Saul’s Slippery Slopes (Final)

Out of all the pitfalls of Saul, one stands out above the rest: envy. Time and space do not permit me to delve into 1 Samuel 17, but I trust that you remember the story of David and Goliath. Through steadfast reliance on God’s power and a strong desire to magnify God’s name, David defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath, and became a mighty warrior who earned the trust and admiration of King Saul. Of course, one day Saul's attitude toward David dramatically changed. 1 Samuel 18:6-9 states: “As they arrived, David was returning from a campaign against the Philistines. Women from all of Israel's cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced, accompanied by tambourines, joyful music, and triangles. The women who were celebrating sang, 'Saul has defeated thousands, but David tens of thousands!' Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. 'To David they credit tens of thousands,' he said, 'but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom.' From that day on Saul kept an eye on David” (GWT).

Saul allowed the seed of envy to take root in his heart and grow into bitterness, which inevitably bore the fruit of hateful actions. For years, he foolishly and unsuccessfully sought to kill David. His jealous anger would lead to his ruin. The writer of Hebrews warned believers not to allow bitterness to infect their hearts (Hebrews 12:15). In Ephesians 4:31-32, Paul revealed that a child of God should cast aside an attitude of animosity and embrace a heart of forgiveness. The Psalmist Asaph once declared, “When my soul was embittered... I was brutish and ignorant” (Psalm 73:21a, 22a). Quite often, reason and wisdom are thrown out the window when we are enveloped with envy and anger. Let us learn from the pitfalls of Saul and strive to cast aside arrogance, impatience, and bitterness. Let us rest in the grace of God, trust in His ways, and commit ourselves to the call of humility and love for others.