God gave a very clear instruction to Saul through the prophet Samuel.
“Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them…”
1-Samuel 15:3 NIV
And so Saul obeyed. He destroyed the Amalekites, but not really everything which belonged to them. For some reason he brought the king back as well as much of the plunder which belonged to them. Apparently, Saul had a plan for all these possessions. I imagine that destroying perfectly good items did not make sense to Saul.
How did God reacted to Sauls’ behavior?
“When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions… Samuel said, …Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD? “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.”
1-Samuel 15:19-20 NIV
Saul did what God assigned him to do, but he did not complete it to God’s standard. What really upset God? There is a possibility that God’s will did not seem practical to Saul. What was so evil in the eyes of the Lord?
Saul took his own will and desire over God’s, deciding that “Saul knew best”. In verse 17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your eyes, did you not become the head of the tribe of Israel?”
What does it mean to be small in our own eyes? I see it as to be humble, understanding that everything comes from the Lord, walking under His authority. “Although you were once small, …” Something changed in the life of Saul and he gave place for pride in his life.
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6 NIV
When Saul was small in his own eyes, God anointed him as king over Israel. He gave favor to Saul as He saw him worthy of taking a crown. For years Saul was serving God and his people. But with time, Saul began to see his successes, and it blinded his eyes. In his own eyes he did everything right. The success of his missions caused an insidious complacency in Saul. He did not even notice how he rejected the word of the Lord. As a result God rejected Saul as King.
Looking at this story, we can gain understanding about how serious God is about following instructions, but without the right heart, putting God first, it is impossible. Saul did not think about God, but he was concerned about his position, his name and his pride. The pride became the evil that brought Saul to the fall.
How can this story reflect our life And what lesson can we take from it?
God has a purpose for every life. Our successes as we walk with God (and there will be many) can bring a pitfall as well. In John 15:5 Jesus says,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I will in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NIV
Humility and abiding are the protection we can use to avoid this pitfall. Interestingly, the word “abide” from the Greek language means “to be kept, to remain, to dwell, not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present” (Strong NT 3306). Remaining in Jesus is similar to this: It is like a person who finds a dream house, he loves the place, and he is not moving out. Now whatever we do, we do it with Jesus, in partnership with Him. It’s not about us, but about Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches. When we are continually aware of our position, identity and dependence, we will be safe from arrogance and ego.
What about obedience?
Sometimes some things God asks us to complete do not make any sense, it just does not go well with our own understanding, and here it is important to trust Him, and rely completely on His understanding. He knows what is best for us. When you love God and see your worth in Him, and not in your talents, abilities and achievements, you will do your best. You will obey and will bring joy to your Heavenly Father. Your success will bring glory to God, who will glorify you because you abide in Him, and He is in you.
Thinking about Christians serving in dangerous parts of the world, I feel like saying this: Hearing God and acting according to His word is our safety. For some of us this story is a reflection of our spiritual being and our daily fight that many of us go through conquering our own enemies (it can be addictions, temptations, fears, unforgiveness and especially our ego.) God often blesses us and moves as we follow Him. Sometimes a complacency may arise as we begin to take for granted God’s blessings and commands. We become victorious when we defeat those completely, through awareness and dependence not letting one thought drag us back into the pitfall of independence.
With God we can do it.
