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Saul - The Great Pretender

1 Samuel 15:1-35

In this chapter Saul?s superficial and superstitious relationship with the Lord continues. He just doesn?t get what it means to belong to Yahweh. The reason is that he really wants the glory to himself rather than be subservient to the Lord.

 

How does he do it? Creating his own interpretation of God?s Word, desiring the best the world has while paying lip service to a relationship with God, avoiding personal accountability for his beliefs and actions, and desiring the approval of men far above the approval of God. Let?s see how it happens:

 

1 ? 3

 

The story of how Amalek tried to hinder Israel in Exodus 17 is pretty famous. It?s where Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands and Joshua and the armies won. But God didn?t forget what Amalek did and now he says that its time for payback.

 

Amalek deserved this judgment. Look back to this verse:

 

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 \"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. ESV

 

People that come against that which belongs to God and decide to become God?s enemies will suffer judgment from God. The Lord reminds Saul that it is He that appointed Saul to be ?prince? ? military leader. Now as that leader he is destroy everything that has breath. There is no ambiguity to the command, no wiggle room, no room for judgment on Saul?s part.

 

4 ? 9

 

The Kenites were descendants of Moses? father in law. They came up to the land of Israel with the Israelites. They weren?t really a part of Israel and even had peace treaties with the Canaanites (Judges 4). But it was a Kenite, Jael, who put the tent peg into Sisera?s temple, providing the victory for Israel.

 

So here Saul kills all the stuff that was no good?kind of like all the stuff you might give away to Good Will or something?and keeps all the good stuff, and the king. Now in a moment he is going to claim two things: 1-that all the good stuff was for a sacrifice and 2-that the people made him do it. This is classic Saul: claim his motives were good and should be counted above his actions and, failing that, it wasn?t his fault?classic transference.

 

I don?t actually believe either statement. I think it was totally Saul?s idea but I am not convinced that he did it as a sacrifice. I think he just wanted the booty and he wanted the king as a trophy to show off how powerful he was.

 

10 ? 11

 

Samuel never made it a secret, even to God, that he was unhappy with the people wanting a king ?like all the other nations.? This is almost like an ?I told you so? moment, but God wants his people to learn that when you decide not to have God as your king, your king will not have God. Samuel cries to the Lord all night and God gives him the ultimate message to Saul?you are not going to be king anymore.

 

12 ? 13

 

This monument is the real Saul leaking out. In reality he didn?t want God or anyone else to get credit so this thing is inscribed ?for himself.? Woe to us when God sends us on an errand and what we want people to remember is that we were there, not the Lord. 100 years from now when people remember back to things you did in obedience to the Lord?s command do you want them to remember your name or the touch of God?

 

Saul, either feigning innocence or in total ignorance of the seriousness of his actions, greets Samuel claiming that he?d accomplished the mission. He actually does it in the same place where Samuel had rebuked him earlier for not waiting to sacrifice according the Lord?s command (13:7). Samuel?s response to Saul is classic.

 

14 ? 15

 

It didn?t matter how ?pure? his motives were?he simply did not obey the Lord?s command. And even if it was the soldiers, Saul was king and should have ordered them to obey God?s commands. Notice that Saul refers to ?the Lord your god.?

 

Sometimes we want to take all the stuff that we think is bad in our lives and devote that to destruction, but those character traits and desires that we secretly want to hold on to we just withhold from God?s touch and think we?re okay. But God wants all that is evil in us devoted to destruction. (1 Peter 1:16 ?You shall be holy, for I am holy.?)

 

Well, Samuel has had quite enough of Saul?s bull.

 

16 ? 19

 

Saul had feigned this humbleness when he was anointed to be king (9:21) but he was in reality puffed up with pride and God had finally called him on it. You know, we can?t hide who we really are from God, no matter how much we wrap ourselves in a holy-appearing garment.

