Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
I wonder if you’ve ever had an appointment which you dreaded and you would have done almost anything to not show up at that appointment? Oh yes, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?! Join me again with the man of God Samuel and the first human king of Israel Saul, for they have an appointment, but the truth is, neither of them are welcoming the conversation that needs to take place.
1 Samuel 15:12 tells us Samuel rose early that day, probably not having slept much the night before. Samuel knew he would have to confront young king Saul with his failure so early in his kingship. “Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but was told, ‘Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.” Can you imagine Samuel’s frustration and growing concern about what Saul is thinking and the prideful actions he is taking?
Finally, they met, and Saul said to Samuel “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?’ Saul answered, ‘The soldiers brought them back from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” (1 Samuel 15:13-15) Now that almost sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Sounds like Saul led his men to do a wise thing, bringing the best of the animals and promising to Samuel that they’d be used for sacrifice in worship.
But watch this friends, Saul was about to learn that with God full OBEDIENCE to God’s instructions is paramount over everything else and PARTIAL obedience is actually rebellious disobedience in God’s sight! Did you get that?
“Stop!’ Samuel said to Saul. ‘Let me tell you what the LORD God of Israel said to me last night.’ Saul replied,’ tell me!’
‘Although you were once small in your own eyes, the LORD anointed you king over Israel. And God sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites… Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?” (1 Samuel 15:16-19) Now pause for a moment my friends and look closely at what’s happening here, for it’s the very same challenge you and I face every day no matter where we live or our age or our marital status or our education.
God calls us to be His holy people even while living in a wicked world which nearly suffocates us with immorality and violence and evil all the time. Many times a day you and I are faced with complex situations which call us to make ethical, moral decisions and often the peer pressure to be just like the world around us is enormous. So may I ask, what’s your track record when you know full well what the God honoring thing to do is, but you feel the pressure to lower the standard or make an exception or compromise?
I’m sure you remember Paul wrote about that in Romans 7, saying: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out… When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” It’s that sinful nature in all of us, isn’t it my friends?!
Saul tried to make his case with Samuel, probably very similar to what you and I have done. Restating that he had obeyed God by destroying most of what was the Amalekites and sparing the king Agag and the best of the flocks and herds had noble intentions.
But listen closely my friends to Samuel’s next words for they are epic: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:22,23) Do we understand this my friends?
On any given Sunday, how many people are in churches around the world going through the motions of worship while living in sinful attitudes, choices, practices, and even relationships. God sees through all the smoke screen of pretend and God sees our hearts fully and completely.
As Hebrews 4:13 says “everything is laid bare before HIM to whom we must give account.” We might fake it in the marketplace or schools or politics or even family, but we can’t fake it with God!
Do we understand Samuel’s powerful, convicting statement: “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” A rebellious heart or spirit believes: “I reject God’s perspective, I want another opinion, any other opinion, even that of the dark kingdom!” An arrogant spirit believes: “I will be my own god; I will bow my heart and my will to no one but myself!” And with that Samuel pronounced God’s judgment on king Saul: “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, God has rejected you as king!” (1 Samuel 15:23) Only several months into his kingship, the first human king of Israel, Saul, had disqualified himself with God by his disobedience, his arrogance and his rebellious spirit.
God had chosen Saul. God had anointed Saul with His Holy Spirit. God had led Samuel to announce Saul and anointed Saul with sacred oil as the first king of Israel. Saul started well but too soon became prideful and turned away from God and in so doing disqualified himself to be the leader God’s people with God’s blessing.
Of course, Saul begged for mercy and with this one statement Saul gives us a glimpse of what is too often the deep ruin of a pitiful, prideful heart: “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, Samuel, forgive my sin and come back with me…please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:24-30) Do you hear it my friends? Fear of failure in the opinions of others. A passion for people pleasing. Do you know anyone who will do almost anything to earn the affirmation and approval, even the applause of people, including doing the wrong thing?
“As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of Samuel’s robe, and it tore. Samuel said to Saul, ‘The LORD God had torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind…” (1 Samuel 15:27-29) Do we understand that what is happening here with Samuel and Saul is happening all around our world everyday these days?
People compromise and then beg God to overlook it. For Saul, while he would still have the title of king, he would have neither Samuel nor God guiding Him. Saul had rejected God and Saul was now on his own. Let’s pause here and give this serious consideration friends, and tomorrow we’ll see the result of this dramatic confrontation.
Let’s join 50,000 young adults in this worship song as we seek to gain God’s perspective…
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:12-30.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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