1 Samuel 15

It is a remarkably sad thing to watch the fall of a great man.

When we see a person who had been an outstanding servant from God go down the wrong path and is rejected ultimately, we can’t help but wonder how a person that had been doing such impressive work in the name of God can fall just like any other person.

At the same time, it is a very good reminder and warning to us who are all striving to serve God better that the more one serves, the greater the danger one faces. Thus, we should make it a point to be more and more vigilant as well as increasingly humble the more we serve instead of becoming more confident and assured of our abilities.

Bible Passage:  1 Samuel 15

Doing what we want instead of what God commands

So 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 heed than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king.”

(1 Sam 15:22-23)

As a servant of God, we always feel that what we are doing is for God and will please God because we are doing ‘divine work’ and ‘church work’ after all. However, the incident of Saul’s war with the Amalekites shows us that not everything done in the name of serving God is pleasing to Him.

While we may be pleased with the offerings and the sacrifices that we are making to God, tallying the amount of work we are doing in church and being really quite happy about being ‘just about the most busy person in church’, we really should ask ourselves if God is pleased with what we are doing as well.

As Samuel proclaims very clearly, no matter how much we serve and offer, they all come to naught if our service and offerings are not accompanied by complete obedience to God.

Loving the things of the world

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 unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. (1 Sam 15:8)

Saul also demonstrates one of the reasons why it is difficult to be obedient. Sometimes, the lure of the things of the world can be too great and may even deceive us into thinking we want them so that we can serve God better.

Does God really need us to obtain a high-paying job so we can offer more?

Does God really require us to get a doctorate in order to speak good sermons or teach in RE classes?

Does God really expect the church choir to train to professional standards in order to glorify Him?

Let us bare our hearts before the Lord and search ourselves so that we can remove all selfish desires from our service and truly let our service accompanied by obedience be a pleasing and fragrant sacrifice to Him.