45. GOD REJECTS SAUL

"To obey is better than sacrifice"

Aim

To show that God requires obedience to His commands.

Synopsis

Saul was a shy unknown farmer who suddenly found himself chosen as the first king in Israel to rule over the people.

1 Samuel 13:8-14 and 15.

KING SAUL TAKES UP HIS DUTIES

It was not long before Saul realised that he would have to lead his people into battle against their enemies and leave behind his work on his father's land. As captain over the army of Israel, Saul began well and led the people to victory. It was not long, though, before it became easy to see that Saul was not a man of faith like the captains before him (for example, Joshua, Gideon, etc.). He did not seem to realise that his army was God's army and God would give the victory, if only they would obey him and trust him.

Once, Samuel told Saul to wait at Gilgal seven days till he came. Then Samuel would offer sacrifices to God for the people before the battle. As the Philistines drew near, Saul became afraid and impatient because Samuel had not yet come. He offered the sacrifices himself € and just then Samuel came. Samuel was very angry when he saw that Saul had disobeyed. "Thou hast done foolishly", Samuel said, "Now thy kingdom shall not continue" (1 Sam. 13:13-14). God would not establish the kingdom in the family of Saul, but would look for "a man after his own heart...to be captain over his people" (vl4). Later that is just what happened.

Meanwhile, Saul continued to win battles against Israel's enemies and set himself up with a large army and a royal court from which to rule just like the kings of other nations.

THE AMALEKITES MUST BE DESTROYED: 1 Sam. 15:1 9

Samuel continued to try and teach Saul the simple lesson of listening carefully and obeying. 'Yahweh sent me to anoint thee king over His people, over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Yahweh" (v1).

About four hundred years earlier, the Amalekites had cruelly and cowardly attacked the Israelites as they struggled across the wilderness to Sinai (see Exod. 17:8). God had never forgotten this - "I remember that which Amalek did to Israel", were God's words to Saul, "Now, go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not" (vv 2,3).

Here was Saul's chance to show himself as one who could obey God's clear command and prove himself to be faithful. But,*as we shall see, he did not do all that God commanded.

Saul began straightaway to gather the people to go into battle. The attack was successful and Saul killed the people with the edge of the sword (v8) but - Agag, the king of the Amalekites, was taken alive and the best of the sheep, oxen and lambs were taken and kept (v9). Saul had disobeyed God's command. He had not passed the test. He had not utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

SAUL DISOBEYS GOD: 1 Samuel 15:13-23

When Samuel arrived on the scene and saw the animals, which had not been destroyed, he was very angry and demanded of Saul what this meant. Saul was surprised. He thought he had done just what God had wanted. Of course, the animals were there, but Saul blamed the people for that "the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Yahweh" (v15). This was no excuse. Saul had not done all that God required and Samuel said, "Hath Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice ofYahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken that the fat of rams" (v22). God does not want sacrifices from those who are rebellious at heart and who disobey His commands. He wants the obedience of a true and honest heart.

GOD REJECTS SAUL: 1 Samuel 15:35

From this time forward, God was not with Saul and Samuel would have nothing more to do with him. Samuel was very sad, but Saul had done what was right in his own eyes and had not obeyed God.

LESSON FOR US

When God gives a command, He expects it to be carried out completely. He always means exactly what He says; and when He said ."utterly destroy, and spare not", He meant just that. We are often very much like Saul. It is not good enough to obey some of God's laws and think others are not quite so important. We, like Saul, must learn that complete obedience is what God requires, with an honest and humble attitude of mind.

It is very important to remember these words: "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" (Col. 3:20). If we learn to be obedient to our parents then, when we grow to be men and women, we will be able to give obedience to our Heavenly Father.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Samuel told Saul that God had rejected him from being king (v26). Slowly Saul began to see what he had done wrong. He confessed his sin and pleaded with Samuel to come and worship God with him. As he did so Saul took hold of Samuel's cloak and it tore in his hands. Samuel said to him, 'Yahweh hath rent (torn) the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou" (v28). Saul now realised fully what was the result of his disobedience, but far from repenting and changing his ways, he showed himself to be selfish and rebellious towards God. He was sorry for himself, but not truly repentant or he would have changed his ways. Saul remained as king for some time, but God was no longer with him, and Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint David, the youngest son of Jesse, to be the future king in Saul's place.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. How long did Samuel tell Saul to wait for him before going into battle?

2. What was Samuel going to do when he came to the people at Gilgal?

3. Why did Saul offer the sacrifice instead?

4. What commandment did God give to Saul about the Amalekites?

5. Did the army of Saul defeat the Amalekites?

6. Did Saul utterly destroy all the Amalekites as God had commanded?

7. What was the name of the king of the Amalekites?

8. Who did Saul blame for saving the animals captured from the Amalekites?

9. What did Samuel tell Saul was "better than sacrifice"?

10. What was Saul's punishment for his disobedience?

Detailed Answers

1. When God commanded king Saul to fight against the Amalekites He commanded him to utterly destroy them.

   1. Why did God tell Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites?

   2. In what way did Saul disobey this command?

2. Saul said that the people wanted to offer the animals belonging to the Amalekites as sacrifices.

   1. Why was God not pleased with this?

   2. What lesson do we learn from this?

Additional Answers

3. When Saul made an excuse for saving the animals of the Amalekites, what did Samuel say? 1 Samuel 15:22

4.  

   1. What happened when Saul tried to stop Samuel from leaving him?

   2. Tell what Samuel said.

   3. Did Samuel's words make Saul repent?