Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
3 sermons cite this verse
If we back up in 1 Samuel chapter 10, go with me real fast to 1 Samuel chapter 10, verse eight. Samuel gives instruction. He gives Saul a play-by-play. He says, okay, you're gonna go here, you're gonna do this, you're gonna go here, you're gonna go do this. And this is what he says. You shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt sacrifices, burnt offerings, and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait till I come to you and show you what you should do. So Saul knows what he should do. He does not have short-term memory loss. He understands how to be obedient. But what does he do? He goes and makes the sacrifice. This is wrong for a couple of reasons. He's not a Levite. And more importantly, Samuel gave him specific instruction to wait for him. And it's interesting to me that he waits the full seven days and it's just like, okay, I just gotta do this thing, right? …
… so he said bring me the burnt offering in verse verse 9 and the fellowship offerings and Saul offered up the burnt offering just as he finished making the offering Samuel arrived and Saul went out to greet him. And he said, what have you done? What have you done? Saul replied, when I saw that the men were scattering and you did not come at the set time that I had an expectation, which expectations can get us into trouble, amen, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. What does Saul do? He blames the people. He says the men were scattering. And then he blamed Samuel. He said, you didn't come at my expected, at my set, at my preconceived, at my idea of what I pictured timing. See, we love an excuse, don't we? I'm the first to admit that, like, when I'm missing something, automatically someone has taken it, you know? Like, I didn't misplace it. I'm like, who stole my phone? Mom, you're on your phone, you know? …
When Samuel did not come, there was no one of course to offer sacrifice; what was to be done? Saul ought to have waited still longer, till Samuel did come. He had had faith in God hitherto, he should have had faith still. He had hitherto trusted that God would save him from the enemy, though his army was scattered, in God's own way. God fights not with sword and bow; He can give victory to whom He will, and when He will; "with His own right hand, and His holy arm," can He accomplish His purposes. Saul was God's servant, and therefore he might securely trust in God. He had trusted for seven days; he might go on trusting for eight, nine, or ten. And let it be observed, that this fresh trial was hardly a greater trial than before, for this reason--that his faith hitherto had met with its reward. Though the Philistines were in his front, and his own men were deserting, yet, strange to say, the Philistines had not attacked him. Thus he had had proof that God could defend him from them. He who had kept him so safely for seven days, why should He not also on the eighth? however, he did not feel this, and so he took a very rash and fatal step. That step was as follows: since Samuel had not come, he determined to offer the burnt sacrifice instead of him; he determined to do what he could not do without a great sin; viz. intrude into a sacred office to which he was not called; nay, to do what he really could not do at all; for he might call it a sacrifice, but it would not be really such, unless a priest or prophet offered it. You know how great a crime it is for persons now to become teachers and preachers, or to baptize or administer the Lord's Supper without authority; this was Saul's crime, he determined on sacrificing, without being an appointed minister of God. This is a crime often denounced in Scripture, as in the case of Korah, and Jeroboam, and Uzziah. Korah was swallowed up by the earth on account of it; Jeroboam had his hand withered, and was punished in his family; and Uzziah was smitten with leprosy. Yet this was Saul's sin. "And Saul said," in the words of the text, "Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings; and he offered the burnt offering." Now observe what happened immediately afterwards. "And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him." You see, if he had waited but one hour more, he would have been saved this sin; in other words, he would have succeeded in his trial instead of failing. But he failed, and the consequence was, he lost God's favour, and forfeited his kingdom. …