Redemption of a Family: Problem Son

I Samuel 9:1-2; 15:26-28

We had a very interesting Sunday School lesson that got me thinking on a subject that I want to flesh out. That is what we will spend the next few devotions doing. Have you ever met a family that was just bad news? I have been in education long enough that I have learned there are certain last names that you do not want a student to have. Sure, we give them a chance, but it seems like every one of them is trouble. There is a family in the Bible like that.

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There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.  And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

I Samuel 9:1-2

And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.  So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

I Samuel 15:26-28

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If I asked you to tell me something about King Saul, most people would say he was the first king of Israel. That is a factual statement. He also did some good things as king. However, there is SOOOO much to say about the wrong he did. He got jealous over a teenage boy. He tried to kill that same boy for over a decade. He gave the boy's wife away to another man. He tried to kill his own son. He threatened to have all the witches killed according to God's law, but then went to a witch when it suited his interests. He offered a sacrifice instead of letting the priest do their job. And then, the sin that preceded, he disobeyed God's commandment to kill king Agag and destroy all the sheep and goats.

That is quite a list! Saul's problem was pride. He thought he could do what he wanted to do, and he hated anyone who hurt his pride. It destroyed him personally. It destroyed his reign as king. It destroyed his family. Saul's pride was his downfall. It is a prime example of why God hates our pride "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5).

When it comes to the life of Saul, the bad completely overshadows the good. We do not know who Kish was, but we do know that his son gave the family a bad name. He was famous, but it turned out to be for a bad reason. It would not be fair to judge Kish by his son, and yet, don't we do that often as a society? In reality, we all have bad apples in our family tree. I'm not making a defense for Kish either. Regardless of who he was, his family name was marred.

God hates pride. Most of our conflicts in life come because of pride. James has some wisdom for us on this issue:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:1-6

Peter added to this thought, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:6).

Father, so many people have ruined their family name because of pride. They fought with people, argued, and destroyed relationships. Help us to humble ourselves before You. When we do, we ask You to exalt us according to Your good will and in Your good time.

Remember, we will be talking about the redemption of this family name! Stay tuned.