Standing head and shoulders above all men with a handsome appearance and confidence fueled by determination, Saul had all of the makings to be a great King. Chosen by the LORD from a humble background with the anointing of the prophet, the Holy Spirit of God fell upon him and gave him a fresh new start with a new heart. The people united behind him and the LORD was with him. His son Jonathan was a loyal young man of faith, strength and courage, who could have carried on the legacy of a glorious kingdom. The LORD granted him an initial victory that won the hearts of Israel when he put down the vicious king of the Ammonites, Nahash; who had brutally oppressed all of the people east of the Jordan in Gad and in Reuben.
The LORD had a great victory planned for Saul against the mighty Philistines who numbered as the sand of the sea. All Saul had to do was wait on the LORD. Israel was a tiny force in comparison, only Saul and Jonathan even had swords; but the army had the LORD of Hosts to fight for them. Saul was to spend seven days encouraging his men in the faithful stories of the LORD’s victory over the Egyptians; the victories of Joshua, as he subdued and annihilated thirty one kings and kingdoms, solely with the power of the LORD. The stories of Gideon’s three hundred and Samson, being one man, who put down three thousand in one day. Israel should have been excited and filled with anticipation of victory; united in the LORD under their king, the courageous Saul. Instead, Saul became anxious in waiting and the men’s fears grew to cause many to desert. In desperation of relying upon his own strength, Saul disobeyed the LORD and took matters into his own hands instead of waiting on the LORD. He ordered an unholy burnt offering just before the arrival of the prophet of the LORD, Samuel. Because of his disobedience, the LORD told Saul that his kingdom will end because of his haughty disobedience; that when he was small in his own eyes, the LORD anointed him king; but now he was to great in his own eyes.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 ESV And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. (14) But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."
The LORD blessed the courage of Jonathan and gave a mighty victory to Israel in their war against the Philistines; but Saul made a foolish oath that caused the army to have to rescue Jonathan from Saul’s death decree. Saul was able to hang on to his throne and subdue the enemies of Israel, but the LORD was working in the heart of another man; preparing him to become the next anointed king.
Then the LORD sent Samuel to Saul with instructions to annihilate the king of the Amalekites and his entire kingdom. It was the Lord’s Day of reckoning against the Amalekites; because they opposed Israel when they came out of Egypt. Saul was instructed to utterly destroy the Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys. But Saul once again disobeyed the LORD by sparing King Agag of the Amalekites and all of the strong and healthy livestock.
1 Samuel 15:7-9 ESV And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. (8) And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. (9) But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
The LORD came to Samuel and was furious with Saul’s disobedience and the LORD wished that He never make Saul king.
1 Samuel 15:10-11 ESV The word of the LORD came to Samuel: (11) "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night.
When Samuel caught up with Saul, the king was of good cheer because of his victory; but Samuel had to convey the word of the LORD to him .
1 Samuel 15:17-20 ESV And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. (18) And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' (19) Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" (20) And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
Saul was too full of himself and the victory that he really couldn’t see his sin. He couldn’t see that the LORD would not delight in burnt offerings from unholy livestock captured in disobedience. The LORD is holy and obedience comes first before sacrifices.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 ESV And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."
Saul tied to express remorse, but it was too late. He wanted Samuel to worship with him and Samuel denied him. As Samuel turn away, Saul grabbed his clothes and tore a piece away. Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret." Then Samuel demanded that Agag be brought to him and he took a sword and hacked him to pieces after he looked Agag in the eye and told him "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women."
Since the Garden of Eden, mankind has been justifying their disobedience to God. A friend of mine who owned a business, use to always say, “I hire a truck driver and I get a president; I hire a janitor and I get a president; everyone I hire wants to tell me how I should run my business!” It used to exasperate him, because he couldn't find employees that would just follow his instructions. They would always justify why their way was better; they would justify their disobedience.
Philosopher Elbert Hubbard said it very clearly, “An ounce of loyalty is worth more than a pound of cleverness.” We need to stop being clever and start being obedient and loyal. God wants “a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart!”
Prayer: Father in Heaven, help me to have your heart. My heart must become broken and contrite. Help me to live humbly in the LORD, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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