DIVINE JUDGMENT ON HUMAN HUBRIS (3)
JUNE 3, 2025
TEXT: 1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Peter 5:6
KEY VERSE: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23
King Saul’s story is a powerful example of how the quest for power and prestige can lead to pride and hubris. In the beginning, Saul was a humble man who never sought to be king. But when Samuel anointed him as Israel’s first king, Saul was seduced by the power and prestige of his new position. But Saul soon grew into the role of king. He defeated Israel’s enemies, including the Philistines, and his military exploits brought him great fame. His victories were a testament to his leadership, but they also began to inflate his ego. He started to distance himself from God and the prophet Samuel, preferring to make decisions based on his own wisdom and judgment. He became arrogant and began to assume that he knew better than God and Samuel.
Saul’s hubris and disobedience came to a head during the war against the Amalekites. God ordered him to completely destroy the Amalekites, but Saul chose to spare the king and the best of the livestock. He believed that he could make a better judgment in the situation. But Samuel rebuked him, saying, “The LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD. Therefore, the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!” Saul’s disobedience marked the beginning of his downfall.
His disobedience angered God, who removed His favour from him and declared that He would anoint a new king in Saul’s place. Saul became consumed by jealousy, especially when he learned that God had chosen the young David to be the new king of Israel. Saul tried to kill David on multiple occasions, but each time David managed to escape. In his final battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, Saul was fatally wounded and asked his armour-bearer to kill him so that he wouldn’t be killed by the Philistines. The armour-bearer refused and killed himself, so Saul fell on his own sword. After Saul’s death, David became king of Israel.
Saul’s demise serves as a powerful warning against the destructive nature of human hubris and its terrible consequences. King Saul serves as a powerful example of how human pride can lead us astray. Saul started out as a humble man, but his position of power led him to believe that he was untouchable. He disobeyed God, claimed the glory of victory for himself, and became consumed by jealousy. Let us remember his story and be reminded that human pride can bring us to ruin. Choose humility instead, and allow God’s will to guide you.
SEARCHLIGHT: Our choices have consequences, and humility is a virtue that can guide us to righteousness.
PRAYER: Father God, help me to choose humility over pride. Keep me from the destructive path of arrogance, and guide me always with Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BIBLE READING: Psalms 2-4, 2 Timothy 2
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
