Saul continues his pattern of selective obedience to God’s commands (partial obedience is still disobedience, by the way). He seems easily led astray by voices who are not in alignment with God, and then blames them, failing to take ownership of his own sin/decisions.
“And Samuel said, ‘…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.” 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?’ 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… But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.’ ” (v17-21)
Saul sort of throws Israel under the bus and blames them for keeping the best of the spoils from the Amalekites, when God specifically instructed him to destroy everything. Trying to excuse the sin by saying “we kept it for God, to offer as sacrifices to Him”, somehow does not please God and Samuel – disobedience is still disobedience, no matter what the justification behind it.
Immediately following Saul’s attempted self-justification, Samuel has this amazing rebuke for Saul: “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. 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.’ ” (v22-23)
Samuel correctly states that God would much rather have someone’s obedience, than their request for forgiveness (burnt/sin offering). Saul knowingly sins against God, and hopes to make up for it later, but God is still displeased, and as a consequence Saul’s reign will soon be over.
Let’s not excuse away our sin as Saul does, but deal with it head on – take ownership, ask for forgiveness, and as Paul reminds us in Rm 6:1-14, strive to turn from a life of sin. Jesus told the woman forgiven of adultery ” ‘go, and from now on sin no more.’ ” (see Jn 8:1-11). If Jesus told her to turn away from her life of sin, and Paul says we are not to continue in sin, then it must be possible with God’s help.
I encourage us today, whenever possible, to obey God the first time. Yes, we are fallible and sometimes can’t help but sin against Him. It’s our hearts that will determine the extent of our disobedience – justifying intentional disobedience is much different than a repentant heart which owns the occasional slip-up, and strives to be free from a pattern of sin. When we earnestly seek reconciliation with God and desire to turn from our pattern of sin, God will gladly forgive us and grant us the strength to “go, and from now on sin no more.”
There are thousands of stories of people overcoming horrific patterns of sin with God’s help, and Saul could have overcome his as well, but after 40 years he still willfully chose not to obey God – the choice to obey is ours today.
Father God, our Glorious and Magnificent King, You are gracious and merciful beyond compare. We thank you for Your steadfast love which endures forever, consistently prompting us to love and obey You. May we develop repentant hearts, which loathe sin and love You. May we learn to recognize and obey the sound of Your voice, and only Your voice, ignoring the many others who may lead us astray. Please guide us this moment, and the next, and the one after that, as we desire to serve and obey You consistently. In the name of Jesus, the one who broke the dominion of sin, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training