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This passage shows us the spiritual disaster that comes from disregarding the Lord’s instructions. It doesn’t matter who we are, or what our role in the kingdom is; none of us are above God’s word.
Admittedly, the word that is given to Saul is a hard one (vv. 1–3). It calls him to wipe out the Amalekites. We’re obviously shocked by this, but we should remember that this was the punishment for their own war crimes (see v. 33) and treatment of God’s people (v. 2). This punishment hadn’t been quick but slow to come (literally hundreds of years). Saul, though, doesn’t keep the Lord’s command and spares King Agag as well as the best of their sheep and cattle (vv. 8–9). Superficially, he excuses this plunder as being for worship (v. 21), but in reality it was done out of wanting to please the people more than God (v. 24). Saul is both arrogant (v. 12) and ignorant (v. 20) in his disobedience to God’s word.
Saul has now gone too far and the Lord rejects him, because Saul rejects the Lord’s word (v. 26). The sad desperation of Saul as he realises what he had done is tragic (v. 27). He confesses his sin (vv. 24, 30), but it is too late. Samuel, the one who gives Saul God’s word, never sees Saul again (v. 35).
Are we obeying God in our life? He doesn’t want our superficial sacrifices, outward displays of religiosity and big words – he wants our specific obedience to his word. True worship of God is about doing what his word says, and, therefore, ignoring his word is a basic rejection of him (see vv. 22–23).
We read in verse 28 that the kingdom will be given to another, as a disobedient king could never lead God’s people into obedience. Ultimately, King Jesus is the one who lived out the perfectly obedient life – on our behalf. He is now empowering us day by day for a new obedience to God’s word in our lives (2 Cor. 3:18).
REFLECTION
1. What needs to happen in your life today for you to grow in obedience to God?
2. How does the Lord Jesus’ obedience on your behalf encourage you today in your walk with him?
读经计划介绍
1 Samuel charts the rise and fall of several of Israel’s leaders. You’ll meet the notoriously arrogant king Saul and see the ascent of the man after God’s own heart – David. You’ll read of dangerous battles, murder plots, giants and even more surprises in this book. You’ll see that despite turbulence in leadership, seemingly strong enemies and spiritual decay God is very much at work orchestrating the fall of the proud and the rise of the humble. What an encouragement for us today when we are faced with challenges not too dissimilar to these!
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