Today we are going to touch on one topic that we can all speak with experience – disobedience.
• Whether it’s disobedience to parents, to authority, or to God. We know what it is and how difficult it is, sometimes.
• To obey is not easy. It takes trust, it takes faith and humility.
Saul was put to the test, yet again, in the war against the Amalekites.
• A crisis is an opportunity for us to show God WHO we are. Can we really trust God enough to obey Him?
[Read 1 Sam 15:1-23]
Saul’s experience is not unique. It can happen to anyone of us.
• God did not set him up in a difficult situation only to see his downfall. God prepared him for this kingship, remember? God did not prepare someone to fail.
• Saul’s experience can teach us important lessons about obedience to God. This incident wasn’t recorded to frighten us but to teach us.
• We can all avoid the same pitfalls and learn to trust God.
The setting is crystal clear. God gave a very clear and direct command:
• 1 Sam 15:3 “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
• We do not know the entire context well enough to understand the rationale for this command.
• They are like the ISIS of today and the world is fighting them. Centuries after, people may question why we are so aggressive against the ISIS.
We don’t have the full picture, only God knows and He has stated His will very clearly.
• That’s the test – Can you trust God’s Word for it? Can you trust that God’s way is different from ours, because He sees and knows more than we do?
Pitfall 1: The Temptation to RATIONALISE it.
We want to understand the reasons and knows the logic behind it. We want to know the why.
• There is nothing wrong with asking – God gives us a mind to think - but at the end of all the asking, we need to submit to His will.
• Our thoughts are not His thoughts, neither our ways His ways. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9)
We need to know where we stand. We are not on par with Him, seating at the same table negotiating terms with Him. He is God and we are not.
UOB has this TV commercial 2 years ago, in which a father tells the son not to touch the vase. It kind-of symbolises the dad's trust for his son.
His son promised he wouldn't touch the vase but yet he did, breaking his promise and the trust his dad had for him. The dad came back, knew what had happened, and dropped the vase.
What is most important and priceless, is not the value of the vase. It is the TRUST between them that is most valuable.
Can God trusts Saul to obey Him? Can Saul obeys God even when it does not make good sense - destroying all the good flock?
Obedience is the acceptance of the authority and will of God.
• It means submitting to Him and expressing that submission in actions, words and thoughts. To be obedient is to be in agreement with God.
Saul’s first response to Samuel was: “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” (15:13) - not entirely but generally.
Pitfall 2: The Temptation to BELITTLE it.
I’ve done what the Lord says, at least, to a certain extent. I did what was necessary.
• Samuel says, “What is this bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle that I’m hearing?” (15:14)
• Saul was caught. His answer was: “The soldiers took them…”
Pitfall 3: The Temptation to BLAME it. “It’s not my fault.”
• 1 Sam 15:9 says, “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 Sam 15:10-11 “Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11"I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because HE has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”
Pitfall 4: The Temptation to GIVE AN EXCUSE for it. “I’ve a good reason for this.”
1 Sam 15:15 - the soliders “spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
• It’s interesting to note that Saul refers to God as YOUR GOD. “I kept them for YOUR God…”
See Samuel’s reaction: “STOP! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” (15:16)
• Saul was unrepentant. He repeated his excuse again, with almost exact words. He was in denial.
Samuel replied again: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?”
• “You mean to say God is happier seeing you offer these good flock as sacrifices to Him, than to have you obey His commands?”
• “You are pushing these SACRIFICES higher than OBEDIENCE to God?”
Can we compensate our disobedience to God by more sacrifices, more giving, more serving, or more church-going? Can we really MAKE UP for our sin?
• Saul tried. The good flock were kept to make sacrifices for the Lord.
• Doing penance cannot resolve the problem of disobedience. What can? Repentance. The one thing that Saul lacks.
No good deed can buy God’s favour. No sacrifice can earn God’s forgiveness.
• Saul needs to CONFESS and REPENT, like King David did when Prophet Nathan confronted him.
• This is what separates the TWO – a repentant heart!
You know what David learnt? Psalm 51:16-17 16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
When Saul was finally forced to admit, he gave another excuse.
15:24 “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.”
Pitfall 5: The Temptation to PLEASE MAN (Self-Interest)
He wants to win the favour of the people. It’s the easier way. He sought to please the people rather than God. He does not want to get himself into trouble.
How do we know that Saul was keen to please only himself?
• One, his rush to build a monument in his own honour (15:12) after the battle.
• Two, his denial of disobedience to God even with many clear evidences.
• Three, when Samuel turned to leave, 15:30 “Saul said, “I have sinned. But please honour me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” An act to “save face”.
Saul disobeys because self-will dominates. He wants to do what he likes.
• There is no limbo state - if we are not following God’s will, then we are following someone’s will.
• Saul failed God because he has chosen to follow his own will.
A businessman well known for his ruthless ways once announced to writer Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top.”
”I have a better idea,” replied Twain. “You could stay in Boston and keep them.”
When we get our heart right, our actions will be right. But not the other way around - having the right sacrifices will not make your heart right.
• The Pharisees are examples of this in Jesus’ days. They’ve all the right sacrifices but Jesus says their hearts are far from Him. They are hypocrites.
• “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matt 23:26)
I like to close with this prayer by David - Psalm 51:10-12
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
• It’s a prayer - Holy Spirit comes sporadically, not permanent
• Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts today. Pray that we don’t spurn Him, ignore Him.
During the civil war Abraham Lincoln met with a group of ministers for a prayer breakfast. One of the ministers said, “Mr. President, let us pray that God is on our side”. Lincoln’s response showed far greater insight, “No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.”
Song: CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART (Psalm 51:10-12)
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
