Most of us, I trust, were raised by our parents and instructed by our teachers to always make wise choices in life. But this often meant that we were taught to make good decisions and to be practical rather than be idealistic or overly imaginative. We were taught to be sensible and realistic.
In other words, we were taught to be pragmatic.
Of course, being pragmatic is not necessarily a bad thing. In many ways it is a good thing. God calls us to be shrewd. God calls us to be wise and sensible (Prov 1:3; 8:33). But even in this, we need to be careful. For it is often for pragmatism that individuals and churches and up neglecting the Word of God.
No true church and no genuine Christian intentionally aims to neglect God’s Word. Indeed, for the many individuals and churches who start drifting significantly from Scripture, it is usually a slow slide into unfaithfulness, not a quick, headlong fall into it. Often, it starts not with outright immorality or wickedness. Many times, it simply starts with pragmatism.
King Saul’s Neglect of God’s Word for the Sake of Pragmatism
We must beware of the danger of neglecting the Word of God for pragmatism, because this habit is displeasing to the Lord and will ultimately bring trouble into our lives. We see such a warning in 1 Samuel 13:1-14. In this passage, the author describes how Saul fell into disobedience due to pragmatism. This account is recorded in the Scriptures so that we may beware of the same temptation and not fall into the same sin.
As Israel’s first king, Saul was chosen by God. He was handsome, popular, and powerful—Israel’s most prominent figure at the time (1 Sam 9:2). He prospered as a military leader, and he also prophesied. He had the power of God fighting for him, and he was a bearer of God’s Word. But by the time we get to the end of 1 Samuel, David is king and Saul is not. How did this reversal happen? How did such a popular, prominent, and prospering figure decline? Where did it start?
It started in 1 Samuel 13, when Saul neglected the Word of God for pragmatism. As we look at verses 1-14, we need to be aware of the temptation, the deception, and the denunciation for neglecting God’s Word for the sake of being pragmatic.
First, we need to be aware of the very temptation to neglect God’s Word for pragmatism. Saul did not just decide one day that he hated God’s Word and wanted to neglect it. As we see in 1 Samuel 13:1-8, Saul was in a high-pressure, difficult situation. The Philistines had declared war on Israel again. The people of Israel were terrified and scattered before him, realizing that they were in trouble. Samuel had previously told Saul that he would return after a seven-day period to instruct him how to offer a burnt sacrifice, but he wasn’t there after the seven days. And now the Philistines were gathered before him. The people were scared. The enemy was pressing forward. Saul felt like he needed to receive the favor of God, which he could do through the offering of a burnt offering and peace offering.
The problem was that God had previously commanded Saul to wait for Samuel to instruct him to do so (see 1 Sam 10:8), since only priests were supposed to administer these sacrifices. But due to the pressure of the situation, Saul was tempted to go against the Word of God regarding the burnt offering and to offer it without Samuel’s instruction and oversight.
Challenging Circumstances that Tempt Us Toward Pragmatism
Many times, when we are in precarious circumstances, we can be tempted to think that obeying the Word of God will only result in further harm, just like Saul assumed when he was faced with a challenging situation. It may not even be that we desire to disobey God’s Word. It’s just that when we become overwhelmed by our circumstances, we conclude that the pragmatic solution is the better course of action.
Caught in a difficult set of circumstances, Saul thought that going against God’s instruction and sacrificing the burnt offering without Samuel the priest’s leadership would bring God’s favor upon him and the people. He offered the burnt offering without Samuel’s instruction—violating both the Old Testament Law (Lev 1:3-7) and also God’s direct command to him through Samuel.
Saul was deceived into thinking that he could earn God’s favor by being pragmatic, even though it was at the expense of obedience. He was profoundly wrong. And yet, how often are we deceived into thinking that God will still shine his face upon us when we deliberately go against what he has commanded in his Word? While offering burnt offerings is good, Saul was not the right person to do it. God had commanded someone else to do it.
Obedience to God doesn’t just mean we do things for God and in the name of God. It means that we do what God commands the way he says to do them and through whom he has designated to do them. If we knowingly go against the Scriptures, it doesn’t matter many pragmatic advantages we accrue for ourselves, God will be displeased. In other words, just because something “works” does not mean that God will be pleased with what we’ve done, how it was done, or the agent through whom it was done.
God’s Disapproval of Faithless Pragmatism
Let us beware of the denunciation of neglecting God’s word for pragmatism as seen in 1 Samuel 13:13-14. Saul apparently was not aware that he would face any consequence for offering a burnt offering without Samuel. He didn’t realize that there would be any ramifications for deliberate disobedience, because he was being pragmatic and doing what was good.
But Samuel made it clear to Saul that because he did not keep the commandment of God, his kingdom would not endure, and that it would be given over to a man after God’s own heart. Saul may have been the most powerful figure in Israel, but God would not let him get away with disobedience against his Word, and he pronounced judgement on him and his reign—a judgment that he would execute decades later.
We need to reckon with the truth that God will judge those who call themselves Christians yet who deliberately disobey His Word—even if our disobedience was for the sake of something “good.” Neglecting God’s commands for pragmatism may earn a person some superficial blessings, but if they don’t repent, God’s judgment will pursue and overtake them. It is a reminder that, when it comes to obedience to His Word, God will honor those who honor Him and bring dishonor to those who dishonor His Word (1 Sam 2:30).
Conclusion
We must meditate on this story and and take seriously the principles unfolded through the narrative. Why? Because obedience to the Word of God without compromise is at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. When we trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, are born again according to the living and abiding Word of God. As we grow, the Word continues to grow in us. Christians were born again for obedience to the Word, not to forsake or become careless with the Word.
The call, then, is to live out our salvation by holding fast to the Word of God, even if that obedience appears to make our present circumstances more difficult. Christ died for our sins and rose again so that we may live in joyful obedience to his Word. Let us bring honor to our Savior by holding fast to the Word of Christ, even if it doesn’t make sense to the world. Even when it doesn’t seem pragmatic.
