The Sovereignty of God - Saul's example of Un-tempered sovereignty

The Sovereignty of God

Saul’s Example of Un-tempered Sovereignty

 

Samuel warned the children of Israel that a king would have sovereign claim over Israel for his own needs, protection, and comforts, including the military. Samuel warned them that the king’s sovereignty would be exercised at their expense with no limitations.

 

1 Samuel 8:11–12

¹¹ And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. ¹² And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

 

The sovereign God only asked for the tithe, but the human king would not have such limitations. The fulfillment of this warning has been the demonstrated history of Israel in Saul and other human kings of Israel.

 

1 Samuel 14:24

²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

 

In verse 24, Saul’s un-tempered sovereign commands extended beyond the written laws of God. The Torah did not give instructions such as the solemn warning and demanded oath that Saul gave and required of the soldiers of Israel.

 

Saul’s required oath with dire consequences for failure led to great distress of the men of Israel. The capricious demand brought the soldiers to eat meat with blood, and Jonathan, the innocent, unaware of such an oath, was immediately under sovereign curse of execution.

 

1 Samuel 14:26

²⁶ And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.

 

This is not how God exercises his sovereignty. Man irrationally uses un-tempered sovereignty leading to complete disaster and un-wanted suffering of others.

 

Judges 11:30–32

³⁰ And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, ³¹ Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. ³² So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

 

Christianity over the centuries has been encumbered with un-wanted teachings due to teachings of capricious acts of God. Teachings, such as arbitrary election of individual men to hell, are a result of good-meaning theologians wishing to prop-up God’s image with an inordinate emphasis on His sovereignty.