Is Saul Also Among the Prophets?
And it came to pass, when all that knew him formerly saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
(1Sa 10:11)
The first mention of Saul also among the prophets is after he was annointed by Samuel to be King. It was an interesting day for Saul which stated off as looking for his father's lost donkeys and God divinely ordained the sequence of events to meet up with Samuel the prophet to be annointed King. Saul was head and shoulders above everyone else and was certainly the stature of a king that the people rejected God for (1 Sam 8:7).
The 'popularity' of the mentioned question has since then grown to a proverb in Isreal.
Saul means 'Desired'. But seeing that God was rejected for a man-king, this kind desiring is not of God but of man or of the flesh. The Kingdom of Isreal was in the process of being changed from having God ruling divinely over the nation to be 'just like all nations' (1 Sam 8:5).
This griefed both God and Samuel.
The second ocurrance when Saul was after David to kill him in 1 Sam 19. As with the first time, the Spirit of God came so mightily on Saul that he again prophesied. However the difference was he prophsied in dishonour (in nakedness all that day and all that night). Secondly, this time he was out to kill or break the Commandment not to murder.
One can perform what seemingly is right in man's eyes and deemed as spiritual but it really dishonours the Holy God.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(Mat 7:22)
Jesus warned us that doing the spirtual things may not please God. The Lord's rebuke was that He never knew them. It is one thing to claim to know God, the true test of relationship is whether He knows us. One can say that Saul was filled with the Spirit of God and doing God's work as king plus also prophesied, but at the same time bear such wicketness within himself. That is why Jesus firmly ask these workers of 'spiritual things' to depart from Him because they are workers of iniquity. Likely wise in Saul's heart was the working evil to murder David.
What are the lessons we can learn?
- God will give us what we desire, but may not be in His divine will
- He will grant us our wish but it will grief Him. Those who follow heart after God will find themselves grieving with God on this matter while others glory in it
- Doing spiritual things doesn't mean we are in right standing with God. It just appears to man that way, but in His eyes it griefs Him. God can be dishonoured in our 'spiritual' service
- Doing spiritual things doesn't mean that God have a relationship as Heavenly Father to us.
- Doing spiritual things outwardly, but we may have another agenda which is evil in God's eyes
- In Matt 7, Jesus tells us that the fruits determine the doer.... and Paul teaches us in Gal 5:17 that there is the fruit of the flesh and of the Spirit, the first one being ungodly and the other Godly
- Paul warns Timothy and us.....
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(2Ti 3:5)
