It’s Not My Fault

1 Samuel 15:22 …Obedience is better than sacrifice…

• Saul sacrificed his entire kingdom • Saul sacrificed his once close relationship with Samuel (Samuel never saw him again) • And Saul sacrificed his relationship with God

1 Samuel 8:3-5 “But his sons didn’t live as he did 1 Samuel 8:3-5 “But his sons didn’t live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.” 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”

1 Samuel 8:7 The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king.

When Saul was first anointed King he seemed the ideal candidate • He was athletic. • He was humble. • He was pious. • And he stood a good head taller than everybody else (it made it easier for his men to rally around him on the battlefield).

1 Samuel 15:1-9 (NIRV) Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So listen now to a message from him. 2 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘I will punish the Amalekites because of what they did to Israel. As the Israelites came up from Egypt, the Amalekites attacked them. 3 Now go. Attack the Amalekites. Completely destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare the Amalekites. Put the men and women to death. Put the children and babies to death. Also kill the cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

4 So Saul brought his men together at Telaim 4 So Saul brought his men together at Telaim. The total number was 200,000 soldiers on foot from Israel and 10,000 from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek. Then Saul had some of his men hide and wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “You were kind to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. Get away from the Amalekites. Then I won’t have to destroy you along with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

7 Saul attacked the Amalekites 7 Saul attacked the Amalekites. He struck them down all the way from Havilah to Shur. Shur was near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 Saul captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites. But he and his men totally destroyed with their swords all Agag’s people. 9 So Saul and the army spared Agag. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They spared the fat calves and lambs. They spared everything that was valuable. They weren’t willing to completely destroy any of those things. But they totally destroyed everything that was worthless and weak.

Exodus 17:14 (NLT) 14 After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (NLT) 17 “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. 18 They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God.19 Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NLT) 26 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God…

Exodus 15:26 (NIRV) 26 He said, “I am the Lord your God Exodus 15:26 (NIRV) 26 He said, “I am the Lord your God. Listen carefully to me. Do what is right in my eyes. Pay attention to my commands. Obey all my rules. If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you.”

John 14:15 (NIRV) 15 “If you love me, obey my commands John 14:15 (NIRV) 15 “If you love me, obey my commands. 1 John 5:3 (NIRV) 3 In fact, here is what it means to love God. We love him by obeying his commands. And his commands are not hard to obey.

1 Samuel 15:15 (NIRV) 15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They did it to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we totally destroyed everything else.” 1 Samuel 15:20 (NLT) 20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21 Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:24 (NLT) 24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.

There are bad I’s and good I’s in life There are bad I’s and good I’s in life. The bad I’s promote oneself and blame others. The good I’s confess shortcomings and accept responsibility. Most of us are good blame shifters.

We blame fast food restaurants for making us fat.

We blame tobacco companies for giving us cancer.

We blame the church for our lack of spiritual growth.

We blame God for the results of our poor choices.

1 Samuel 15:10-12 (NIRV) 10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

Psalm 10:4 (NIRV) 4 Because he is proud, that evil person doesn’t turn to the Lord. There is no room for God in any of his thoughts.

Warren Wiersbe says, “Life is about 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.” How is your attitude when you are corrected? Do you humbly listen, correct yourself, and reverse yourself? 

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NIRV) 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Never forget that disobedience has consequences Never forget that disobedience has consequences. And some of them may be very costly.

References Obey Or Be Sacrificed -- Jeff Strite Confession: Reasons and Excuses -- Rich Cook Trust and Obey -- Victor Yap The Lord Rejects Saul as King --Dr. James Patterson