August 15, 2023

Full obedience is detail oriented and not self-seeking.

1 Samuel 15

Leila Myers
Tuesday's Devo

August 15, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

August 15, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

August 15, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

August 15, 2023

Big Idea

Outward appearances can be deceiving. God looks at the heart.

Key Verse | 1 Samuel 15:20-22

And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." And Samuel said,

"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 listen than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15

The LORD Rejects Saul

1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction 1 15:3 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21 all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves 2 15:9 The meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 “I regret 3 15:11 See also verses 29, 35 that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 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.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,

“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 listen than the fat of rams.
23  For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
    he has also rejected you from being king.”

24 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. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the LORD.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 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. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the LORD.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. 4 15:32 Or haltingly (compare Septuagint); the Hebrew is uncertain Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Footnotes

[1] 15:3 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21
[2] 15:9 The meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain
[3] 15:11 See also verses 29, 35
[4] 15:32 Or haltingly (compare Septuagint); the Hebrew is uncertain

1 Samuel 15:11 - "God regrets making Saul king?"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | 1 Samuel 15

I'm not going to lie, the first time I read this passage I thought, "Whoa, that was harsh!" Does God really want Saul to completely annihilate the Amalekites?! I was almost glad Saul chose not to. I wanted to empathize with Saul because, after all, doesn't God believe in forgiveness? However, I know God is just and never wrathful without a valid reason, so I dug in deeper. I learned that, around three centuries earlier, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land (Exodus 17). They were infamous for viciously targeting the most vulnerable and sparing nothing. God longs for people to repent, but He knew the Amalekites' evil hearts wouldn't. Therefore, He vowed to completely destroy them one day (Deuteronomy 25:19). God sent Saul on a mission for justice because He was fulfilling His promise to protect His people. 

Saul knew all of this history, but he chose to give in to his personal desires to gain honor and riches rather than fully obeying God's instructions. Saul disregarded the truth that partial obedience is disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22). Our mighty God created the world and is outside of time, so He knows the game plan better than we do (Isaiah 55:9). We shouldn't pick and choose which instructions we yield to, but should always obey fully and with urgency.

I am relieved that God deals with evil harshly because, sadly, evil and injustice run rampant and affect each of us. When you feel the pain of injustice, remember we have a God who cares. It is said "time heals all wounds," but God is outside of time and never forgets YOU. Knowing this truth allows me to release feelings of vengeance and replace them with forgiveness. It's not easy, but I can choose to give these burdens to the Lord and walk in the freedom of His peace. The Lord will deal with these matters better than I ever could, whether with forgiveness or punishment. Even if I don't see the results, I can trust God because He is good, capable, and fair, and He always fulfills His promises.

This month's memory verse

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

– Mark 10:45

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think God is harsh? Why or why not?

2. James 1:17a says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above . . . ." Considering this statement, what is the difference between how Moses responded to the gift of victory against the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-15 versus how Saul does in our passage? Are there any blessings in your life that you have forgotten to attribute to God?

3. Read Jonah 3 and take notice of how the people of Nineveh responded in comparison to the Amalekites, who had ample opportunity to repent but continually attacked the Israelites for centuries. How does God respond to both groups of people, and what does His response show us about His character?

4, Are you feeling vengeance toward anyone? If so, are you ready to surrender the battle to God? How would doing so affect you? Pray about this situation and process with your community group.

5. Read Psalm 82:3 and Isaiah 1:17. Is it acceptable to hold people accountable if you're not coming from a place of vengeance? Is upholding justice a way to obey God? Do Saul's actions derail God from fulfilling His promise to blot out the Amalekites? Check out 1 Chronicles 4:43.

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

Is Saul a “prodigal king”? Typically, we define a prodigal as a person who is not walking with the LORD. Alternatively, they may THINK they are but may have a very wrong understating of who God is. One of the most important elements we stress in Prodigal is that expectations with our prodigals need to be clearly stated with an equally clear statement about consequences. Genesis 2:16-17 is the first example. The format is repeated throughout the rest of Scripture. God very often shows mercy but sooner or later He may partially or fully remove His hand of blessing. Throughout the Bible we see him partially withdraw blessings. Then fully do so in Revelation. Somehow, Saul knows about not eating animals with the blood in them but missed the big picture of obedience, boundaries, and consequences. The directions in verse 3 are as explicit as they get. Then, nearly immediately, he disobeys. As articulated in TA’s wonderful message this past Sunday, -partial obedience is disobedience. God commands are not a buffet. I can’t pick and choose. I tried. What it got me was a life of sin and misery. And three trips through re:gen, years in men’s abortion recovery, and over ten years in Prodigal. I have paid enough stupid tax. Apparently this is not true for Saul. In verse 21 he blame shifts. Samuel has a powerful response in verses 22-23. Compare Psalm 51:16-17. Then consider both of these with Saul blame shifting and other responses. He self-convicts in verse 26 “…because I feared the people and obeyed their voice”. “He became king because the people asked for a king; now he is rejected because he listened to them (cf. Prov. 29:25) rather than leading them to obey God.” “If the leaders lead then the people will follow.” Then Samuel delivers the awful consequences in verse 26.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

