Trinity Baptist Church July 13, 2008
Portrait of a Politician
The Lyin’ King
1 Samuel 15:1-34
Norman Schwarzkopf called leadership a potent combination of strategy and character. But, then he said -- if you have to be without one, be without strategy.
It would seem that far too many leaders in our generation prefer to abandon character. A few of you are old enough to remember and American president in the ‘70’s resigning in scandal and disgrace. Another in the 90’s was mired in immorality and dishonesty. The recent business climate has given us CEO’s and corporate leaders so hungry for power and money, they’ll gladly rip off both investors and employees.
The sad thing is -- we’re not shocked anymore if even a pastor or priest commits the vilest of things. You don’t have to look very fare to find a raunchy leader.
It’s not a new phenomenon. Ever since people were given or have taken responsibility and power, their fundamental character – whether good or evil -- has surfaced. As believers, the issue of a leader’s character always comes down to the question of “where is God” in the person’s life? When a leader follows God, it makes all the difference in the world. When that is not the case -- that leader’s story is not going to end well.
We’re studying one of those tragedies. We started three weeks ago studying Saul -- an OT leader who demonstrates classic leadership failure. Saul was Israel’s first king. I’ve called his account a “portrait of a politician” – for several reasons. For one, this was a man who cared more about his image than his character. He’s was more “fluff than stuff.” When his core showed through – like when he was stressed or angry – the picture was not a pretty one….
Saul cared more about what people thought, than what God thought. He was self-absorbed and therefore a jealous leader – and those traits made him cling to power like a drowning person clinging to a life preserver.
You remember how it all began. In 1 Samuel 8, God’s people realized their aging prophet Samuel wouldn’t be around much longer. So they came to him -- and demanded he change their government and appoint a king for them – something Israel had never had, because the Lord God was their King. Their motive for that request was mentioned twice in chapter 8. They wanted to be like all the other nations. To Samuel’s amazement, God told him to grant their request. The man Samuel anointed was Saul.
Saul would likely have been a popular candidate in a political climate like ours. He was a big man -- head and shoulders over every other. He stood out – and he wasn’t afraid to take action. At the beginning, he seemed to be modest. All that fit the scriptural principle we can read just a bit further on in 1 Samuel: it says, man looks on the outward appearance.
Things haven’t changed much in our TV/YouTube generation – outward appearance very often seals the deal. And from all appearances everything looked good – it looked like Israel got the very best choice. But like we saw the first week of our study, God was only giving them what they asked for – but Saul was not the leader they needed. And that was the beginning of his tragic reign.
Two weeks ago, we read that sad account in chapter 13. Samuel the prophet told Saul he’d come to the battlefield where Israel faced a massive Philistine army. Saul had begun with a meager force and when his soldiers saw the Philistine hordes, they began deserting. Saul got desperate – and instead of waiting for God’s man – who would come and offer sacrifices and ask God for a supernatural victory, Saul impulsively offered the sacrifices himself. By his actions, he disregarded God’s and His holiness.
At that point, Samuel told Saul, “It’s over!” He said, God has looked for a man whose heart is fully His, -- and in so many words, he said -- “Saul, you’re not that man.”
Now in 1 Samuel 15, Saul is given another mission from God. It’s precise and clear.
God’s Assignment
As Zac read chapter 15, you heard the assignment spelled out. It’s in verse 2 -- God’s says, I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all he has, and do no spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.
A little history -- God says this issue extends back to Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The Amalekites had occupied the southern part of Canaan. When the Jewish people set off from Egypt, this was one of the first nations they encountered. The same group would become one of Israel’s neighbors and continue to attack and harass them. Initially, the Amalekites refused to let Israel even move through their territory. When the whole nation was exhausted from the journey and simply requested permission to travel through their territory, they turned them down. Instead they attacked. As late as Gideon the judge’s time, this group remained a thorn in Israel’s side.
But what God describes here is more than revenge. The Amalekites were one of the people groups mentioned back in Deuteronomy, when God pronounced judgment on evil cultures.
Deuteronomy 29 says this: you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God commanded you, in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.
There wee some nations with which God allowed Israel to peacefully co-exist. But with others, God had already examined and determined – their kinds and levels of evil had reached the point where the whole culture must be taken away. Just like with the flood – and it happens with individuals and whole cultures – finally God’s patience reaches its limit – the point where sin becomes like a cancer which threatens God’s people and others.
The answer of God’s righteous Justice is complete destruction. When it came to Amalek, you can find three or four instances in the OT where judgment is pronounced – now Saul is assigned the task. It also appears, God is giving Saul one final opportunity to obey Him as Israel’s leader.
