Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice Series

The bigger they are the harder they fall. It is dramatic to see a skyscraper building brought to the ground. Dynamite blows out the walls and the building collapses to the ground. What once filled the skyline becomes reduced to a pile of rubble.

The story of King Saul’s utter demise unfolds in 1 Samuel 15. The man who stood head and shoulders above all the people is imploding like a skyscraper building with the walls blown out.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 8 we read that Israel demands a king. It was the end of the period of the judges. Samuel feels rejected because it is the corruption of his sons that sets off Israel’s request for a king.

In Chapters 9 and 10 the new king looks promising. He seems like he is a franchise player. Everything is laid out for Saul with only one condition. He must walk in obedience to God. In Chapter 11 he rescues Jabesh Gilead from the Ammonites.

He is acting humble, and the Spirit of God is upon him. Saul gives the glory to God in the deliverance of Jabesh Gilead. He even prevents the loyal followers from taking revenge on the people that opposed Saul becoming king.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 13 we see the first step of a giant fall. He would not wait for 7 days for Samuel before the battle with the Philistines. This time Samuel expressly commanded Saul to kill and slay.

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” (1 Samuel 15:1-3)

He was to utterly destroy all that was before him including all living creatures. When you read verse 7-8 that is what you think took place.

Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. (1 Samuel 15:7-8)

But now let’s read on to find out what really happened. We will see Saul’s direct disobedience.

But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. (1 Samuel 15:9)

There is a common disobedience pattern here. It starts as partial obedience. In the end Saul’s disobedience was against God. He was told to “utterly destroy all” This was not a case of Saul misunderstanding the command, but he willfully disobeyed.

He did not obey because obedience did not suit his own plans. Saul lacked the respect for God’s command. Saul had been told by God through Samuel what he must do, but he chose to disobey God and pursue his own plan.

Saul spared king Agag for political reasons, and he spared the best of the cattle so he would have them or as his flocks in his own fields. He disobeyed God. There was a partial obedience. He did destroy the weakest of the flocks. His partial disobedience was disobedience and the reason he disobeyed God was for his own selfish gain.

If you only obey God when it suits you and fits your plans it is a partial obedience that is really the disobedience of Saul. The root of partial obedience, this type of disobedience is pride. God saw what happened and he knew why it happened. God regrets making Saul king.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. (1 Samuel 15:10-11)

God saw what happened and he knew why.

Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 15:12)

Saul was quick to rationalize his sin. He even had the nerve to tell Samuel he has carried out the command of the Lord.

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” (1 Samuel 15:13)