He was handsome, virile, wealthy and Israel’s first king. Yet, could he go the distance and bring Israel into its prophesied greatness? “But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king,” warned Samuel at his coronation ceremony (1 Samuel 12:25). Samuel was bluntly but truthfully honest—as all prophets must be.
These words tingled in Saul’s ears as he assumed his God-given office. Israel, its new government and king would only survive through obedience to God. Samuel left no doubt that God expected Saul to lead the nation—setting the example of obedience. Saul assisted by Samuel, set about to put the monarchy in place. We must understand that the Bible is silent on many details about the organization of the new government. It is safe to assume that it would have taken the duo some time to get the affairs of state organized.
Preparing for War
Our first look at Saul’s history begins in the second year of his reign. Although poorly translated, that is essentially what 1 Samuel 13:1 means. We see Saul is in the process of organizing an elite fighting force of about 3,000 men to surround him and his son, Jonathan (verse 2). Saul kept 2,000 of these men with him in Michmash. Jonathan took command of 1,000 men and kept them with him in Gibeah, in the territory of Benjamin.
Saul was preparing for war with the Philistines. Smaller military maneuvers were already underway. Jonathan and the men with him overpowered and crushed a Philistine stronghold at Geba in Benjamin (verse 3). Geba was in close proximity to Gibeah. Saul let this victory be known throughout the land. He had the trumpets blown and proclamations made about Saul’s victory. Through the use of the trumpets, Saul was summoning the people to gather with him at Gilgal (verse 4). War was on the horizon.
It is only natural that the Philistines were incensed by Jonathan’s successful slaughter of their garrison. They thrilled at the prospect of war with Israel. One thing that we must realize is the Philistines were a formidable foe and filled with bloodlust. They were well organized and well armed. The Israelites were greatly afraid and intimidated by the Philistine war machine. They were distressed. The Israelites began to hide out in caves, in the woods, and in the rocks. Some even fled the country. There was great fear and panic among the people (verses 5-6). This showed that Israel had not fully turned back to God. When we are close to God, bravery and courage fill our lives. A very uneasy situation was stirring in Israel.
Remember that Samuel had already given Saul instructions to meet him in Gilgal. Samuel was clear in what he expected. “And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do” (1 Samuel 10:8). At Gilgal, Samuel had planned to provide Saul more instructions to rout the Philistines. At that same time, Samuel planned to conduct a great sacrifice before the battle. This sacrifice would have united the people with God and also given God the credit for the victory. What could have worked out very good for Saul and the people turned into disaster!
Saul’s Disobedience
Saul failed to obey Samuel’s instructions. He lacked the faith and self-discipline to wait for Samuel to meet him in Gilgal. Here is the sad history. “And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him” (1 Samuel 13:8). Saul waited for Samuel. The seventh day came, but when Samuel didn’t appear as Saul expected, Saul began to get very edgy. The fear of the people was very evident. Because of the advancing Philistine army, many of them fled in all directions. Saul decided to take matters into his own hands.
In a snap, Saul barked out the following instructions: “Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings” (verse 9). Saul decided to conduct the offerings without Samuel’s presence. He hoped this would calm the people’s fears. This would prove to be a costly mistake. Samuel appeared as Saul was completing the offerings. “And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him” (verse 10). We can only imagine the look on Saul’s face when Samuel walked into view. It is interesting to note here that Saul went out to meet Samuel as if nothing had happened. Much had happened.
Samuel understood the full impact of Saul’s grave mistake. He was deeply affected by Saul’s actions. He exclaimed to Saul, “What hast thou done?” Saul returned a feeble answer, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering” (verses 11-12). Saul attempted to deflect the blame for his actions from himself onto the people. This shows how weak Saul was as a leader. A true king would have rallied the people to remain. And if they had not remained, a true king would have waited in faith for God to act. Saul did neither. He took the matter into his own hands. He tried to obtain Samuel’s sympathy by stating that he was forced into conducting the burnt offering.
Samuel was not moved to sympathy. He cut right to the quick with his answer. Samuel answered Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee” (verses 13-14). Samuel had the great ability to bring the incident into proper focus. Saul had disobeyed a direct order from God—plainly and simply. Although given through Samuel, the instructions in 1 Samuel 10:8 were direct orders from Almighty God.
