Ill:
Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over the desert.
• All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for.
• They thrive on that diet.
• But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals.
• Instead, they look for the colourful blossoms of desert plants.
• The vultures live on what was. They live on the past.
• They fill themselves with what is dead and gone.
• But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life.
• And they fill themselves with freshness and life.
• Point is - Each bird finds what it is looking for.
• And so do we all!
King Saul’s attitude was wrong:
• Like the vultures Saul was living on what was – that which was in the past!
• He himself was spiritually dead and therefore his spiritual experiences of God were dead!
• Because he no longer has any spiritual life and therefore help;
• He has and will commit a variety of sins;
• And these three sins would ultimately cost him the kingdom!
Note:
• The key word that you could write over 1 Samuel chapter 15 is Disobedience!
• In this chapter Saul seems to have one more chance to prove himself;
• But yet again Saul manages to blow it!
Ill:
• In January 2006 a visitor to a British museum destroyed a set of priceless vases;
• The vases were from the Qing dynasty and were 300-years-old.
• The Daily Telegraph reported:
• The three Qing (‘q’ is pronounced as 'ch' - ching) vases,
• They were over 300 years old dating from the late 17th or early 18th century,
• And had stood on a windowsill for at least 40 years.
• Their prominent position made them among its best-known artefacts,
• The paper said.
• ‘The culprit who destroyed the vases was an unnamed man in his 40s’
• Steve Baxter, another visitor to the museum who saw the accident,
• Was quoted as saying:
• "We watched the man fall as if in slow motion.
• He landed in the middle of the vases and they splintered into a million pieces.
• He was still sitting there stunned when museum staff appeared.
• Everyone stood around in silence, as if in shock.
• Then the man started talking.
• He kept pointing to his shoelace and saying, ’There it is; that’s the culprit!’”
• Transition:
• Like that man King Saul was willing to blame anyone or anything for his failings,
• That is anyone but himself!
Notice:
• Because of his disobedience, his breaking of God’s rules and his foolishness;
• King Saul lost three things.
(1). He lost his character (vs 1-21).
Key verses: 13-15:
“When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions."
14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"
15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."”
• Sadly Saul lived a lie;
• He was supposed to be ruling the people on behalf of God, the God of truth;
• And yet we see him blatantly lying to God’s prophet Samuel;
• Unashamedly lying and expecting to get away with it!
• We are told in verse 3 that Saul had been given clear instructions:
• He was to utterly destroy Israel’s old enemies, the Amalekites.
Note:
• In the times and culture in which he lived.
• For Saul a seasoned soldier that should not have been hard.
• He knew his enemies would do the same to him and his people;
• If they were given the opportunity.
• Remember he was not a squeamish or delicate person like you and me;
• He was a hardened soldier who had fought many a military campaign;
• We know that he had already tried to kill David his musician;
• And he was also willing on occasions to even to kill his own son!
Once again this incident illustrates another occasion when Saul did not obey the Lord;
• After the victory of the battle Saul kept the best spoils for himself;
• And he also failed to kill Agag, the king.
• For a short time he appeared to get away with it;
• And he probably felt quite pleased with himself!
• Then Samuel the prophet turned up.
• God had told Samuel what Saul had done,
• And Samuel’s appearing was not good news for Saul;
• Read verses 13-15:
“When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions."
14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"
15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."”
• When Samuel approached Saul,
• The king unashamedly lied to him and told him that he had obeyed God.
• But just as he was speaking Saul’s sins started to find him out;
• For the animals (he was supposed to have killed) started to make noise.
Once again in verse 15 Saul resorted to excuses;
"The SOLDIERS brought them from the Amalekites; THEY spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but WE totally destroyed the rest."
• Saul says it wasn’t me it was the soldiers.
• As if they acted independent of orders from their king.
Application: How is your character?
Ill:
• When Oscar Wilde arrived for a visit to the U.S. in 1882,
• He was asked by customs officials if he had anything to declare.
• He made his famous remark: "Only my genius."
• Fifteen years later, alone and broken in prison,
• He reflected on his life of waste and excess.
• "I have been a spendthrift of my genius...
• I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character."
Quote: William Hersey Davis
• The Difference Between Character and Reputation.
• Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next.
• The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation;
• The truth you believe determines your character.
• Reputation is what you are supposed to be;
• Character is what you are.
• Reputation is the photograph;
• Character is the face.
• Reputation comes over one from without;
• Character grows up from within.
• Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community;
• Character is what you have when you go away.
• Reputation is made in a moment;
• Character is built in a lifetime.
• Your reputation is learned in an hour;
• Your character doesn’t come to light for a year.
• Reputation grows like a mushroom;
• Character grows like the oak.
• A single newspaper report gives you your reputation;
• A life of toil gives you your character.
• Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor;
• Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.
• Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone;
• Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.
• King Saul valued his reputation over his character;
• Let’s make sure we don’t – Christian character is so important!