Saul’s Failure
But Saul failed – obviously not in his own mind -- but certainly in God’s. The account is in verses 4-7. Saul attacks with a sizeable force – this time he has 200,000+ soldiers. He sent people in ahead of time to warn the Kenites – another group -- to leave the area, and they did.
But look again at verse 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed (1 Samuel 15:9)
Let’s make a few observations: first, who was it, according to verse 9, who was responsible for the decisions made? It says, Saul and the people. That detail becomes important as you read on in the encounter with Samuel. A second observation: notice on the one hand, that the army is vehement about their task – it says they utterly destroyed what’s worthless and despised – that says, that when they spared some of the animals and the king, those were not acts of compassion. But – it was the best things -- the things of value – which of course, Saul asserts they had kept for sacrifices! Notice, though, they plan is to give to God what wasn’t theirs; it wasn’t animals which would need to come from their own herds!
Remember David’s words a generation later: he said, “I won’t give to God something which has cost me nothing.” A third observation -- about King Agag – for Saul to spare him also wasn’t compassion or some kind of “professional courtesy”. Agag would have become a trophy for Saul to show off – there’s a Canaanite king in Judges 1 who demonstrates that for us – he said, he had 70 kings, whose thumbs and big toes were cut off, who sat under his table and picked up scraps of food. Agag was going to become a trophy to pump up Saul’s ego.
Samuel’s Confrontation
Saul and the army destroy most all the Amalekites and their property. Then Samuel arrives; like in chapter 13, Saul goes out to greet him. As we saw before, his greeting is in the form of a blessing. Here he adds an assertion – verse 13: I have carried out the command of the Lord. From Samuel again, there’s no return blessing. Just the terse question: What then is this bleating and lowing I hear? How on earth can you assert that you’ve obeyed God – Who said destroy everything, including all the animals – but I can still hear the noises of animals?
Saul reacts like a child who’s been caught by a parent with the evidence still visible and audible! He knew he was guilty. That’s no doubt why he started like he did. And he reacts to Samuel in three ways, using some of the same methods you and I use when our sin gets exposed. First Saul lied. That first word was: I have fulfilled God’s command. And sure, it’s mostly true, from a human perspective. But it wasn’t true from God’s. The second response: Saul blamed others. Like back in chapter 13, Saul shifts responsibility to others.
It happens twice in verse 15 – first, they have brought them from the Amalekites. Then, again the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God (1 Samuel 15:15). It happens again in verse 21 -- the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal. (1 Samuel 15:21)
"The people did it; I didn’t!" That’s in spite of what we read back in verse 9 – Saul and the people spared… But it was for such a good reason – for sacrifices to God! The third response is down in verse 20. Saul argued. He says there, I did obey! I just brought back Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. As we’ll see, Saul’s idea of obedience doesn’t align with God’s. Finally, Saul excused himself. Back in chapter 13, he said he did what he did because Samuel didn’t show up. And he did what he did because the army was deserting. Now in verse 23, he says he did what he did because I feared the people and listened to their voice. That reveals a bunch about Saul’s view of leadership – When a leader bows to people’s wishes, the leader abdicates leadership.
Like we saw in chapter 13, Saul wants power and authority, but not accountability and responsibility.
God’s Analysis
The key to this chapter is there in verses 22 and 23. That’s where we get God’s perspective of what just happened – both on and off the battlefield. Saul thinks his and his people’s behavior is normal, average and justifiable. Again, he doesn’t realize that this was one final test of his willingness to go the distance – both as a man of God and the leader of God’s people.
God’s review is in three parts. First, we learn,
Nothing – not even religious behavior – substitutes for obedience.
(15:22)
Look at verse 22 again and listen to how it’s rendered in a modern translation (The Message). Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices — empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.
As God speaks through Samuel, we get a governing principle about obedience. It’s stated both positively and negatively. Performing God’s prescribed rituals of sacrifice was a good thing, when it was done out of the right heart and motives. But – obedience to God’s commands is so much higher. God says, He delights in obedient behavior much more than He delights in sacrificial acts.
Here’s the problem – and it’s visible both in Saul and in us. Our delight is too much in doing what we want, not what God wants. I mean, there are areas of NT obedience like – daily walking with God – the command to love each other just like God has loved us – like not letting the world suck us into its image – commands like sharing Christ with our neighbors and co-workers – or serving and giving graciously, joyfully and sacrificially. When it comes to obeying in these everyday areas, we’ll offer substitutes and excuses. We might even do something else that looks good – but we don’t pursue obedience.
