May the mumbling commence!
Which is better to sacrifice or to obey? This question is at the heart of 1 Samuel 15. Through His prophet Samuel, the Lord commanded Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites. Saul gathered Israel and attacked the Amalekites. Knowing his recent history in battle, this task should have been easy for Saul.
But, as we read further, we see that Saul allowed his men to take some of the best sheep and cattle. Saul also allowed Agag, the kind of the Amalekites to live. After the battle, Saul went to Carmel and set up a monument in his own honor. The humble man that once hid among the baggage now was quite full of himself.
While all this was happening, Samuel had a rough night. He got no sleep because of the words of the Lord – “I am grieved that I made Saul king, because he has turned against me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel prayed all night only to turn around and seek out Saul.
When Saul saw Samuel, he greeted Samuel in triumph – “I have obeyed the Lord’s instructions,” he said. Samuel asked Saul, “What is this bleating of sheep and this lowing of cattle that I hear?” All of the Amalekites and their possessions were devoted to the Lord – they were to be destroyed. Saul reasoned that he and his men saved the best of the cattle and sheep in order to sacrifice to the Lord. Read Samuel’s reply:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is no less a sin than divination,
and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king." (1 Sam 15:22b-23)
To obey is better than the best of sacrifices. The animals that Saul and his men saved back for sacrifice were already devoted to the Lord. The animals should have been slaughtered immediately. Maybe Saul was overcorrecting for his mistake in not allowing the men to eat earlier. It caused his son to sin, and it caused the other men to sin by eating meat with the blood still in it. Perhaps, this thought is behind the excuse that Saul gave to Samuel – “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” Were they thinking of their stomachs?
Saul had a very human problem that affects both you and me. We think the in concrete. We base our actions on what we experience in the here and now – whether that is our hunger or our hatred or our agenda. These things blind us to the true nature of the Lord’s call to us. Saul and his family lost the throne because of this human tendency.
Did Samuel rejoice in the downfall of Saul? No. Samuel was in mourning, and the Lord had to cajole Samuel to go and anoint a new king. Samuel feared for his life at the hands of King Saul. The Lord sent Samuel to Bethlehem on the pretense of offering sacrifices. The Lord sent Samuel specifically to the family of Jesse. One of Jesse’s sons would be anointed the new king of Israel.
In choosing a son of Jesse, the Lord taught Samuel that God does not look on outward appearance to judge people. God looks at the heart. Jesse’s youngest son is chosen. David is described as handsome – apparently handsome does not preclude God’s decision either. In David’s case, we will learn that handsome is a handsome does – though David was not always perfect in handsome acts. Still his heart continually sought after the Lord.
Meanwhile, Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord (I struggle with this ancient Hebrew concept of God sending evil spirit upon a person). Saul, at the advice of his attendants, sought out a good harp player. That harp player turned out to be David. The Lord’s Spirit had left Saul and went to David. The presence of that Spirit in David’s demeanor and harp playing soothed Saul (for a time). It must have been nice for Saul to feel the presence of God’s Spirit again. The irony of this situation is thick!
Enough mumbling for today…
Peace Out
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