 

Samuel lays it out pretty clearly: God gave you a job and he gave you a mission. You disobeyed and in that disobedience you counted yourself as more holy than God and that is evil. But look at Saul?he is so filled with pride that he has self-deluded himself.

 

20 ? 23

 

In the end it was Saul?s mission that he went on, not God?s. God never told him to bring Agag the king and definitely did not tell him to spare anything, even for a sacrifice. Then comes this classic statement ?to obey is better than sacrifice.?

 

You see, I think Saul was in it for himself. He made a show before God in order to impress people. Here is a key question: are you trying to get something from God by your actions, or are you giving yourself to God.

 

Saul?s faith was ritualistic and superstitious rather than in humility and faithfulness. In the end, God doesn?t care what we?ve done, he only cares about whether we obeyed his voice. All of us from Billy Graham and Paul the Apostle on to us are judged by the same measure: did we hear God?s voice and do what he told us to do.

 

Psalms 51:16-17 6? For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ESV

 

Samuel is not criticizing the sacrificial system, but to sacrifice you must do it on God?s terms, not your own.

 

Then in verse 23 Samuel tells Saul just how serious his sin really is. Saul had rejected God?s word and wanted to run his own show. That is the same as idolatry?having another god before Yahweh, and divination?trying to move the supernatural world through manipulation rather than obedience and submission to God. So as Saul rejected God so God rejects Saul.

 

?Rebellion? = bitterness, ?presumption?= to peck at, or push.

 

In the face of this stinging rebuke Saul should have fallen on his face, but what he wants is to save face. It?s like saying ?I blew it because I didn?t appear right so now let?s just pretend I was sorry so things can look good to everyone else.?

 

24 ? 31

 

Saul says ?I want to look good so what do I need to say to make this right.? It?s actions, not words that God is interested in. He is still transferring guilt on others, not taking personal responsibility. Samuel is not deterred so Saul reaches out and grabs is robe?almost like he was going to force him to comply, but God will not be manhandled and Samuel uses it as an opportunity to further tell Saul what is going to happen: a neighbor, David, who is ?better than you? in that he is a man after God?s own heart.

 

So look at his statement in verse 30 for it is the final word on Saul ?I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel.? Saul wanted to look good, not be good. Does that sting any of us?

 

So Samuel returns with him. Saul got what he wanted, not what he needed.

 

32 ? 35

 

This is no children?s Sunday School story. When God fights his enemies there is violence. Just read the end of the book of Revelation. This is really a life and death struggle. God?s enemies want to destroy him and he will destroy them in response with an overwhelming flood.

 

Notice that while Saul was pretty angry in verse 11, in the end he grieved Saul. What Saul did was really wrong but in end it is pitiable. Saul was a lost soul, and Samuel grieves, as God does, over each soul that refuses to bow?would rather be a king in hell than a servant in God?s kingdom.

 

Lessons

 

Do we feign obedience to God while really getting what we want? (13)

 

Notice that Saul made his motives look so godly when he was really disobeying God. If we name ourselves among God?s people and yet cheat people and lie to them all the while convincing ourselves that it is for God?s glory?after all I can tithe more!?we are fooling only ourselves. God desires obedience, not sacrifice. God wants souls he owns and is transforming?He doesn?t care a wit about our showing off in front of others how holy we are.

 

Which will it be: show or obedience? (22)

 

This is a classic struggle that we all go through. It?s what tripped up the Pharisees in Jesus? day. We as humans are more interested in appearing holy than in being obedient. God makes it clear that he is much more interested in a heart that loves being like the Lord more than in a life that appears to follow God. This really runs in the face of legalistic Christians who choke over someone?s dress or language or in what they do, rather than in a life that follows after God and is in the process of being transformed.

 

Do you want to look good or be good? (vs 30)

 

God still got victory over his enemies even though Saul was disobedient. (33)

 

That?s how there can be people who do not in any way represent a real relationship with God and yet see people saved.

 

Philippians 1:15-18 ?Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

ESV