Part 2 Do You Excuse Disobedience?

In Part 1, Saul was anointed and appointed by God the King of Israel.  His humility soon turned to pride and excuses for not obeying God’s commands. The proof of a good King was his obedience to God’s command and rejection of idol worship.  The same proof applies to us today.  Obedience to God is the key to our relationship and approval from God.  Overcoming excuses and pride takes work on our part but becomes easier the more we dwell in the Word, obey it, and grieve over sin. 

PRIDE REJECTS GOD’S WORD

Samuel rebuked Saul for foolishly disregarding God’s commands. Saul would lose the kingdom and his throne to another without obeying what God said. 

God gave Saul another opportunity to obey.

God assigned Saul the mission of carrying out God’s punishment on an unrepentant people, who for nearly 500 years had been repetitively brutal towards Israel.   Now, God’s timing was complete, including total destruction (Deut 25:17-19).  

GOD’S INSTRUCTION

Attack and Totally Destroy

Samuel gave Saul the instructions to attack and totally destroy the Amalekites and all that belongs to them (1 Sam 15:3).

But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. They were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak was totally destroyed (1 Samuel 15:8-9).

God was punishing the horrendous evil of the Amalekites.  The spoils of battle belonged to God, not for the nation or anyone’s personal gain.

God regards taking the things under the ban as stealing from God, revealing covetousness and pride (Joshua 6:18).

SAUL EXCUSED HIS DISOBEDIENCE AGAIN.

He rode into his hometown on his stallion, dragging his war trophy, King Agag, behind him, along with the best of the animals (spoils).

GOD WAS GRIEVED

God told Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions” 1 Samuel 15:11.

Here’s the text from 1 Samuel 15

“Early in the morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal”

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “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 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.”

“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.  And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’  Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

The soldiers knew God’s instruction, and they knew all the animals were under God’s ban and not to be taken, even to offer as a sacrifice.  Saul dishonored and blatantly dishonored God in front of the nation. 

More Excuses

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag, their King. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 

Notice, now it’s Samuel’s God. Saul doesn’t claim Him.

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.”

Saul’s continual disobedience to God resulted in his downfall.  He became depressed and fearful. He was jealous of David and tried to kill him (1 Samuel 18:10-12).  An evil spirit from God oppressed Saul, and he engaged in witchcraft (1 Samuel 28).

Saul’s excuses and pride ruined his life (1 Samuel 31:4-6)).   God removed His love from him (2 Samuel 7:15). 

GUARDING AGAINST DISOBEDIENCE

Samuel told Saul, Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, he has rejected you as King.

We aren’t perfect in our obedience, but we can be quick to repent and quit making excuses.  Filling our heart and mind with God’s Word will help establish the foundation of right choices.  Reading Scripture faithfully, including the passages which may not be agreeable, will teach us to honor and fear the Lord.  And, God guarantees His blessings in obedience.  Three things to help us obey are to dwell in the Word, do what it says, and grieve over sin.

1. DWELL IN THE WORD

Saul rejected God’s commands, but David was quick to repent when he failed. When we take time in God’s word each day, we can know the heart of God and learn how to love Him and please Him.   As we dwell, occupy, settle, hunker down, reside, eat of it, get it into our spirit,  it will keep us from sin.  It’s alive and active. 

Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You Psalm 119:11.  

Obedience to God comes through His Word, dwelling in it, learning it, loving it, and doing what it says. 

2. DO WHAT IT SAYS

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Don’t merely read it, but do what it says.  It takes time in the Word and listening to the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is alive. It’s active and can cut through our hearts and lay bare our attitudes and thoughts.  It has the power to change and transform a sinner into a saint (Hebrews 4:12). But we have to do what it says!  It’s a choice.

When we know the Scriptures, we will know Jesus!  One of the titles of Jesus is the Word of God.  Jesus and the Word are eternally inseparable.  The Bible is Jesus and Jesus is the fulfilled Bible (See CAN YOU LOVE JESUS WITHOUT LOVING THE BIBLE}

If you have ears, hear!  And then obey!

Dwelling in the word and the Word (Jesus) and doing what it says will help us grieve over our sin.

3. GRIEVE OVER SIN

Twice God tells Samuel he is grieved over making Saul king because he didn’t carry out God’s instructions.   

God is grieved over our sin when we excuse or defend it instead of repenting.  The way we regard sin is in direct relationship to our nearness to God.  God grieves over sin.  We should too!

Spending time in the divinely inspired Word of God will draw us closer to its Author as it exposes sin and cuts to the heart.  We will learn what God loves and what He hates.  We can be more attuned to sharing God’s grief for sin and develop a deeper, more authentic relationship with Him.

“It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors.”  A.W. Pink

SUMMARY

Saul was chosen, anointed, and changed by God’s power to become a leader in God’s Kingdom, but he rejected God’s instruction.  We can more easily obey God by dwelling in His Word daily, doing what it says, and grieving over sin.  And like David, a man after God’s own heart, we will become a sacrifice of a repentant heart, submissive to God’s will and good pleasure. 

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.  Psalm 51:16, 17

The depth of my love for God will be the measure of my obedience to Him!

PRAYER

Father, thank you for divinely giving your Word!   Help me understand and learn what pleases You. I will dwell in the Word.  I will grieve over my sin and be quick to repent.  Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear as You speak.  I choose to obey.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.