The Tragedy of Self-Love
1 Samuel 31:4 (ESV) Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
Saul is a picture for us of a man who increasingly loved only one person - Himself. He would have killed his son if it propelled his status. He sought to kill David who challenged his fame. For a man who was hiding in the baggage at his humble beginnings, he definitely overcame any self-consciousness to become completely enamored with himself.
Perhaps this is the warning to us of Saul's life. We may think we are not susceptible to the appeal of fame or acclaim. It's easy to judge celebrities for their self-interested lifestyles when you aren't one. But the draw toward affirmation from our contemporaries is strong in all of us. If we aren't careful, we will follow the path of Saul.
We should remember the word of the Lord which Samuel delivered to Saul upon his first act of rebellion:
1 Samuel 15:17 (ESV) And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
Now, why did Saul rebel against the Word of the Lord? Because he determined that his thinking was more righteous than the Lord's. He saved the best of the spoil from the Amalekite war and sparred King Agag because he wanted to enrich himself and glorify his own name among the ancient kings. Saul indeed became what Israel cried out for: "A king like all the other nations" (1 Samuel 8:5).
The power of self-love only intensified from this moment for Saul. His love for God was only vicariously exhibited through the prophet Samuel. Saul never truly opened his heart to God's purposes because he was too busy chasing his own glory.
The problem with self-love is that it can live for a very long time in the hearts of God's people without rebuke. Consider how long the nation followed Saul without discerning the true condition of his heart. He led Israel for 40 years but spent most of that time only seeking his own glory. All the while, Saul did exactly what Samuel predicted when the people first asked for a King. Go back to chapter 8 and reread what was said. Samuel says SIX times that the king they ask for will "take" from them. He will take their sons, daughters, the best of their fields, a tenth of their income, the best of their young men and donkeys and more. On top of this is the harrowing last line of Samuel's warning:
1 Samuel 8:17–18 (ESV) ...and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
Dear Christian, please hear the message of 1 Samuel: This is what you get when you seek to be like the world. You get slavery. The world's system is SELF-LOVE. Nothing more. It disguises itself as glamorous and beautiful and fulfilling. In the end, you are empty, enslaved and nowhere near where God wants you.
THE GOOD NEWS message of 1 Samuel is that God is raising up a David in the unseen places. This David is generous as the first David was with the men who stayed with the baggage in the previous chapter. This David is courageous, taking on our biggest enemy while we are paralyzed with fear. This David is for the people. This David wants what God wants. The beautiful picture of 1 Samuel is that while Saul does his damage to God's people, God's grace is slowly made manifest with the ascension David's life and character. He is a man exhibiting all the God-honoring traits of a king the LORD will choose.
That's the difference between Saul and David. One simple distinction in how they were desired. In Saul's case, he was the DESIRE of the PEOPLE. In David's case, he was the DESIRE of the LORD. Almost in the middle of the book it reads:
1 Samuel 16:1 (ESV) Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
I'm so thankful that while I am busy trying to chase the things that I foolishly believe will bring me life, the Lord is working to bring me what I truly need. The Lord's work with David during Saul's reign is intended to point us to His Son, Jesus Christ. The selfless love of God is the only answer to our problem of self-love. Let's receive it, be changed by it and share it.
Saul is a picture for us of a man who increasingly loved only one person - Himself. He would have killed his son if it propelled his status. He sought to kill David who challenged his fame. For a man who was hiding in the baggage at his humble beginnings, he definitely overcame any self-consciousness to become completely enamored with himself.
Perhaps this is the warning to us of Saul's life. We may think we are not susceptible to the appeal of fame or acclaim. It's easy to judge celebrities for their self-interested lifestyles when you aren't one. But the draw toward affirmation from our contemporaries is strong in all of us. If we aren't careful, we will follow the path of Saul.
We should remember the word of the Lord which Samuel delivered to Saul upon his first act of rebellion:
1 Samuel 15:17 (ESV) And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
Now, why did Saul rebel against the Word of the Lord? Because he determined that his thinking was more righteous than the Lord's. He saved the best of the spoil from the Amalekite war and sparred King Agag because he wanted to enrich himself and glorify his own name among the ancient kings. Saul indeed became what Israel cried out for: "A king like all the other nations" (1 Samuel 8:5).
The power of self-love only intensified from this moment for Saul. His love for God was only vicariously exhibited through the prophet Samuel. Saul never truly opened his heart to God's purposes because he was too busy chasing his own glory.
The problem with self-love is that it can live for a very long time in the hearts of God's people without rebuke. Consider how long the nation followed Saul without discerning the true condition of his heart. He led Israel for 40 years but spent most of that time only seeking his own glory. All the while, Saul did exactly what Samuel predicted when the people first asked for a King. Go back to chapter 8 and reread what was said. Samuel says SIX times that the king they ask for will "take" from them. He will take their sons, daughters, the best of their fields, a tenth of their income, the best of their young men and donkeys and more. On top of this is the harrowing last line of Samuel's warning:
1 Samuel 8:17–18 (ESV) ...and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
Dear Christian, please hear the message of 1 Samuel: This is what you get when you seek to be like the world. You get slavery. The world's system is SELF-LOVE. Nothing more. It disguises itself as glamorous and beautiful and fulfilling. In the end, you are empty, enslaved and nowhere near where God wants you.
THE GOOD NEWS message of 1 Samuel is that God is raising up a David in the unseen places. This David is generous as the first David was with the men who stayed with the baggage in the previous chapter. This David is courageous, taking on our biggest enemy while we are paralyzed with fear. This David is for the people. This David wants what God wants. The beautiful picture of 1 Samuel is that while Saul does his damage to God's people, God's grace is slowly made manifest with the ascension David's life and character. He is a man exhibiting all the God-honoring traits of a king the LORD will choose.
That's the difference between Saul and David. One simple distinction in how they were desired. In Saul's case, he was the DESIRE of the PEOPLE. In David's case, he was the DESIRE of the LORD. Almost in the middle of the book it reads:
1 Samuel 16:1 (ESV) Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
I'm so thankful that while I am busy trying to chase the things that I foolishly believe will bring me life, the Lord is working to bring me what I truly need. The Lord's work with David during Saul's reign is intended to point us to His Son, Jesus Christ. The selfless love of God is the only answer to our problem of self-love. Let's receive it, be changed by it and share it.
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