Wednesday, June 20, 2018

A Rebellious Servant - Part 2

Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned.  I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.  But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”  But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you!  Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”  As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe.  And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.  And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”  Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned.  But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.”  So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.  1 Samuel 15:24-31(NLT)
King Saul had disobeyed the instructions of God, given through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy the enemy, soldiers, camp, and everything in it.  Saul kept the King (Agag) alive, probably to humiliate him and make Saul look like a regal, conquering king.  It was an ego thing.  In a display of religious pride he didn’t destroy the animals, but appeared as a magnanimous and holy ruler to give the animals to the people to sacrifice as thanksgiving. 
Saul knew how to get the most credit for what God accomplished.  In typically-manipulative fashion Saul had tried to rationalize his behavior as spiritual, only trying to please God’s sinful children; he had only given them what they wanted.  But Samuel saw through Saul’s feeble excuses and lowered the hammer – the kingdom was going to have a new king.  Yesterday we saw the arrogance of King Saul; today we see his humiliation.
Even after admitting that he had sinned, Saul is still bargaining for face-saving.  He asks Samuel to stay with him and go to church so the people can see them together, thinking, perhaps hoping against hope, that somehow it will all be smoothed over, and he will get to keep his crown.
We know that didn’t happen; the crown was eventually taken from Saul and given to the shepherd boy, David, the one who understood what having a Godly heart was all about.  David was not above sinning (we remember Bathsheba), but when it came to being truly repentant, David and Saul were as far apart as East and West.
What lesson do we take away from Saul’s rebelliousness?  Three, I think:
1.      Nobody is above God’s law – we all sin, and there is zero wiggle room.
2.      God will not ignore our sin – we are all accountable, and there is a penalty to be paid for transgression.  That is undeniable, otherwise the cross is God’s mistake.
3.      The right response to conviction is repentance – Saul didn’t repent, he tried to excuse himself off the hot seat, much like many in our culture today refuse to accept responsibility for sinful behavior.  David repented, was forgiven, and lived his life out in fellowship with God.
For You Today
It’s never easy to admit you’ve done wrong, accept responsibility, and to repent by obeying God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Never easy…and never wrong.  Saul found that out…the hard way.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day. 

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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