Human Reasoning and Eternal Decisions

 March 14, 2024

Thursday

Many times human reasoning can keep us from the Lord's will. Take for example the story of Saul offering the burnt offering when Samuel doesn't show up at the allotted time. Let's look at the circumstances.

The Philistines have gathered for a battle. Saul is trembling in fear. People are deserting him. He had already waited until the previously agreed time for Samuel to arrive. Samuel would offer the burnt offering. It was commonly offered before a battle. It was a statement of complete commitment to the Lord. Saul knows it must be offered before the battle. He, therefore, took it upon himself to offer the burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 13:8–9 (NASB 2020) ⁸ Now he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.

Human reasoning would tell us that Saul was in a predicament. He waited upon the agreed upon time. He took it upon himself because he was afraid to wait in longer. His men were already deserting. The battle would be difficult with the men he had. Losing more would almost assuredly mean a defeat. This is all human reasoning.

The burnt offering was not just a ritual performed so that the soldiers could fight with complete confidence. A complete commitment to the Lord is not found in the ceremony. A complete commitment is found in complete obedience. Offering the burnt offering without Samuel was the same as offering it without the Lord. There was no complete commitment for their was no complete obedience.

Saul was trusting in his army rather than the Lord. His human reasoning got in the way of obedience. People using human reasoning don't think that Saul did anything wrong.

I have heard the same argument made by ladies who do not understand why Mary could be praised for listening to Jesus while Martha was doing all the work. Their human reasoning says that Jesus should have made Mary get up and join Martha.

Luke 10:40–42 (NASB 2020) ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Human reasoning said that the meal must be served sooner rather than later. Human reasoning said that it was more important to prepare the meal than to listen to Jesus. Human reasoning was wrong. Can you imagine getting to sit and listen to Jesus? That would never be taken away from Mary while the meal that Martha was fixing would come and go.

The Bible tells us:

Proverbs 14:12 (NASB 2020)¹² There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

Some things seem right to us and many others but they are not evaluated on an eternal level. They are seen to be the best we can do today. The Lord looks beyond today. He leads us to an abundant life. The life that stays on the human level is a life of death. We are not responding to the Spirit. We do not have the life God intends for us.

Make sure today that you live beyond human reasoning. Completely obey the Lord. Listen to what He tells you to do. Live for eternity.