FRIDAY May 20, 2022

A Failed Test

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 unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
1 Samuel 15:9

When Saul went to battle, everything he desired he took. In willful disobedience, he spared the Amalekite king––King Agag. He set aside for himself the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs. When Samuel arrived, in a hypocritical pretense, Saul welcomed him, saying: “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:13).

As a leader, King Saul never took responsibility for his actions. Saul never owned up to his disobedience; he always had excuses for why he did not obey the Lord. He blamed the people for sparing the best of the oxen and sheep to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord (1 Samuel 15:15). Saul failed the test of obedience over and over again. Samuel instantly rebuked Saul:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

God rejected Saul as king. As Samuel turned to move away, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. Saul should not have done that, because Samuel said to him: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (1 Samuel 15:28).

The Spirit of God departed from Saul––sad. For the rest of his life, God would not speak to him anymore––all because he did not obey the voice of the Lord. It is foolish to disobey God. We miss out on all His blessings.

Nothing is more fatal to us than to refuse to give ourselves in obedience to God.
~John Calvin~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!