December 26 (I Samuel 13-15)

Chapter 15 is full of life lessons. Here is a message to King Saul from God:

³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

The command is pretty clear - destroy everyone and everything.

And here is what Saul and his men did:
⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

God revealed to Samuel what Saul had done and so early the next morning Samuel went to confront Saul.

¹² Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

Set up a monument to himself...Saul took the credit for the victory.

¹³ When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

He was blinded to his sin. He didn't carry out the Lord's command.

¹⁴ “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.¹⁵ “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

Saul rationalized his sin. He gave an excuse. And he still didn't fess up - they didn't destroy everything else. They spared Agag. Then Samuel reminded him of what God had told him to do and how he had responded, but he still would not acknowledge his sin.

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. ²¹ Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

Notice he says, 'your God', not 'my God'. Then Samuel responds with words that God still speaks to us today:

²² But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
²³ Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

So then Saul fesses up, in a way, but again places the blame on someone else. He blames the people and says he did what they demanded.

²⁴ Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. ²⁵ But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”

I find it interesting he was more afraid of what the people thought, than what God thought. But don't we do the same thing today? Isn't is easier to live for other's approval instead of God's? Isn't it easy to rationalize our sin?