What’s the big deal?
Click here for Part 1 or Part 2
If you’ve read parts one and two of this post, then you know that Saul started out his reign with a good heart that was displayed through his actions. He seeks of the Lord when a decision must be made. Good job Saul. He listens to the Holy Spirit and defends the citizens of Jabesh-Gilead.
If you’ve read parts one and two of this post, then you know that Saul started out his reign with a good heart that was displayed through his actions. He seeks of the Lord when a decision must be made. Good job Saul. He listens to the Holy Spirit and defends the citizens of Jabesh-Gilead.
But somewhere along the line he
changed. Let’s look at Saul’s reactions when he didn’t obey God and see what we
can learn.
After Saul didn’t wait for Samuel and offers the burnt sacrifices himself.
Samuel comes to camp, he knows what Saul has done and tells him that he has
“acted foolishly, and not kept the commandment of the LORD. That is why the
kingdom was taken from him. Saul’s response to this accusation tells us what
his heart is like. Vs 11-12 “. . .you (Samuel) did not come in the appointed
days . . .I forced myself and offered the burnt offerings.”
I giggle a little at the
dramatic wording. Must be because I have one or two dramatic children, and I
can hear them saying this. Notice that Saul is never repentant. He seems to
believe that he didn’t’ do anything wrong and if he had, it was someone else’s
fault.
God really wants to tell us about Saul and his choices, so
in chapter 15 we see how defiant Saul is and God reiterates that He has rejected
Saul as king.
God tells Saul that He is sending him to punish the
Amalekites for their treatment of Israel after they left Egypt. You can read
about that in Ex 17:8-16 and Deut 25:17-19. In both of these passages God says,
“. . . you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. . .”
We already know that Saul doesn’t obey the specific
instructions to (1 Sam 15:3): utterly destroy them, and put to death every man,
woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. He took Agag the king
alive and only destroyed the animals that were “despised and worthless.”
Surprisingly, Saul doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with
this. When Samuel arrives Saul is so proud of himself. This is what he says, “.
. . I have carried out the command of the LORD.”
I wonder if Samuels jaw fell open. When he asks why he hears
sheep bleating and oxen lowing, Saul explains that he “. . . kept them to sacrifice
to the LORD your God.”
Good intentions are never a good substitute for obedience.
Again Samuel asks Saul why he didn’t obey and Saul insists that he did obey. (v. 19-20 ) Saul never
repents from his disobedience. Samuel tells him that to obey is better than to
sacrifice, rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination (Saul
placed himself above God) is as the
iniquity of idolatry. Because Saul rejected the word of the LORD, God rejected
him as king. (v. 22-23)
That brings us to David. What did David do? (2 Sam. 11,12)
He slept with another man’s wife and got her pregnant. To cover it up, he tried
to get Bathsheba’s husband to sleep with her so that people would assume the
child was his.
Now I always thought that Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, was just
some soldier in David’s army and that they didn’t really know each other. But in
1 Chron. 11, Uriah is listed as one of David’s mighty men. These men had been
with him, since he started running from Saul. I know that there were anywhere
from four hundred to six hundred men with David during this time, but there were
only thirty mighty men. Over a period of about eight years, I think that David
could have known Uriah quite well.
Uriah is fiercely loyal to his fellow soldiers, so
when he is brought home from the battle front, he refuses to go home and sleep
with his wife. He sleeps in the door way of David’s house and then begs to go
back to the battle. David convinces Uriah to stay in the city one more day.
That night he gets Uriah drunk, still hoping that he will go home and be with
his wife. Uriah just won’t cooperate with David’s plot. He sleeps with
David’s servants, but doesn’t return home.
The next day, David writes a letter to Joab, his commander,
and explains that he wants Uriah placed in the front lines and when the battle
is fiercest, Joab is to withdraw the men around Uriah. David wants to be sure
that Uriah dies. He does die. David marries Bathsheba and anyone who knows
about the secret sin of the king isn’t talking. Until the prophet Nathan comes
to visit. David’s actions did not escape God’s notice.
When Nathan confronts David, David’s immediate response is
one of repentance. All deceit falls from him and he admits his sin. I believe
that this is why God doesn’t remove David from the throne of Israel. He sinned,
but his heart was one of repentance and reconciliation with God.
Now, don’t think that David got off scot free. No, his sin
had devastating consequences. First, the son that Bathsheba bore him was struck
by God with sickens and died after seven days. Nathan also prophesied that the
“sword shall never depart from your house.” David’s reign was characterized by
war. Not only that, but God tells us that one of David’s companions will take
his wives and lie with them in broad daylight. For what David did in secret,
this man would do before others. This was fulfilled in 2 Sam. 16:20-23 by his
son, Absalom. These are horrifying and sad consequences.
God knows each of our hearts and He will do what He must to
get our attention in an effort to correct us and bring us back into
relationship with Him. That’s how much he loves us.
What has sin cost you? Your kingdom, your family, your
pride, your status? God is the only righteous judge, and He seeks to shepherd
our hearts. Will you let Him?
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