Disobedience to God Brings Judgement

God gave his commands to guide and bring our desires into conformity with His will. He chose Saul to be a king but rejected him when he had morally and spiritually failed in discharge of his duty. 1 Samuel 15:22 - 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. The followings are discussed: God Rejects Saul as the King; Saul Grievous Disobedience, and Obedience is better than sacrifice.

God Rejects Saul as the King: Saul sought and received divine help through numerous battles since he was made the king but it got to a time he replaced obedience to godly instruction with arrogance. His son, Jonathan provoked war against the Philistine whose army was as sand compared to Israel's army which was so small in size. The people were gripped with fear and trembled as a result of their poor preparation to fight the battle ( 1 Samuel 13:1-7).

Saul couldn't have led Israel's army to battle and won without obedience to specific instructions from Samuel. The prophet gave the instruction which required Saul to trust him and place his faith in God. The people were intimidated by the presence of Philistine army and Saul could no longer wait until the time Samuel would come back. He took the matter into his hands and offered sacrifice to seek God's favour, which was Samuel's role. Upon his arrival Samuel confronted Saul for his misdeed which was rooted in disobedience to God's command (1 Samuel 13:8-14).

Offering of sacrifice to God was to be done by the prophet, and not the king. We often find it difficult to wait on God and can even be tempted to stop putting trust in God and search for our own solutions. At such  times we should desire to honour God and think less of our fears. Though Saul admitted his disobedience, he couldn't escape consequences of his action. God called Israelites out of nations and demanded their obedience to Him over any other consideration.

Saul's Grievous Disobedience: Saul failed in another test of obedience to divine decree which was to affirm sovereignty of God in Israel. God assured the people of victory over the enemies but gave instructions (1 Samuel 15:1-8 ). Saul couldn't heed the warning and failed to follow God's command the second time. Obedience to God while seeking divine direction is crucial for victory in a battle. Christians don't fight against nations as Israel did in the Old Testament, our battles are spiritual and involve struggle against temptation and all manners of evils. Therefore we should depend fully on God for victory.

Saul's disobedience and wrong choice brought serious consequence that led to inglorious end of reign as king. Samuel was so sorrowful as God regretted having made Saul king (1 Samuel 15:7-11).

Obedience is Better than Sacrifice: Samuel confronted Saul over his disobedience and refusal to take responsibility for his actions, especially when he thought the victory was by his wisdom and disregarded God's instruction. He reviewed how God made and empowered him as a king, his disobedience to God's command brought an end to his reign (1 Samuel 15: 12-21). Christian must take obedience to God's word seriously in the face of temptation and try to guard right relationship with God. Temptation may come in a subtle way and present good intention, we must follow the way of God to understand the enticement and overcome.

God expects obedience of His people as they serve Him. God detests and will punish people for sin of disobedience to His command (1 Samuel 15:22-29). God's rejection of Saul shows that consequences of disobedience are sorrowful. Disobedience to God's authority leads to judgement and sad end. We must approach God with humility and seek His way which is the best for our lives. Lesson texts: 1 Samuel 13:1-23; 15:1-35.