The penalty Saul had to pay was immense. His kingdom would come to an end. Had he obeyed God, his kingdom would have been established forever. This may seem cruel or very stringent on God’s part, but this is not the case. God had given Saul the top office in the nation. What did God desire most in His new captain? Obedience. Above all, God needs to know if His leaders will obey him or not. That is the test of this age. This is our test!
God gave Saul His Spirit (1 Samuel 10:6, 9). God gave him specific instructions through Samuel. Yes, Saul was being tested. And he had what he needed to pass the test. Unfortunately, he failed miserably. If Saul had obeyed exactly as directed, would God have completely routed the Philistines? We will never know what could have happened for Israel that day. Saul’s disobedience greatly affected the nation. The Philistines caused real trouble for Saul all the days of his reign.
Not After God’s Heart
Saul’s heart was not right. God wanted Saul to fashion his heart to be just like His own heart. In Saul’s personal spiritual life, he failed to make this change. His heart was not anything like God’s heart. This is such an incredible lesson for all of God’s people today. We know that God has already made us kings and priests. This fact is repeated in Revelation 1:6 and 5:10. We must change our hearts to be just like God’s. If we don’t do this, we will not be in God’s Kingdom.
Saul’s rule began a downhill slide from this point on. He continued to make one bad decision after another. The one bright spot in his reign was Jonathan. Study 1 Samuel 14. You will find that God greatly blessed Jonathan’s exploits against the Philistines. But also, in this chapter, you can read about Saul’s decline. He became more and more irrational. As he lost his grip, the monarchy lost its edge.
Saul was given a second test of obedience. “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. 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. 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” (1 Samuel 15:1-3). Samuel’s instructions to Saul were very clear. First, he was to hearken to all of God’s words. Even though Samuel spoke, he gave Saul God’s words. Second, Saul was to smite all of Amalek. This meant everything. Nothing was to be spared. Every man, woman, child, and all animals were to be slain.
You may wonder, why a second test since God said Saul had already lost the kingdom? God may have been giving Saul a second chance. Or, God may have been trying to save Saul spiritually.
Saul gathered the fighting men together. In total, there were 200,000 footmen and 10,000 fierce fighters from Judah (verse 4). He set out to destroy the Amalekites. With a fighting force so strong it would have been no problem to do what God desired. But what we read next in chapter 15 is deeply disturbing. “And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king, of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 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” (verses 7-9). Shockingly, Saul disobeyed God’s direct command.
He spared Agag, the Amalekite king and the best of the sheep and oxen. Saul’s pitiful spiritual condition is so evident here. He lacked loyalty toward his Creator and benefactor. He failed to recognize that he was sitting on God’s throne. Saul lacked the conviction that God was in charge—not himself.
He had already had one very serious disobedience incident. He compounded that tragedy with a second even more serious rebellion. He was not only disobeying God, he was leading the people to disobey God. Remember, God was testing both Saul and the nation in obedience.
Turned Back From God
God closely watched all of the events that were taking place. A decision had to be made. God communicated with Samuel immediately. “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 …” (1 Samuel 15:11, first part). God’s righteous judgment concerning Saul carried with it a ring of finality. Samuel was emotionally upset by God’s decision. “And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night” (verse 11, last part). Some religious historians and theologians attempt to picture Samuel as an austere man. This is just not the case.
Samuel deeply loved God, his people and could be moved to strong emotion. He loved Saul as one of his own sons. We can be certain that if Samuel could have changed things for Saul he would have done all he could to do so. But Saul was turned back from following God. Saul chose his own path. This path was directly opposite to that of God. Something had to be done.
Samuel had no choice in this matter, he set out to find Saul. “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. And Samuel came to Saul …” (verses 12-13). This meeting is probably one of the saddest in the Bible. When Samuel located Saul, Saul exclaimed, “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” Nothing could have been further from the truth. Saul had sorely deceived himself.
Can we see how distressing his true spiritual condition was? He actually believed he was obeying God. The reality is he was coldly disobedient. We should be able to see how serious it really is to turn back from following God. Those who do this fall under great delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Saul was living and believing a lie. Today’s Laodiceans are living a Saul-like tragedy. They believe they are obeying God. It is all lies. Let’s be sure we never repeat this tragedy.