My takeaway- Everything that is valuable in this life is available through obedience. There are no shortcuts or partials. Obedience. It’s only possible if I have a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus and have surrenders my life to the leading of the Holy Spirt. Pretty soon we’ll see a great example of this in David.
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: 1Sam 15:8-9 1Sam 15:8-9 (NASB) He captured >>>Agag the king of the Amalekites<<< alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 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 not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. Like so many of Israel’s adversaries throughout Scripture, Agag and Amalek were a descendants of Esau. See also Haman the Agagite in Est 3:1. Haman would also seem to a descendant of the same Amalekite royal family as Agag and nearly orchestrated the annihilation of the Jews in the Book of Esther. Re: 1Sam 15:11 1Sam 15:11 (NASB) “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night. What is “regret” to an omniscient G-d? See also 1Sam 15:29,35 Re: 1Sam 15:12 1Sam 15:12 (NASB) Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, >>>he set up a monument for himself<<<, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.” Saul, in essence, appropriates the glory due G-d for himself. (See also Isa 42:8) Re: 1Sam 15:14 1Sam 15:14 (YLT) And Samuel saith, 'And what is the >>>noise of this flock<<< in mine ears--and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?' Heb. “tson” = “flock;” a general term which could refer to sheep or goats. Re: 1Sam 15:23,26 1Sam 15:23,26 (NASB) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. >>>Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”<<< …But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; >>>for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”<<< Moreover, King Messiah would NOT come through Saul's line.
MH

morgan houghton

1. Do you think God is harsh? Why or why not? Sometimes when reading through these accounts, at first glance yes. But love how she shared, that God is a just God, and has no evil in him, if he is destroying something, or someone He has a just reason to. 2. James 1:17a says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above . . . ." Considering this statement, what is the difference between how Moses responded to the gift of victory against the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-15 versus how Saul does in our passage? Are there any blessings in your life that you have forgotten to attribute to God? Moses knew where His strength and might came from resulting in victory, Saul was making decisions based off of his personal desires, that would benefit Him, and not His people. I am sure! I am working on giving time to reflect on what I am grateful for and thanking God for those things. 3. Read Jonah 3 and take notice of how the people of Nineveh responded in comparison to the Amalekites, who had ample opportunity to repent but continually attacked the Israelites for centuries. How does God respond to both groups of people, and what does His response show us about His character? God have both people groups a chance to change their behavior and one group did and the other did not. The ninevites took this opportunity seriously and even got their animals involved. Whereas the Amalekites not so much, they continued in their same behavior and did not change anything that God warned them about. 4, Are you feeling vengeance toward anyone? If so, are you ready to surrender the battle to God? How would doing so affect you? Pray about this situation and process with your community group. 5. Read Psalm 82:3 and Isaiah 1:17. Is it acceptable to hold people accountable if you're not coming from a place of vengeance? Is upholding justice a way to obey God? Do Saul's actions derail God from fulfilling His promise to blot out the Amalekites? Check out 1 Chronicles 4:43. I think that justice is a way to obey God, but ultimately Gods plan prevailed in the end. We can do nothing to thwart Gods plan, but we can trust in Him and continue to seek obeying what He has asked us to do.
MS

Michael Scaman

We learn that Saul did remove the witches from the land.... and now Saul is being told his own disobediences is not that different that the disobeience of witchcraft. Jesus will say several times that obedience is better than sacrifice, quoting Old Testament.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. No, God is not harsh. God is encouraging of us to be true to the gifts He has given us. He wants us to use those gifts wisely. The gifts seem harsh sometimes because none them are sold at the mall or online. 2. Saul spent time considering his relationship with the Lord. No, blessings include God because He helps us do our best. 3. God wants people believing in Him. God loves and cares for everyone. 4. No, I am not full of vengeance. Prayer: God thank you for loving us everyday. Thank you for being consistent and resourceful for each of us in everything we do. Thank you for your strength to handle WHATEVER faces us in life as you would so we do not fill with vengeance or anger when nothing seems right. May we always look to you and walk in your glory. Amen. 5. Yes, it is important to be responsible for your ideas and actions in everything you do. When one person can help another person in a positive way, they should. Yes, upholding justice includes God because it encourages opportunities for everyone to do what is right like God does. Saul is suppose to help people believe in God.and they are to use God’s ways. Saul sometimes lets his values and his opinions override those of God when he presents ideas to other people.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Leila! I learned a new word from Dr. Constable today: anthropopathic "Anthropomorphic (human form) and anthropopathic (human feeling) expressions indicate that God is like human beings in these comparisons." The text shows us something of God's feelings in this chapter. He regrets making Saul king over Israel (v. 35). Not in the "Oh man, I made a mistake" way, but the "This is breaking my heart. Even though, being omniscient, I knew exactly what he would do--but now I'm feeling the heartbreak in real time" kind of way. And we also learn through Samuel that God delights in obedience. It blesses Him in ways that burnt offerings and sacrifices don't. I have long seen that obedience seems to be His love language. I'm grateful that in the midst of the unhappiness of this part of Saul's story, we still get to learn something of the heart of our God.