Day 3

SAUL'S UNFORGIVABLE SIN

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." Mark 3:29

After only two years of his reign Saul showed that he neither knew nor cared what God's will for him was. He began to make his own decisions apart from God's guidance and believed himself to be exempt from obedience from God's commands.

Consequently when he was told to wait for Samuel to arrive before deciding about war with the Philistines he became impatient and presumptuously took over Samuel's duties (1 Sam. 13:8-13). He paid the penalty of rejection by God (v13,14).

Saul, conscious of God's absence (1 Sam. 16:14) became more and more unstable, increasingly cruel, arbitrary and demanding in his rule (1 Sam. 14:44-46). Slowly he became convinced that he was surrounded by treachery (1 Sam. 18:6-9).

Probably the saddest fact about Saul is the way he fooled himself into believing that God was still with him (1 Sam 23:7) even though he knew all was lost (1 Sam. 26:21-25). His life is living proof of the truth of Hebrews 10:26,27.

Saul's actions in 1 Sam. 28 are those of a desperate man who has lost hope for the future and who has so often rejected God's will that he can no longer hear God's voice.

How may we guard against Saul's fate?