This Day in History: 0000-03-04

March 4 – 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 & 17:16 

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse...
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, oh Lord God, and what is my family, that you brought me this far?” 

Saul was the first king of Israel. Chosen by God. He had an opportunity to father a dynasty of kings over God’s own chosen people, but instead he squandered his position. He became proud, which led to unfaithfulness to God, which led to all out rebellion. Isn’t that how it always starts? 

We are so fortunate to have the warning of his story preserved for us today. We get to read it, along with the one that immediately follows. The story of the man God chose to take Saul’s place stands juxtaposed in just about every way. David son of Jesse was nothing like Saul. Not the biggest, or the strongest, or the most handsome when God chose him, but a humble shepherd boy whose heart was wholly devoted to God. 

Though we may not be the king or queen of God’s chosen people, like these two men, we have been set apart by our Creator for an important purpose. We can choose to believe we’ve earned this role, or somehow deserve it, and become proud like Saul. We can set about trying to accomplish the work through our own efforts, employing the things of this world as tools instead of asking the Lord for guidance. But we’ll accomplish nothing of eternal significance this way. 

The other choice would be to approach the role God has given to us with a heart after His own, just like David. When given the promise that God had chosen David and his family, not only to rule over Israel as kings, but to bring about the Eternal King and Messiah, David’s response was worthy of note. 

He did not have a party, or make a holiday. He didn’t make a spectacle of himself by dancing before the Lord with all his might before the people (as He did when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to its place). Instead, he went alone into the presence of God and sat in humility before Him to pray, “Who am I, oh Lord God, and what is my family, that YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME this far?” 

May we choose the later. May we live our days in humility before the Lord, and in so doing, may He accomplish His mighty work in and through us so that the very fabric of eternity will be changed because of it!