King Saul, who was appointed by God, fails to fully obey God and God removes Saul from being king

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 

As we read examples of Old Testament, we have an opportunity to see the way God thinks by that which God chooses to do to the disobedient.

 

I Corinthians 10

 

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

 

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

 

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

 

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God gives king Saul an assignment:

 

I Samuel 15

 

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over HIS people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

 

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

 

(God's assignment to Saul.)

 

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

 

(When we receive an assignment from God, we must do that assignment.  We must do every part of that assignment and we must not allow our minds to reason that assignment away in any part.)

 

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

 

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

 

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

 

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

 

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

 

(God told Saul to kill Agag.  Saul did not do this but saved Agag alive.)

 

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

 

(God told Saul to kill the sheep and the oxen.  Saul kept the best of the sheep and oxen alive.)

 

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10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

 

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following ME, and hath not performed MY commandments. 

 

And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

 

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12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

 

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

 

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear.

 

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15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

 

(Saul blamed the people for sparing the sheep and oxen.  But Saul received a commandment from God on this matter and Saul was king and commanded the people.  Saul was in charge of that which they did. And Saul did not do the will of God in the matter.  A leader is responsible to fulfill the commandment given to him by God.  It would not matter what the people wanted to do.  You do what God shows you to do and you "wholly" follow God in every part of the Word.)

 

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16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

 

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

 

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

 

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

 

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

 

(Saul did not kill the king as God told him to do.  Saul did not kill the sheep and oxen as God told him to do.  Saul did not "wholly" follow the Lord.)

 

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

 

(Saul is saying the people kept the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to God, a good thing.  God sees it as an evil thing they did for they did not obey the instructions of God but changed the instructions to their own reasonings.)

 

22 And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.

 

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD,  HE hath also rejected thee from being king.

 

(God used this disobedience example of Saul to teach me to fully obey when I am given an assignment from God.)

 

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24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

 

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

 

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

 

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

 

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

 

29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

 

30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

 

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

 

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32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. 

 

And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

 

33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.  

 

(The prophet of God does the will of God and fulfills the work of God's choosing which Saul would not do.)

 

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34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

 

35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that HE had made Saul king over Israel.

 

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I Samuel 16:1  And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

 

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If we fail to obey God in each part of the word given us by God, we can bring judgement and penalty from God upon ourselves and we cannot please God unless we fulfill HIS Word.

 

This podcast has several examples of full obedience vs. disobedience to the Word from God.

 

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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog