Gospel Reflections #913: A Confidence that was not in God

1 Samuel 14:24 "That day the Israelite soldiers were suffering from hunger. Saul had made them swear an oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food before sunset, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.' So none of them had eaten anything."

This is a crucial passage depicting the "foolish oath" Saul, Israel's first king, imposed during battle.

It symbolically reveals Saul's leadership qualities and the state of his faith.

Saul used the phrase "before I take vengeance on the enemy."

This is interpreted as revealing his mindset of pursuing the battle not as "God's victory," but for "his own glory and prestige."

Forcing soldiers to fast during wartime was an extremely inefficient and harsh command.

Consequently, the people became "exhausted" from hunger, and later verses describe how their hunger drove them to commit the sin of eating forbidden blood-stained meat.

This passage may be asking us, "Is my own zeal actually hindering God's work or those around me?"

Saul's zeal is often pointed out as being not obedience to God's will, but rather "vanity" meant to display his own power. 

We too may be overly zealous in evangelism or protecting our faith, unaware that we've strayed from God's will. Sometimes, the selfish motives deep within our hearts are exposed depending on the situation.

We desire a faith that stands firm on God's promises, unshaken by fluctuating emotions brought on by circumstances.

To achieve this, we must continually seek God, be immersed in His love, and allow Him to equip us with His armor.

Yet God is our Founder and Perfecter, so we can entrust ourselves to Him with confidence.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.