Reflect
This passage includes a difficult statement. Verse 11 of chapter 15 says, depending on your translation, that God regretted making Saul king. Often, we associate regret with a mistake. So, we then ask the question, “Did God make a mistake when He set up Saul as king?” Didn’t He see that coming? No, Saul’s appointment as King was no mistake. Yes, I believe God saw it coming. And when Saul’s disobedience happened, God experienced sorrow because of Saul’s willful disobedience. Saul believed he knew better than God. This sorrow over Saul’s choices is referred to as regret, or God being sorry at Saul’s actions. God’s regret or sorrow is over the fact that his dealings with Saul have now taken the turn that they have, and Saul has disqualified himself and his family line from carrying out God’s plan for the Israelites. A challenging portion of scripture for sure.
For me I am reminded through this account that God can be trusted even when I don’t fully understand or even agree with Him. He doesn’t always work the way we expect Him to, but He has a plan and a purpose. My prayer is that we trust God and don’t revert to lean on our own understanding.
Pastor Mike
Pray
- Pray for Taylor Seminary and E.P. Wahl Centre. They are comprised of a dedicated group of faculty and staff; whose mission is to develop Christ-minded leaders who make a difference in the world. We feel the burden of re-imagining theological education for ministry in the 21st century as we design degree programs and courses in cooperation with churches – to match the needs and the expectations of today’s students. Theological degrees offered through the seminary, and non-credit workshops and events through the E P Wahl Centre are the building blocks through which this educational task is accomplished.