Like Saul, we’re never more creative than when we’re figuring out reasons not to obey god’s word or God’s will. See, Saul had the trappings of leadership and he wore the mask of religion, but his heart just wasn’t in walking with God and obeying him.
Secondly, Disobedience flows from our unwillingness to submit. (15:23)
Look at verse 23: God not only dissects disobedience for us, but describes it for what it is. This is the root of not obeying God. It is rebellion and insubordination. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t often apply those terms to my behavior. When I pray, and ask God for forgiveness, it’s for failure, for sin, even for disobedience. But, rebellion – insubordination – those seem so….harsh!!
God’s desire is for Saul to take his sin seriously. And this is the issue: stuck away, deep inside us – is an insistent urge that I will do what I want to do – and I won’t do something if I don’t want to do it! It’s a little like Paul’s words in Romans 7 – the good thing I want to do, I don’t do. And the evil I don’t want to do, that’s what I do!
See, there was a submission battle going on inside Saul that day. That same battle rages in us. Saul, will you consistently and fully do what God asks and requires? Or will you do things “your way”? Will you submit to the God Who is Lord, or will you remain unbowed? There’s another element for him and for us – will you submit to the leaders God placed in your life?
Saul’s path was – “put on appearances” – wear the happy mask of a religious but fraudulent leader. Our response needs to be something very, very different.
The third element of God’s analysis: Disobedience is like occult practices and idolatry. (15:23)
Through Samuel, God says to the King, what you did today is like the sins of pagan nations. You don’t take disobedience seriously, but here’s how God sees it! The pagan people you just destroyed were under judgment because of practices like idolatry and demonically inspired rituals. Your disobedience as the leader of My people is no less despicable than those of the people you just wiped out.
Saul ended so poorly that day. He heard Samuel. He played at repentance, but didn’t really repent. He still excuses himself, then begged Saul to put in an “appearance” with him in front of the people – and there act as if nothing was wrong.
But there was something terribly wrong. God had just put the final nail in Saul’s leadership coffin. Samuel says, the Lord has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your neighbor.
He reminds him, God doesn’t change His mind – this time it’s over. Samuel took care of the heathen king Saul had spared – then he gave in to Saul’s request and went back with him. But the end of the chapter says, Samuel never saw Saul again. And the spiritual legacy Saul left is recorded for us in the last lines of the chapter -- ….the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Let me give you three Implications
First, God holds His people to high levels of obedience.
God did not stutter when He gave Saul the commands He did. It wasn’t a battle plan with some suggestions from God. It was a clear command. The NT describes God’s great grace in Christ, but it also delivers to us Christians the commands of our gracious God. Don’t ever allow grace to become the excuse you use for being lethargic about what God clearly tells you to do as a believer.
Along with that,
God wants obedience ”in the details”. It’s clear in Samuel’s words -- partial obedience is disobedience. Think of it this way – Saul is like a store owner who returns most of your change to you. Saul is like a spouse who’s faithful 95% of the time…. What we think of as the “little things” or “optional” aren’t. James wrote to believers: to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)
Finally, a word to leaders, at any level:
God’s leaders must model obedience.
The point is, you can’t ask others do what you’re no obeying. Jesus explained that issue to the Pharisess. He said that they regularly expected others to do what they would not do. He called that what it was: hypocrisy.
Steps I will take
How easy it was for Saul to forget God that day and forsake His mission. Things got in the way…there was the plunder and the headiness of success. People got in the way that day. He was all too concerned about what his people thought. Power got in the way that day – he built a monument to himself! It wouldn’t be long before he was jealously guarding his reputation from David.
How easy it is for us to forget God on Monday – and to forsake our mission from Him. Things get in the way – possessions, success, a job. People get in our way too – what they think of us as Christians. “Better to be quiet and religious than obedient and get Christ’s message out!” Our image gets in our way too!
Can I challenge you to make a decision today? It’s this – as you begin this new week – will you determine that because Jesus Christ is first, you will obey Him.
Ask Him to show you areas where you’ve been slacking and lethargic – areas in which you need to obey…and then, begin to obey – fully – and obey with a grateful heart because of His love and grace toward you.
Maybe you’ve been nonchalant about showing love to other believers, as Jesus commanded us to do. Maybe you need to love your neighbors as you love yourself and pave the way for a future time to share Christ. Maybe you’ve been a self-driven Christian and you need to learn to serve. Or maybe you simply need to learn, day-by-day to walk with Christ, by being in His Word and spending time with Him. Make an obedience decision today and begin to pursue it.
