THE FOOLISHNESS OF DISOBEDIENCE.
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever.But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.(1 Sam 13:10-14 KJV)
Thou has done foolishly…What a conclusion! In the evaluation and judgment of the Righteous Judge, Saul’s act of disobedience because of impatience is nothing less than foolishness! We call it disobedience but the Omniscient God says it is foolishness. And foolishness indeed, it is, because foolishness is defined as the trait of acting stupidly or rashly.
DISOBEDIENCE TO DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS IS FOOLISHNESS!
Dear reader, it is foolishness to move when God had said “wait”. It is foolishness to disobey a clear, precise and specific commandment of God. It is foolishness to act presumptuously against the divine order of God. It is foolishness to try to complete with carnal method, the process that was initiated in the Spirit. It is foolishness to add or subtract from the express command of God. It is foolishness to think we can substitute obedience with sacrifice of whatever magnitude. It is foolishness to impress people at the expense of obedience to the will of God. It is foolishness to think men’s approval will compensate for divine disapproval…in the dictionary of God; disobedience is the same as foolishness just as “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
Hear King David’s confession after he had sinned against God:
And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I HAVE DONE VERY FOOLISHLY (2 Samuel 24:10).
“For now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue.” What a colossal loss! What a change in destiny! Saul’s act of impatience earned him an irreparable, irreplaceable, irretrievable, irreversible and irrevocable loss! The appointed day of his establishment turned out to be the day of his demotion and uprooting! The “now” of glory suddenly turned the “now’ of gloom. Impatience placed a permanent scar on his destiny. His appointed day of exaltation became the day of great humiliation. Behind every successful waiting lies a glory ready to be revealed. But not waiting completely can deny you the reality of that glory. Saul lost it all due to impatience!
Beloved, impatience is costly! The price at the counter of impatience is too huge to pay. The painful consequence of the act of impatience by Abraham and Sarah is still with us today. Ishmael was the product of their impatience and from Ishmael came Islam-the religion of sword! The whole world is still suffering gruesomely from the bloody and merciless sword of Islam. Impatience is costly. If you are not patient in life you will eventually become a patient. What you don’t learn by patience you will learn as a patient because you will have compulsory patient’s patience when you have wounded yourself because of impatience.
Once again, I say, patience with God is absolutely rewarding. But the reward is only accessed and obtainable when we allow patience to have her perfect work. If you are waiting on God, wait absolutely on Him. Don’t help God fulfill His divine promises. Don’t take charge of the situation of your life because God has not shown up. Even if your “Lazarus” seems to be dying and the Saviour has not shown up, still wait on God. It is better to die waiting on God than to live in self-management. And like someone has rightly said, “A problem, big or small, solved the way Christ instructed to be solved will be solved forever followed by HIS REST. A problem solved in an assumed, supposed, human reasoning way will be postponed or suppressed for a while. The later will be worst.” That is a sobering truth.
As a matter of fact, every time we “help” God achieve His divine purpose out of impatience through carnal means, we put our lives in jeopardy. You cannot complete in the flesh the reaction that was initiated in the Spirit. Remember Rebecca “helped” God in securing the promised blessing for Jacob via carnal means but she never lived to see the reality that blessing. In fact, Jacob himself suffered for 20 solid years as a result of that carnal arrangement! Sarah also “helped” God to fulfill the promise of a child to them through the birth of Ishmael; and the whole world till today is not yet free from the sword of Ishmael! Allow God do what only Him can do. Wait patiently on Him and for Him. Only God can help you. No man can help God. If you “help” God, you do it at your own risk!
“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His Voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to Him is much better than offering the fat of rams. For rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshipping idols. So because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king.”
IT IS FOOLISHNESS TO THINK THAT GOD WOULD BE WELL PLEASED WITH SACRIFICES (OF TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE) OFFERED IN DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE TO HIS EXPRESS COMMAND. THINK ABOUT THIS AND DECIDE TO OBEY.
Praying with an offensive, unforgiving heart is a sacrificial waste! Giving without a cheerful heart is sin. Ministry with immorality is abomination. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord.
JUST OBEY!
Just As God Who Reigns On High
Space To Men In Days Gone By,
So The Lord Is Calling Men Today;
And, My Brother This Is True,
Whatsoever He Says To You
There Is But One Thing To Do, Just Obey
Just Obey, Just Obey,
Is The Way, God’s Way;
When His Message Comes To You,
There Is But One Thing To Do,
Just Obey, Just Obey
If You’re In The Saviour’s Hands,
You Must Do As He Commands,
For There Is No Other Gospel Way;
Never Put The Message By,
Never Stop To Reason Why,
When The Saviour Speaks To You, Just Obey
If For Mansions Fair You Sigh
In That Land Beyond The Sky
After Time With You Has Passed Away;
Though’ The Way You May Not See,
Christ Is Calling ‘Follow Me’
Faith And Duty Both Will Cry Just Obey