Samuel’s answer to Saul must have cut like a knife. “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:14). The instructions had been clear. Nothing was to be saved alive. Everything was to be destroyed. Saul gave Samuel a very lame excuse. “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” (verse 15). How pathetic an answer!
Saul blamed the people for sparing the sheep and oxen. A good question to ask would be, who was in charge? On top of blaming the people, he tried to make the whole mess look righteous by saying that the people wanted to sacrifice the animals to God. Samuel listened to none of Saul’s pathetic excuses. He had to deliver a tough message to Saul.
Rebellion Is as Witchcraft
“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. 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? 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. 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?” (1 Samuel 15:16-19). This must have been a very difficult task for Samuel.
He began Saul’s ultimate correction by reminding Saul that when he had been a humble, teachable man, God made him the head of all the tribes. Because Saul was “little in his own eyes” he could be made king. But now Saul had fallen into obsessive vanity. Human vanity is a grave spiritual plague. Many leaders in God’s Church have been ruined by it.
Samuel also reminded Saul that God sent him to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Samuel told Saul that he failed to obey. Notice that Samuel calls God’s obedience test with the Amalekites a “journey.” This word “journey” is a very interesting one to study. The Hebrew word is derek. Its number in Strong’s is 1870. The word means “a course of life or mode of action.” God was testing Saul’s way of life. We must never forget that obedience to God is a way of life—not a one-time incident. Obedience to God must be the foundation of our life’s journey.
Saul’s answer to Samuel was unbelievable. “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. 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” (verses 20-21). Saul really believed that he had obeyed God. Yet, he brought Agag, the sheep and the oxen to Gilgal. Wasn’t Agag to have been destroyed? Instead, he stood before Samuel—alive! Saul laid total blame on the people. He said the people took of the spoil. And he tried to justify all of their actions; he claimed there was to be a great sacrifice.
Samuel would not listen to Saul’s senseless rambling. Righteous indignation began to boil inside God’s holy prophet. “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. 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” (verses 22-23). Samuel delivered to Saul one of the most memorable corrections in the entire Bible. And, oh, how these words ring true today.
Samuel stated three important truths. They are, “to obey is better than sacrifice,” “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,” and “stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Everyone in God’s Philadelphia Church should memorize and meditate on these profound statements. God desires obedience most of all and from all of us. When our journey is over, if we have not proven obedient, there will be no excuse.
Kingdom Rent From Saul
Saul came back at Samuel with halfhearted repentance. “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. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:24-25). We can see that Saul lacked depth in understanding what was really happening. He was in deep, deep trouble. All he could muster was a request for Samuel to somehow fix the mess. But the real fix had to occur within Saul. It does not appear he was capable of doing so. All he could say is that he sinned by obeying the voice of the people. He did not place the blame on his own shoulders where it all belonged. Saul refused to see his own error.
Samuel could no longer help Saul. It was finished. “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” (verse 26). Saul had turned his back on God. God turned His back on Saul.
What an incredible spiritual loss for Saul. How tragic for the nation. Israel’s first king had failed miserably within two years of being crowned king. Israel’s new king was a washout. A very dark day had descended upon the nation.
Samuel’s discussions with Saul ended with a graphic display of finality. “And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou” (verses 27-28). Can you imagine the intense emotion of this scene?
Saul knew it was over. In a last ditch attempt, he tried to retain his throne. He reached out for Samuel, but Samuel’s garment ripped, leaving Saul desperately alone and isolated. Saul was without a God and without a prophet. Can we fully appreciate the mind-splitting reality that must have dawned on Saul? His psychological pain must have been torturous. The kingdom had been ripped away from him. It was to be given to another. However, not just any other—Samuel said, “The kingdom is to be given to someone better than you.” These words cut deeply into Saul’s heart. How they must have replayed over and over in his mind for the rest of his life.
Here is the vital lesson for all of us. God has high expectations for each one of us. We must pass God’s obedience test. Do we see the reality? If we don’t pass the test, the Work of God will move on without us. Saul’s tragic history has been written down for all God’s people—the Philadelphians as well as the Laodiceans. If we are not careful, we could repeat Saul’s fatal flaw of disobedience. Then, God will have to find someone better than us! Let’s not allow that to happen.
It was time for the nation to move on; a new and better king was on his way.