When Rules Break Down
One of the tensions we carry as followers of Jesus is our relationship with the rules. What do we do with the boundaries and expectations in scripture, especially when they don't seem to line up neatly with the grace and movement of God we experience?
There's this curious story in 1 Samuel. Saul, Israel's first king, gets into serious trouble for offering sacrifices. He wasn't supposed to do that. That role belonged to the priests—specifically, the Levites. Saul wasn't one. He was supposed to wait for Samuel.
But here's the twist: Samuel wasn't a Levite either. He was from the tribe of Ephraim. And yet, God made an exception for him, allowing him to act on behalf of the people. So what's going on here? Why is Saul condemned for something Samuel is permitted to do?
The Purpose Behind the Rules
I think our mistake is often believing that the rules are there to bind God. If it's in the Bible, then surely even God must play by the rules, right? But what if the rules were never meant to constrain God? What if they were always there to restrain us—to protect us from ourselves?
Sometimes, God breaks the rules. Sometimes, God bends them. And occasionally, we need to do the same. But only when we understand the reason the rule existed in the first place.
In this case, the rule about who could offer sacrifices was a boundary set for a good reason. It was meant to separate spiritual authority from political power. Because God has always known that when religion and politics mingle, it's the religious voice that gets co-opted.
When Religion Becomes a Tool
Do you remember the story of Israel bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle, hoping to force God's hand? It didn't work. God said, "I'm out." This wasn't partnership; it was manipulation.
And now, Saul repeats the same mistake. Just chapters after that debacle, the first king of Israel is using sacrifice not to honor God, but to conscript God to his agenda. This isn't about devotion; it's propaganda. It's not just a misstep—it's the exact thing the rule was there to prevent.
The issue isn't just that Saul breaks a rule. Samuel's existence is already an exception. The issue is that Saul misunderstands the rule's purpose. He uses religion to justify power. And in doing so, he puts the entire nation at risk.
Learning From the Rule
Faith was never about checking boxes. It was never about coloring inside the lines for the sake of it. Faith is about coming to see the wisdom in the lines, and then knowing when to cross them for something deeper.
Rules are not arbitrary. They're teachers. They shape us, disciple us, guide us. But only when we see the love that underpins them. Only when we metabolize the values they're meant to protect.
Jesus understood this. Near the end of his life, he told his friends, "After I'm gone, you'll face hard choices. You'll have to bind yourself to new rules and loose yourself from old ones. And the only way you'll do it well is if my teaching flows out of you instinctively."
That's the point. Not rule-following for its own sake. But inner transformation so deep that wisdom becomes your default.
The Weight of Influence
The higher your influence, the heavier the consequences. And this is where Saul falters.
When the people first asked for a king, God warned them. In chapter 8, verse 11: "He will take your sons and make them serve with his horses; they will run in front of his chariots."
And Saul? It's the very first thing he does. And he does it in the name of God.
This story isn't just about broken rules. It's about broken understanding. It's about the danger of wielding religion to bless ambition. And it's a call to us—to keep asking why the rule exists, what it's teaching us, and when it might actually be calling us to something more.
