And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
3 sermons cite this verse
… Go to chapter 13, verse eight. First Samuel chapter 13, verse eight. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn't come. So Saul started to realize that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded we ain't waiting on Samuel. Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offering and Saul sacrifice the burnt offerings himself. He tried to get in pride and do it his own way. He tried to make his own path to the promise. just as Saul was finishing the burnt offering Samuel arrived Saul went out to meet him oh shoot okay um and welcome him hey Samuel uh hey bro hey I didn't know you was coming and Samuel said what have you done Saul replied see see what had happened was I saw my men scattering from me and then I did you did you I mean you had said you was coming in seven days. I mean, I know it's still the same day, but I thought you was coming like right, right when it turned to the seventh day and you wasn't here. And the Philistines were at McMash and it was ready to bash. And so I said to the Philistines, are you ready to march against Gilgal? Cause I haven't even asked the Lord for help. So I just, you know, I had felt compelled. I had prayed. I felt compelled to offer up my own burnt offering myself before you had come. You foolish man, you have not kept the command the Lord God …
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? …
Upon this, as was naturally to be supposed, these powerful enemies the Philistines became highly incensed, and assembled together a great army to chastise the insurgent people, their subjects as they would call them, who were making head against them. They had "thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude." On the other hand, Saul on his part, "blew the trumpet through all the land," and summoned all Israelites to him. They came together to him at Gilgal. And the Philistines came with their great host, and pitched over against him. Thus the two armies remained in sight of each other, and then it was that Saul's trial began. Before Saul went to battle, it was necessary to offer a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, and to beg of Him a blessing on the arms of Israel. He could have no hope of victory, unless this act of religious worship was performed. Now priests only and prophets were God's ministers, and they alone could offer sacrifice. Kings could not, unless they were specially commanded to do so by Almighty God. Saul had no leave to offer sacrifice; yet a sacrifice must be offered before he could fight; what must he do? He must wait for Samuel, who had said that he would come to him for that purpose. "Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal," says Samuel to him, "and behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings; seven days shalt thou tarry till I come unto thee, and show thee what thou shalt do." Saul, you see, was told to wait seven days till Samuel came; but meanwhile this great trial came upon him. The people he had gathered together to fight against the Philistines were far inferior to them in military qualities. They were not even soldiers; they were country-people brought together, rising against a powerful enemy, who was used to rule, as they were used to subjection. And, as I have already observed, they had no regular arms: "It came to pass," says Scripture, "in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan." No wonder, under these circumstances, that many did not come to Saul's army at all; many hid themselves; many fled out of the country; and of those who joined him, all were in a state of alarm, and numbers began to desert. "When the men of Israel," says Scripture, "saw that they were in a strait, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him." …