God Can Seem Awfully Persnickety Sometimes

This is one of the things about God, at least in the Old Testament, that I just don't get.  He seems to get a bit persnickety sometimes.  That makes it hard to know how to proceed in certain situations because of the lack of consistency in God's reactions.  Here is what I am talking about.

1 Samuel 13:7-14(NKJV)

7And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 

8Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 

9So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. 

10Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

11And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 

12then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”

13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 

14But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Here is why I find this odd.  Saul's Chief Priest and Judge Samuel didn't arrive when he said he would.  The Israelites are about to be attacked by the Philistines.  Saul wants to make the proper offerings and inquire of God.  It's not like he is going off on his own, he is seeking God.  He knows the Priest is the one who should do this but the Priest isn't there so Saul, with no evil or malicious intent does the Priest's job.

And God hammers him for it.  It reminds me of the time with Moses and Aaron were getting water out of a rock.  Moses actually touched the stick to the rock when he was only supposed to point at it.  After all Moses did following God's directions  he doesn't get to go into the Promised Land because of that one little infraction. 

Now contrast that with David.  He is being pursued.  He and his men are hungry.  They go into the temple and eat the consecrated bread.  For some reason God let's that slide while hammering Moses and Saul.  It just doesn’t make sense to me.

It's one of those things I look forward to asking God about when I get to Heaven some day!