Quote: the traditional saying:
• “Sow a thought, reap an act;
• Sow an act, reap a habit;
• Sow a habit, reap a character;
• Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
(2). He lost his crown (vs 22-23)
“But Samuel replied:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”
• Saul who had convinced himself that he was in the right;
• Suddenly hears a word from Samuel that exposes him as being in the wrong!
• In verses 21-23 Samuel message pulls no punches;
• Saul had become proud and disobedient;
• He had rebelled against God’s word;
• And had foolishly tried to redeem himself by offering sacrifices
Notice:
• In verse 13: Saul had substituted saying for doing.
• In verse 15 & 21: He had substituted excuses for confessions.
• In verse 22: He had substituted sacrifice for obedience
• He was always too quick to criticize and blame others;
• He was always unwilling to face and judge his own sins.
Now when it is too late and Samuel is about to leave:
• King Saul confesses his sins;
• But his confession did not impress the prophet.
• We would say; “Too little, too late”.
• Talk is cheap and Samuel knew that true confession requires more than being found-out,
• It requires more than being remorseful;
• It requires repentance.
Application: What about repentance?
• The great missionary to China Hudson Taylor (1832 to 1905);
• The founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International).
• Understood the importance of repentance – that is staying clean.
• He knew that a repentant person was a healthy person.
• A repentant church would be a healthy church.
• This was so important to him that when he greeted people during the day,
• He wouldn't shake their hands and ask, "How are you today?"
• Instead, he would shake their hands and ask, "Have you repented today?"
• I’m not sure too many of us would look forward to shaking his hand!
• But maybe it would do us good now and again to be greeted like that!
Ill:
• A man got saved and applied for membership to a church.
• He had no Christian background and had lived quite a wild type of living.
• One the Church leaders asked him: "Were you a sinner?"
• The man replied; "Yes."
• The Church leaders asked him: "Are you still a sinner?"
• The man replied: "Yes."
• The Church leaders asked him:
• "Then what real changes have taken place in your life?"
• The man replied:
• "The best way I can explain it is that I used to be a sinner running after sin,
• But now I'm a sinner running away from sin."
Quote:
• Repentance = I recognise that where I am is not where I am supposed to be.
• So I turn and move towards where I am supposed to be.
(3). He lost his kingdom (vs 24-34).
Verses 24-28:
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.”
26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!”
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbours—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
• As Samuel turned away;
• Saul held to his robe and ripped it,
• Samuel then used this visual aid,
• To prophecy that the kingdom would be torn from Saul and given to another (David).
Ill:
• Have you ever noted the contrast between the two Saul’s of the Bible.
• King Saul of the Old Testament;
• And Saul of Tarsus (the apostle Paul of the New Testament)
• i.e. Saul of the Old Testament (1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 24:
• “I have sinned”.
• “I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions”.
• “I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them”.
• i.e. Saul of the Old Testament (2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 7):
• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Verse 30 is very insightful:
• Again it reveals that Saul was more concerned about what the people thought about him;
• Than he was about what God thought concerning him.
• As we have already noted he was more concerned with his reputation than his character!
• He wanted a good reputation with his peers;
• Than a good character approved of by God.
Ill:
• Arlo played his cornet recently in the brass section of his school concert;
• At the end of the performance, even though the room was full;
• His eyes were darting round the room until he saw my face;
• He was looking only for his father’s approval!
Notice: in verse 33:
• Samuel in obedience to God, then followed the custom of war in those days;
• He killed the prisoner king called Agag.
• And this was the last time Samuel walked with Saul.
• From now on Saul was on his own he had lost his best friend & confident – Samuel,
• He had lost the Lord’s blessing;
• And now he had lost the kingdom!
Application:
• I guess the key verse in this chapter is verse 22:
• “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams”.
Ill:
• Once upon a time there was a little bird.
• He wasn't an ordinary little bird.
• He was a spine-tailed swift.
• Spine-tailed swifts have been clocked flying at 106mph or 171kph.
• One day, he thought, "I'll be the best flyer in the country."
• So he practised, and got faster, and faster, and faster.
• But he wasn't satisfied, he wanted to go even faster.
• So he pondered the problem and came to a conclusion.
• He thought, "I know what's wrong. I'm too heavy.
• I need to get rid of some extra weight."
• He wasn't fat, and wondered what he could do.
• Suddenly, he realised he could be a lot lighter if he got rid of his feathers.
• So he did.
• And guess what? Then he couldn't fly at all.
• Transition: King Saul like that bird kept pulling out his feathers one by one;
• A little compromise here, an act of disobedience there;
• And before he realised it he couldn’t fly anymore;
• He had lost the Spirit of God on his life!
Quote: George MacDonald from his book; ‘Knowing the Heart of God’
• Yet you can at once begin to be a disciple of the Living One;
• By obeying him in the first thing you can think of in which you are not obeying him.
• We must learn to obey him in everything,
• And so must begin somewhere.
• Let it be at once,
• And in the very next thing that lies at the door of our conscience!
• To paraphrase:
• The greatest thing we can do for God is the very next thing he asks you to do!
