DO YOU EXCUSE DISOBEDIENCE? King Saul Part 1

My granddaughter, who is four years old, is an expert in making excuses. When I asked if she was keeping her room clean, she said her playmate had been over and messed it up!  Children aren’t the only ones who make up excuses!  We all do it, but should we?  Excuses, in the story of Saul only disguised his disobedient heart towards God.  As old as the story of Adam and Eve, when God said don’t, they still did, each blaming the other. Their disobedience resulted in being driven away from God’s presence (Genesis 3).  

Excuses make me look better than I am, or cover up my sin and avoid the consequences of my actions. At times, it’s easier to blame someone else for my lack of responsibility. “It’s his fault I’m like I am.” The story of Saul helps us see the problem of making excuses, a cover for self-pride. The opposite of making excuses is obeying God. As we grow in knowing God’s Word and doing what He says, we can overcome our prideful excuses. Self-driven pride is something God hates. But, God loves the obedient.

Whoever loves me will keep my word…Jesus

John 14:23

Let’s look at Saul’s story.  I believe you’ll see yourself – as I did.  

CHOSEN BY GOD

Saul had a golden opportunity to become one of the most outstanding leaders of all time.  He could have become known for his servant-heart before God and led the nation back to God.  Instead, he excused his disobedience and dishonored God. 

SAUL ANOINTED KING  

Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him. He said, “The Lord has anointed you to be the King of his people. 1 Samuel 10:1

Tall and impressive, a young man without equal, God chose Saul to lead Israel.  Samuel, a lifetime Prophet, Judge, and acting priest of Israel, anointed Saul as King.  Saul humbly responded.

“But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?  Why do you say such a thing?”  

On inauguration day, Saul hid in the baggage. (1 Sam 9:21).   God anointed this humble man to lead Israel out of the tyrannical oppression of the Philistines.  God equipped him.

• A changed heart (1 Sam 10:6-9).  
• The Spirit of God upon him in preparation for his leadership (1 Sam 10:10).  
• He prophesied with the prophets (1 Sam 10:10).  
• He built an altar to God (1 Sam 14:35).  
• Saul sought the Lord’s guidance (1Sam 14:41).
• Saul credits God with his victories (1 Sam 11:12-13).
• Saul hungered for the presence of God (1 Sam 11:14-15).

Saul was appointed, anointed, and twice confirmed as King at Mizpeh and Gilgal.  But in the second year of his reign, Saul’s humility gave way to pride and disobedience.

SAMUEL’S WARNING TO THE NATION AND THE KING

Israel’s leader, Samuel, openly rebuked the people for rejecting God by asking for a king.  

 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.  As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.  Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly” 1 Samuel 8:7-9.

Samuel warns the people if they continue to turn away from God, both the people and the new King will perish (1 Sam 12:24-25).  Saul was to lead the nation to obey God.

SAMUEL’S INSTRUCTIONS TO SAUL

Moving from a humble, hiding-in-the-baggage youth, now a King with 3000 soldiers at his command, his mission was to defeat the godless Philistines.  Samuel gave Saul the order to go to Gilgal and wait for Samuel to come on the seventh day and make the sacrifices with final instructions from God (1 Samuel 10:8).

SAMUEL REBUKES SAUL

The oppressive Philistines had assembled for attack.  They were as numerous as the sands on the seashore.  Saul was becoming more fearful by the minute as his soldiers were fleeing. Anxiously waiting for Samuel to arrive, Saul decided to sacrifice without him (1 Sam 13:9).  Bad idea!

Before he finished, Samuel arrived and said, “What have you done?” Saul excused his disobedience.  

“When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering” (1 Sam 13:1-12). 

This story may seem relatively insignificant, and we may, at first glance, “excuse” Saul for his disobedience to God.   Why the big deal over Saul offering the sacrifices and not waiting for Samuel?  With an army breathing down his neck, soldiers fleeing (now down to about 600 from 3000), should he not have acted?  Saul was the King and had to make decisions as a leader, right?  Not! Obedience is of first importance with God.

Samuel rebuked Saul. “You have done a foolish thing…now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:13-14

WE ALL MAKE EXCUSES

It’s human nature to make excuses.  We all do at times, but do we fail to see pride as the reason?

“It’s my friend’s fault my room is messy.” (Who’s responsibility is it to keep it clean?)

” I don’t have time to read the Bible today because I’m too busy.”  (What does this tell God about how much we love Him and want to be with Him?)

” I want my way, and until I get it, I’ll give you the silent treatment.” (Is this putting others first, as Jesus taught).

Saul’s excuses included people’s approval, fear, feeling entitled, being ungrateful, and strife.

• Saul’s disobedience was in response to look like a King and uphold his people’s approval, more important than God’s.  Paul writes in Galatians 1:10 when we “try to please people more than God, and then I am not a servant of God”.
• Saul was afraid when the troops were leaving.  Rather than waiting on Samuel and the Lord, fear took hold and he trusted his own judgment more than what God said. 
• Saul wasn’t a priest, and without authority, offered the sacrifices.  He felt entitled, thinking he deserved to do this because of who he was.  He forgot humility and obedience.
• Saul’s humility turned into ungratefulness.  Saul erected a monument in honor of himself on the heels of his disobedience to God.  
• Saul’s strife against God’s pick for the next King of Israel turned into hatred and rage.  He tried to murder David.  Where there is strife, there is pride.  Proverbs 13:10a

Pride and excuses caused Saul to lose the kingdom and his life.  

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Proverbs 16:18

Conquering excuses takes responsibility.  Time in God’s Word can bring change as we not only listen to God through His Word but do what He says.  James 1:22 tells us, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

DO WHAT IT SAYS! Are we making excuses instead of obeying God’s commandments?

1. God says, be honest (9^th command).  Are we truthful?  What about little white lies?
2. Don’t curse using God’s name (3^rd command).  How about the casual, without even noticing the expression of OMG?  Are we giving careful thought to not taking God’s Name in vain, even in casual conversation? 
3. Go to church and honor the Sabbath (4^th command).  Are we faithful to worship with the body of believers in our communities?  Are we making sure our children are learning the Bible stories and lessons taught each Sunday? Are we honoring God by this command, “Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25).
4. Don’t covet what your neighbor has (10^th command).  This is a hard one for Americans.  More than most of the world, we are all quite wealthy but still don’t have enough.  Are we spending beyond our means to enjoy the things of life like our neighbor?  Are we honoring God with our tithe first, showing our love and trust in Him?
5. Don’t have idols above God (1^st command).  What demands most of our time and money reveals where our heart is.  Is God first in everything?

To overcome pride, we must say “yes” to obey the Lord, not only those five commands above but all of them.  We have the help of the Word and the Holy Spirit.  We can say “no” to excuses and disobedience (Titus 2:11-14).   

In the critical, testing times, unlike Saul, we can quit making excuses, stop blaming others, and obey God.   Obedience is the measure of our love for God!.

Jesus said, Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

John 14:23

Saul is given another opportunity to take responsibility for his actions and obey God, but does he do it?

Go to Part 2, Do You Excuse Disobedience?