Pointing everywhere else...

1 Samuel 13:8-14 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” This is one of those sad passages. King Saul has been inaugurated as King, has gained the support of the people, and seems well on his way to a positive, profitable reign. Then we sense we have reverted to the Fall all over again: when Saul is confronted with his fearful "I-have-to-resolve-this-on-my-own" reaction, he points to everyone else: the people were scattering, you were late, the Philistines were threatening - "It's everyone else's fault!" Blaming everyone else cost him dearly, and it does us as well.