One of the characteristics of presumption is an expectation that God wouldn’t allow Himself to be put in the position where He could be disadvantaged. Our society is guilty of this. Peter writes about the scoffers (2 Peter 3) who accuse the seeming inaction of God as being proof that He doesn’t exist. People accuse God of injustice when they see the effects of unchecked evil. They accuse God of injustice when He judges evil (Noah’s flood, destruction of the Canaanite or Amalekite). This is the height of presumption. We want God to do what we want, when we want, how we want, and to leave us alone otherwise.
The Israelites did this as well. This kind of sin is especially noteworthy when it is carried out by those who should know better. They found themselves in battle against the Philistines and things didn’t go well. Their religious systems were functioning, but there was corruption in the priesthood, and God’s warnings about it had been ignored. In their mind, an ignored God will still bless us and do for us what we wish. The problem of defeat against the Philistines was correctly diagnosed. They had not brought God into the picture, they had been acting independently. Rather than coming to God in repentance, seeking His forgiveness and a renewal of relationship, they presumed on His good grace. Correct diagnosis, wrong treatment. They called for the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s earthly presence, and brought it into the camp as a kind of talisman. Surely, the LORD will not suffer his people to lose the battle when this great symbol of His presence and power is among them!
Actually, He will suffer humiliation and does suffer humiliation when His people presume. The ark was captured, the people were slaughtered and the name of the LORD was “blasphemed among the nations” (to borrow the words of Paul in Romans 2:24 NTFE). Saul never learned the lesson. When he was told to devote the Amalekites to destruction, he considered his part-obedience to be pleasing to the LORD. Surely the LORD didn’t think that all the animals were to be killed? He would appreciate the best in sacrifice, wouldn’t He? And as for Agag, the king, wouldn’t it be better to have a daily reminder of our victory over him as he begs for food from my table rather than leaving him dead? This indiscretion on Saul’s part resulted in God’s immediate removal of his kingship. But Saul’s presumption ran deep. He continued to reign as king and oppressed the newly, rightfully anointed king as well. Samuel told him that in God’s mind “presumption is . . . idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23 ESV). God suffered the humiliation that His people considered Him no different than any other Canaanite deity, and also that He had ever made Saul king.
But God’s willingness to suffer humiliation in the face of our presumption doesn’t leave God humiliated. The Philistines set up the ark, as their trophy of a god vanquished, with glee in the temple of their “great” Dagon. They learned very quickly, however, that the God of the ark is ‘“the LORD[,] and there is no other God besides Me” (Isaiah 45:21). They had acknowledged Him as the plague-bringing God who had vanquished the Egyptians – they were going to find out that He was still this plague-bringing God. He had suffered humiliation because of His people’s presumption, but He was no less the Lord of the universe. And they would acknowledge it, even as dumb Dagon did, by bowing to His might and power, although sadly, not in seeking forgiveness and salvation.
God’s humiliation at the hands of Saul would be answered by the raising up of a king whose ultimate descendant will reign with universal dominion. God’s sovereignty was not threatened by Saul’s sin. Goliath still lost his head. Whether the giant is hit by a stone in the head or on his toes (Daniel 2:34), the outcome is the same – God is sovereign. But this ultimate kingship would not come about without further humiliation. Jesus, the Son of God, would be born to common parents, raised in despised Nazareth, rejected by his own family and people, and crucified in shame on a cross. The hymnwriter captures the sense when he writes,
“Wondrous Thy humiliation to accomplish our salvation.”
The early Christians appreciated this as well in the hymn recorded in Philippians 2 about the humbled Christ who is exalted as Lord Jesus.
The Lord preserve us from treating Him like our personal vending machine. From expecting God to be our lackey, the One we call on in need to accomplish what we cannot on our own. “The Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4). His glory He “will not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8). So God help us to “honour Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV) in our hearts, that we may serve Him in faith.
