Pride is so dangerous and can quickly grow into an obsession as it did with Saul. He started by taking credit for something Jonathan did, something which, though cultural normal, was not right. Our true character is revealed when we give glory to God, and give proper credit where credit is due, not usurping it for our own benefit.
True character is also revealed when we are under pressure. When Saul was under pressure he reacted badly, offering the sacrifice himself even though it was against God's law to do so. How often doesn't God use delays to test our patience and ultimately, our obedience. Saul had excuses, but Samuel said it plainly "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you". Saul would lose his kingship due to his disobedience and impatience.
As Saul's character begins to crumble, so too does his leadership abilities. He had no communication with his son, he made a foolish curse, and ignored the welfare of his own soldiers, making them too tired to fight, so hungry they ate meat that still contained blood (against God's law), and then he almost killed his own son. Talk about a living demonstration about the need to think before we speak!
My Life Application Bible says this about our NT passage...
If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself at home, in our relationships with those who know u best. Children and parents have a responsibility to each other. Children should honor their parents even if the parents are demanding and unfair. Parents should care gently for their children, even if the children are disobedient and unpleasant. ....The purpose of parental discipline is to help children grow, not to exasperate and provoke them to anger or discouragement.
Our goal as parents should not be simply to have kids who obey and make us look good. Our goal should be to raise our children to be godly adults able to distinguish between right and wrong, helping them to grow in godly character, to nurture their love for God and their desire to know and serve Him, and to always reflect the gospel message to them whenever they (or we!) stumble and sin.
That's a huge responsibility. As with all our responsibilities, we can only do it through the supernatural power of God, as we put on the full armour with which He has supplied us.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: 1 Samuel 15-16; 2 Peter 1
3 comments:
What a blessing and also huge responsibility it is to have children. We pray for them and when they do make good decisions we need to give God the credit, which we often forget or don't think of. We don't control very many things, God does, so trust in Him is crucial, and then following that up by giving Him the glory.
Ephesians 6:13 - Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
We are told to take up the whole armor of God, not just parts of it. If we want to be able to resist temptation, that is what is required.
I think too often we focus on the 'children obey your parents' part of the verse because it comes in handy for us as parents. We often conveniently forget that it is our job not to provoke our kids to anger and therefore be the cause of our children's disobedience. Raising kids is a hard job but one that is most effective when both parents and children are living in biblical truths.
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