Pity The Fool, Saul
Estimated Reading time: 5 minutes · Written by Guest SpeakersToday we’re talking about the story of Saul, Israel’s first king. And I’ll be honest, the first time I really thought about his story, I wondered if God was being a little harsh.
For centuries, Israel had been ruled by judges. Samuel was the last of them, and he was a faithful prophet of God. The people of Israel, however, wanted to be like the nations around them. They wanted a king—someone to lead them, protect them, and, crucially, to deliver them from their enemies, especially the Philistines.
Samuel warned them against this. He told them that kings came with heavy taxes, with demands, with power that could easily become oppression. But the people would not listen. They thought a king would bring freedom. God, although He desired to be their true King, allowed them what they asked for.
Saul was chosen. He was never meant to be alone in ruling. Samuel would be there as God’s mouthpiece, guiding and supporting him. Yet when the pressure mounted, Saul’s choices revealed cracks in his character.
Saul’s Mistake
One of the most striking moments in Saul’s story comes when Israel faced the Philistines in battle. The Israelites were vastly outnumbered, but Saul knew victory depended on God’s presence.
Samuel had told Saul to wait for him to arrive and make the sacrifice. But as the hours dragged on and Samuel did not appear, Saul panicked. He feared the people would lose heart. So he decided to make the sacrifice himself.
At first glance, I sympathise with him. It seemed like a practical, even godly decision. Better that a sacrifice was made than none at all. But there was a deeper problem. Saul was not a priest. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, not Levi, and only priests were permitted to make sacrifices.
In taking on both the role of king and priest, Saul acted as if he could stand in the place that only Jesus could ultimately fulfil. Jesus is both King and High Priest. No human ruler had the right to be both.
So, when Saul stepped into a role God had not given him, Samuel rebuked him. His disobedience wasn’t just a technicality. It was a heart issue—an unwillingness to wait for God’s timing, to trust in His word, to remain humble in his calling.
What God wants to see in us
When I think about Saul’s downfall, I can’t help but ask myself: What does God want to see in me?
God doesn’t want me to stumble through life without guidance. He hasn’t left me to figure it all out alone, he’s left me people like Samuel was for Saul. He has given me three vital guides:
His Word
His Spirit
Godly Counsel
These three threads weave together, shaping how I live, how I discern, and how I keep my heart aligned with His.
God’s Word
The Bible is our foundation. God’s Word is living, active, and trustworthy. Yet I’ll be honest, for me, reading the Bible is not simple. Because of my disability, I can’t just sit down with the book and read. Listening to audio versions is possible, but it can feel a little like listening to a drone. I can’t pause easily, rewind, or linger over a verse that strikes me.
I eventually discovered a better way. I started listening to dramatised audiobooks of biblical stories. A ten-minute passage could be expanded into a ten-hour audiobook, with added details that were consistent with Scripture. This longer, slower immersion helped me reflect deeply. It allowed me to inhabit the story, not just skim the words.
However we absorb it, daily readings, study groups, personal devotion, or listening, God’s Word is the anchor. Without it, we drift. With it, we are steadied, challenged, and transformed.
God’s Spirit
God also guides us through His Spirit. This is both wonderful and complicated. Wonderful, because the Spirit can speak directly into our lives. Complicated, because not every inner voice is the Spirit’s voice. Fear, anxiety, compulsions, or even our own desires can speak just as loudly.
Over the years, I’ve developed two simple questions to help me test whether what I’m sensing is from God:
God also guides us through His Spirit. This is both wonderful and complicated. Wonderful, because the Spirit can speak directly into our lives. Complicated, because not every inner voice is the Spirit’s voice. Fear, anxiety, compulsions, or even our own desires can speak just as loudly.
Over the years, I’ve developed two simple questions to help me test whether what I’m sensing is from God:
Is this the sort of thing Jesus might say? If what I hear leads me away from Him, it isn’t from God.
If I’m wrong, what’s the worst that could happen? If I feel prompted to tell someone “Jesus loves you,” and I’m mistaken, the harm is minimal. If I thought God was telling me to advise someone to stop medical treatment, and I was wrong, the consequences could be devastating.
The Spirit never contradicts Scripture. That is always my safeguard. If what I hear leads me away from Him, it isn’t from God.
Godly Counsel
The third way God speaks is through people. Parents, teachers, friends, mentors, church leaders — God often uses others to guide us. But discernment is crucial here too.
How do I know if the advice I’m hearing is truly godly?
Look for fruit. Jesus said we would recognise false prophets by their fruit. I look at someone’s life, not just their words. If their life bears love, joy, peace, kindness — the fruit of the Spirit — their counsel carries weight.
Check against Scripture. Wise advice is useful, but godly advice is rooted in God’s Word. If counsel contradicts Scripture, I know it is not from God.
They love, not just like, you. People who like me may just want me to like them back. They might not always say what needs to be said due to fear. People who love me genuinely want the best for me, even if it costs them, even if their words are hard to hear.
Invite accountability. I don’t wait for people to challenge me; I give them permission to do so. By inviting accountability, I remove the barrier of politeness that might otherwise hold them back.
Even so, I need to know Scripture for myself. That way, when others speak into my life, I can discern whether their words are drawing me closer to God or pulling me away.
Modern lessons from Saul
The story of Saul is not simply an ancient history lesson. It is a mirror.
Like Saul, I know what it feels like to panic when God seems silent. I know the temptation to act quickly, to take matters into my own hands, to blur the lines God has drawn. And like Saul, I have faced moments where obedience felt harder than compromise.
But I also know that God’s grace is bigger than my failings. Where Saul faltered, Jesus succeeded. Where I stumble, Jesus lifts me up. And where the world offers confusion, God’s Word, Spirit, and people bring clarity.
When I look at Saul’s story, I see a warning, but also an invitation.
The warning is clear: do not step outside the role God has given you. Do not try to be self-sufficient. Do not let fear drive your decisions.
The invitation is just as clear: live guided by God’s Word, tuned to His Spirit, and open to His people.
That is how I want to live. That is what I want God to see in me. Not perfection, not self-reliance, but a heart that is willing to wait, to listen, and to trust.
So I ask myself—and I invite you to ask as well: When God looks at me, what does He see?
I hope He sees a man who, despite weakness, despite mistakes, is willing to be guided by Him. Because in the end, that is all He asks of us: not that we be kings, not that we be priests, but that we be His children, led by His voice.
The original teaching has been edited for clarity and brevity; This is not a transcript.