Have you ever noticed that when you are disobedient it is glaringly apparently to all around except for one person? Yourself. Growing up if my parents asked me to do something, they gave me very clear directions and instructions. Very clear. But after that...it happened. The instructions went into my brain and then it got all tumbled around and came out different. The directions I had been given were now spun into something different. Something that seemed better to me. Something that seemed easier to me. And as I would complete the task, I would smile and take pride in my completion. The only problem? My interpretation of what was asked of me is not what was asked of me. And folks, partial obedience is the same as willing disobedience. And even though I felt I had completed it perfectly, the people all around me could see that the task was not done as instructed. My parents could see it clearly. “You did not do what we asked you to do the way we asked you to do it.” My brothers could see it. They overheard the clear instructions and what I had done was not them. You see, yes, I was obedient…kinda. I did something but I did not do exactly what I was told. Now think about this story and think about the last time God told you to do something in a very particular way. Did you kinda obey God or did you really obey God? Think hard, because there’s a big difference.
We come across a powerful chapter today in 1 Samuel. King Saul already has a few strikes against Him with God, but today he will not only strike out but get kicked out of the game. As the chapter opens, God delivers these very clear directions to Saul through the prophet Samuel.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what the Amalekites did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel, and donkey.’” 1 Samuel 15:2-3
God is going to decimate the Amalekites not only for what they have done to His people in the past but for what He knows they will do to His people in the future as well. God has given the Amalekites many chances to repent and turn to Him, but their hard hearts refute God. As a result, God gives this simple command to Saul. Go and destroy the Amalekites. Notice the very simple instructions. Destroy all people and destroy all they have. Well, those instructions go into Saul’s brain and then...it happens. I am not related to Saul but apparently all humans have the same capacity to spin simple instructions into not what was heard, but what we want to hear. What Saul heard and what Saul did were very different things. Saul does indeed attack the Amalekites. But…
“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.” 1 Samuel 15:9
Saul kinda obeys the Lord. He kinda did the job. He just happened to alter the instructions a bit to better fit his needs. Only problem? Folks the Lord is the Lord and He is watching. He sees what happens and informs Samuel to go and confront Saul for his disobedience. And as He does, one of the most comical lines in scripture appears.
“And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” 1 Samuel 15:13-16a
I can imagine Samuel walking up, already aware of Saul’s disobedience. Saul greets him and then declares that he has completed the commandment God had given him. I would like to imagine that Saul's last few words were drowned out by the loud sound of the animals in the camp. I can just see Samuel saying, “what? I can’t hear you, the sound of the animals God told you to kill are too loud!” Hilarious. Folks as Saul is caught red-handed and confronted with his disobedience, let’s look at a few universal characteristics of disobedience to God.
1) First come the lies. Saul was told what to do and he didn’t do it. He knew in his heart he had disobeyed the Lord. Yet his first sentence to Samuel is “I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” A bold lie. Folks, we know when we are being disobedient to God. His rules for our life are clear and when we break those rules we know it. But here comes Mr. denial and Mr. justification and they start whispering into our ears. We tell oursleves we were close enough to obedience. But folks, obedience to God is not like hand grenades, getting close isn’t good enough.
2) Then comes the excuses. As Samuel is being drowned out by the sound of the choice animals, Saul has to come up with a story and come up with it quick. Here comes Mr. rationalization into the picture. We rationalize our disobedience to God. We say, “I mean come on, I took a little liberty, but it wasn’t that bad! Saul spins it into they were saving all of these choice animals to sacrifice to the Lord. Right. Even if it were true there’s still one big problem. It’s still disobedience. It’s still not what God asked them to do.
3) Now comes the blaming. Oh, the blaming will always be close behind. We as a culture are consumed with blaming others. Samuel sees right through Saul’s lies and excuses and simply yells, “Stop!” Samuel has had enough, but Saul is still going. It’s time to pass the buck. There are three different places within the chapter where Saul tries to pin his disobedience on others.
“They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen…” 15:15
“But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction…” 15:21
“Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” 15:24
Folks, habitually blaming others is a black spot on the soul, a cancer. It solely can destroy, tear down and divide. It first destroys your character before God, it then destroys your character before others, and it will then cause you to live in an imaginary world where you deflect all responsibility for your own actions. I’ve got a novel idea. The next time you foul something up, be the very first person to stand up and take the blame for your own actions. You’ll be shocked at the results. Most people are ready to forgive. Most people will respect your honesty and transparency. And most importantly, God will be pleased with your honesty.
4) Lastly comes the begging. After you have tried to lie your way out. After you have made your excuses. After you have blamed everyone in sight, you will be confronted with your disobedience. The gig is up. The game is over. The tricks won’t work. You were blatantly disobedient, it’s time to pay the piper. You drop to your knees and now you not only beg for forgiveness for the disobedience, but you need to ask forgiveness for the lies, excuses, deflection, rationalizing, blaming and denial. Saul begs Samuel to forgive his sin so that he may be restored to the Lord. But it’s too late, God has rejected Saul just as Saul has rejected God. As Samuel leaves Saul we see this pitiful scene.
“As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” 1 Samuel 15:27-28
What a scene this must have been. The acting king of Israel, begging and pulling on the robe of Samuel. Begging forgiveness from a man instead of God whom he has disobeyed. The irony of Saul is that he never simply turned to God.
Folks, that same irony confronts millions of people today. They live in disobedience to God. They sin against God and then they lie about it. They live in denial about their sin and they rationalize what they want versus what God says. They will continue on that path until it leads them to blame everyone else on the planet for the ramifications of their own personal sinful actions. They refuse to take responsibility for their decisions that led them to this point. But folks this game can’t be played forever. God is watching, He sees all.
Today, go to God, beg for His forgiveness and in His rich mercy and forgiveness, He will forgive you. Repent of your sin and instead of living life by a set of rules you have modified, live life by the rules the very way God has laid them out. And as you do, you will walk in the sweetness of what it means to be fully obedient to your Heavenly Father.
Sweetness indeed.
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