JRM Sison Chapter - August 30, 2009 - Successful Failure, Failed Success

     The history of Israel is fascinating. From the beginning, Jacob had already foreseen what would happen with his children’s future. In Genesis 49:8-10, Jacob had declared that out from the seed of Judah will rise up kings. Though it was not declared directly, the message was clear and vivid. Thus, from the blessing of Jacob, it was sure that it would be from the line of Judah would kings rise up.

     But something happened; Israel wasn’t contented with the way their prophet was handling the affairs of the state. They wanted some changes; they wanted a king to reign over them just as the other nations. They were disappointed on how the sons of Samuel judged over them. When they saw that Samuel was already old, they asked for a king. This greatly displeased not only Samuel but also God for they rejected the Lord and not the prophet Samuel. Thus, they went to search for a king to reign over them.

     But surprisingly, they have chosen a man from Benjamin, not from Judah. While it was very clear that the line of kings will be from Judah, the chosen one was not part of the future that Jacob had seen. What was the reason why this happened? Note that Saul was a handsome and tall man; his countenance and stature is worthy to be king. Thus the blessing of the Lord was given to Saul, the Benjamite. It was a sure success for Saul; the Lord had favored him among the many men of Israel. He was so successful that God had given him victory against the Ammonites. Saul was in the path of victory, honor and riches; people have revered him as their king and their savior against the enemies that would harass them.

     The question here is; will God be willing to change the declaration of Jacob about Judah? If He will, what may be the reasons why God will change the plans? Is there something wrong with the tribe of Judah? What was so special about the tribe of Benjamin? Note that God is preserving the things that need to be preserved. From reading the scriptures on what happened with Saul, God didn’t want to put any blemish unto the first king that will be representing Judah.

     But considering the fact that Saul was chosen, I believe that God was about to change everything if Saul walked in the Spirit. If he followed the commands that Samuel had laid down, things might be different. To retain the crown, all Saul had to do is to be faithful. But Saul wasn’t that faithful; he didn’t follow the ordinances of God and assumed the position of Samuel by burning the offerings. He believed not on God’s words and the words of His prophet. By his unbelief he transgressed the commands of the Lord. Samuel said to Saul as he was rebuking him, “And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever (1 Sam 13:13).” The Lord was about to give the kingly line to the tribe of Benjamin and remove it from Judah. If Saul walked in the Spirit, it was to be in his line will the Messiah come. But it didn’t happen that way; Saul wasn’t even sorry for what he did; even if Samuel rebuked him. He failed in the area of reverence; he failed to obey God and His commands. He was the perfect example of a failed success.

The Successful Failure

     But there was one man whom God have chosen, a man after His own heart. It must be noted that the Lord had a backup plan in case His original plan didn’t work out. God will not pursue a losing battle but instead turn the tide of victory unto His favor. The backup plan was even declared by Samuel to Saul right after the rebuke about the attitude of Saul. He had already a man in mind to replace Saul. God had seen that Saul doesn’t have the qualities of the rightful king to lead His people. He found His man in the person of David, son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah. God went through with the blessing that Jacob had declared unto his children, especially with Judah. Thus, the kingly line was reinstated to the line of Judah.

     But was David a man of success? He failed many times. He was a failure especially when he tried to save his own skin from the spear of Saul. Saul was jealous of the fame that David was thriving and that was the reason why he sought for his life.

     Now David went to Ahimelech and lied to him about the nature of his visit. He even ate from the hallowed bread that was to be showbread upon the Lord. From the house of the Lord he went and dwelt in the land of the Philistines, their sworn enemy.
But was David a complete failure? He wasn’t; the Lord had blessed him wherever he went for David was the man after God’s own heart. Through his obedience to the Lord, he became a success. David was a perfect example of a successful failure.

The Secret of David’s Success

     Even though the odds were against David, he made FAILure a sure path of success.
          ·     Faithful to the Lord - Though Saul was chasing him, David had the time to save Keilah from the hands of the Philistines (1 Samuel 23:-5).
          ·     Acted on God’s plan and not his - David knew that God had given him the right to become king, thus he acted according to what the Lord has planned for him and for Israel.
          ·     Involved in the plans of God - Even if David was in the land of the Philistines, he sent spoils from battle unto the elders of Judah.
          ·     Leaned on to God - David knew that without God, he had been dead a long time. He had to lean on to God; his Protector, Provider and Comforter.

     He turned the negative output to a positive one.

The Easy Road to Failure

     As Saul had been successful the easy way; he had also found an easy way to failure.
          ·     Fearful - When Samuel was late on the appointed date, Saul became afraid of what will happen next. He knew that his soldiers were waiting for the prophet of God to burn the offerings and proclaim victory. He became uneasy and was unsure of himself and the situation at hand.
          ·     Arrogant - Saul became so arrogant that he forced himself to do the things only Samuel would have done. He called for the burnt and peace offerings and offered them himself.
          ·     Intimidated - Saul was easily intimidated by the Philistines and the sudden turn of events; the soldiers became disheartened as they saw the multitude of enemies that is in front of them. He forgot that the Lord will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines.
          ·     Lost his calling - He forgot that he was called as the king over Israel and not the prophet.

Being the Successful Failure of the Lord

     I remember one time about a friend of mine that failed so many times in the area of business. For me, he was the embodiment of failure. He entered into many kinds of business ventures but everything went bankrupt. He was a complete failure. After some time, I heard that he was already a successful businessman. He was so successful that he became a millionaire. Note that this guy is an unbeliever! If such success was given unto an unbeliever like him, what more will the Lord give if we continue our fight of faith even if failure comes along the way?

     There was one movie that I have watched a long time ago. It was about leadership. The captain of the ship told his lieutenant that failure is part of leadership and no leader can become an effective one unless he had experienced failure.

     Failure builds up a person’s character. Failure molds a person’s outlook about life; through failures can success be appreciated; the more the failures, the sweeter the success.

     Thus, brethren, don’t give up. Even if the going gets tough, remember that God will see you through. And through the failures, you will find ways to appreciate the moving of God in your life and your family’s.