SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 15
BIBLE VERSES:
“But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying 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. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (vs. 22-23)
THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING (vs. 1-35)
The Lord told Samuel to give Saul this instruction: “Go and attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them. Put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (v.3)
Sao Saul summoned his 200 thousand foot soldiers and then thousand men from Judah and went to the city to set an ambush in the ravine. But he told the Kenites to go away because they had shown kindness to all Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. Then Saul attacked the Amalekites and took Agog, king of the Amalekites. But all his people, he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and his army spared Agog and the best of the sheep, cattle and the fat calves and lambs.
God told Samuel that Saul did not follow his instruction. So early in the morning, Samuel went to meet Saul, who had gun down to Gilgal to set up a monument in his own honor. When Samuel and Saul met, Samuel heard the bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle and asked Saul. Saul answered that the soldiers spared the best of the sheep and cattle and brought them from the Amalekites to sacrifice to the Lord. (v. 15). Then Samuel said: “The Lord told you to destroy completely the wicked Amalekites and everything. Why did you keep the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” (v. 19). Saul said that he did obey but the soldiers took the sheep and cattle from the plunder in order to sacrifice them to the Lord at Gilgal” (v. 22). But Samuel replied: “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 i like the sins of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king” (vs. 22-23)
Saul confessed his sins but Samuel said: “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel” (v. 26). As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe and it tore. Samuel said to him: “The Lord has torn kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors – to one better than you” (v. 28)
Saul pleaded Samuel to come back with him to worship the Lord. So Samuel went back with Saul and demanded to bring Agog, king of the Amalekites with them. Samuel put Agog to death saying: “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women” (v. 33)
Then Samuel left for Ramah while Saul went to Gilbeah. They did not see each other until Samuel died.
THOUGHTS:
Saul was very good in excuses. Frist, he lied to Samuel, then he tried to blame the soldiers. He blamed others for his own sins. He was more concerned about his reputation than about his character. He tried to substitute sacrifice for obedience. Christians should not substitute religious ritual for spirituality. God values more our obedience rather than our gifts to Him. He accepts our worship only if backed up by obedient hearts. Religious ceremonies or rituals are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and obedience.
Because of disobedience, Saul lost his best friend Samuel. He lost the Lord’s blessings and the kingdom. Disobedience is a serious sin. It was also the sin that Eve and Adam committed which rendered them to be driven out from the Garden of Eden.