     From this context, 1 Samuel 15:22-23 make a bit more sense and help us understand two very important truths. First, many rebel by holding onto what they are to destroy. Saul’s rebellion was holding the spoils of war for himself which God told him to destroy. Here the words of Jerry Bridges come through. “Rebellion can be both obvious transgressions or in acts if decency. It is then appropriate to ask, what has God told us to destroy? One possible answer is found in 2 Cor. 10:5 where Paul writes, “5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

     Secondly, we can understand that God removes the presumptuous because presumption is one’s attempt to worship himself. Saul’s presumption was that he could do what only Samuel was called to do. One ways to fight against this very common human instinct is to pray for protection. Notice have the Psalmist prays in Psalm 36:11. Here he prays, “let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

     In conclusion, there is a personal challenge to which we may respond. We must destroy the seeds of presumption and rebellion. These may differ from person to person, but what we have in common is the need to safeguard ourselves by destroying them. Failure to do so is the equivalent of asking God to tolerate what will remove us from being our best and having a faithful relationship with God. We cannot ask God to tolerate what removes us from being our best.