August 19-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:10-12, Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”
Observe what it is saying.
(Thanks to Lewis Flanigan for submitting this as a suggested chapter in this series.) The chapter begins with God’s military order to King Saul, “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them.” (1 Samuel 15:2-3) However, King Saul did not fully obey this command so God was grieved that Saul became king. The king was to be the spiritual leader of the country, obediently carrying out God’s work. Saul, also, had a huge pride problem where he set up a monument in honor of himself. Such pride sets us up against God, where we become our own god.
Relate it to your life.
Pride is a dangerous attitude for it elevates us beyond what we can handle.
Do something.
“Father, please forgive all my proud thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions. Amen.”
August 20-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:13-14, Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
Observe what it is saying.
After hearing God had regretted making Saul king because of his disobedience, Samuel had been up all night praying before he went to confront him. Samuel was heartbroken over this. Saul foolishly thought he had been obedient and carried out what he chose to do. His pride blinded him of his disobedience. With the sounds of animals all around, Samuel confronted Saul’s lack of awareness. Saul’s army had been commanded not to take plunder but to destroy it all. It was not an easy word to follow, but that is the very point of obedience. It can be difficult to do. It goes against our unredeemed desires. Such obedience is a matter of trusting what God says is infinitely better than what we feel to be true.
Relate it to your life.
Because of our lack of awareness, we sometimes need Holy Spirit conviction to know our sin.
Do something.
“Father, give me the humility to hear and receive correction from You given through others. Amen.”
August 21-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:15-16, And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”
Observe what it is saying.
At least Saul was honest when Samuel asked what he was hearing. Saul said they had taken plunder of the best sheep and oxen for the purpose of sacrificing them to the Lord. This sounds like a well-intentioned motivation. However, as we will see, it was not God’s will. Samuel had heard enough of Saul’s brief excuse and told him to stop talking for he was now going to tell him what God said. Again, Saul responded appropriately to “speak on’ even though he didn’t know what was coming. It would be wise to use these two words in sincerely seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction and correction.
Relate it to your life.
A mature faith invites the Holy Spirit to “speak on” even if we don’t know what may come.
Do something.
“Father, through Your Spirit, “speak on” so I will stay faithful on the path of obedience. Amen.”
August 22-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:17-19, Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
Observe what it is saying.
Despite the fact that Saul had once considered himself too insignificant to be Israel's ruler, the Lord anointed him as king. He then reminded Saul of the divine commission regarding the wicked Amalekites. Saul cannot deny culpability for what the army does. Samuel confronts Saul for not taking responsibility for what happened. Saul was at the center of this disobedience. Samuel confronted Saul with the age-old problem of failing to take responsibility. We saw it with the first sin with Adam and Eve. Here it is again. Leaders of nations down to the most common person often use the same defense for their lack of appropriate conduct. Samuel would not let Saul get away with his weak attempt to justify himself in the eyes of God.
Relate it to your life.
Taking responsibility for our behavior is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Do something.
“Father, give me the grace to humble myself and take responsibility for my sin and failings. Amen.”
August 23-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:20-21, “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. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Saul disagreed with the prophet Samuel about his level of obedience. Although Saul stressed his own obedience by speaking in the first person several times, in doing so, he admitted sparing the foreign king which was not part of his orders. He also tried to justify the actions of his troops by attributing to them the worthy intention to sacrifice to the Lord the animals they had spared. What is further telling is how Saul describes God to Samuel, “the Lord your God.” (also in v.15) Why doesn’t he say “our God?” There was something missing in Saul’s relationship with God that he couldn’t claim God as his own. This clue reveals the heart of his disobedience. By the way, as seen here, we don’t get to determine if we’ve been obedient or not. Only God has that truly objective perspective on whether we’ve been faithful.
Relate it to your life.
We can think we have been obedient, but the only viewpoint that matters is God’s.
Do something.
“Father, give me the courage to be “all in” as I lovingly follow and serve You at all times. Amen.”
August 24-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:22-23, But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Saul thought that his exception to God’s command was justified because the animals were going to be used in sacrifices to God. However, we find an unobscured view into the mind of God’s highest value. Our obedience or lack thereof speaks louder than all of our acts of worship. A fully obedient heart in response to God’s word is our highest act of worship. We can sing all the songs and listen to all the sermons we want, but unless our “worship” comes with a totally devoted heart responding to God’s truth, it will never touch the heart of God. We may be surprised to discover that in God’s eyes rebellion against His word is viewed the same as divining the devil and choosing another god to worship.
Relate it to your life.
In the same light, Jesus told his disciples to teach baptized believers to obey everything He commanded.
Do something.
“Father, awaken me to understand that obedience is my highest act of worship to You. Amen.”
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:10-12, Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”
Observe what it is saying.
(Thanks to Lewis Flanigan for submitting this as a suggested chapter in this series.) The chapter begins with God’s military order to King Saul, “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them.” (1 Samuel 15:2-3) However, King Saul did not fully obey this command so God was grieved that Saul became king. The king was to be the spiritual leader of the country, obediently carrying out God’s work. Saul, also, had a huge pride problem where he set up a monument in honor of himself. Such pride sets us up against God, where we become our own god.
Relate it to your life.
Pride is a dangerous attitude for it elevates us beyond what we can handle.
Do something.
“Father, please forgive all my proud thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions. Amen.”
August 20-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:13-14, Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
Observe what it is saying.
After hearing God had regretted making Saul king because of his disobedience, Samuel had been up all night praying before he went to confront him. Samuel was heartbroken over this. Saul foolishly thought he had been obedient and carried out what he chose to do. His pride blinded him of his disobedience. With the sounds of animals all around, Samuel confronted Saul’s lack of awareness. Saul’s army had been commanded not to take plunder but to destroy it all. It was not an easy word to follow, but that is the very point of obedience. It can be difficult to do. It goes against our unredeemed desires. Such obedience is a matter of trusting what God says is infinitely better than what we feel to be true.
Relate it to your life.
Because of our lack of awareness, we sometimes need Holy Spirit conviction to know our sin.
Do something.
“Father, give me the humility to hear and receive correction from You given through others. Amen.”
August 21-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:15-16, And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”
Observe what it is saying.
At least Saul was honest when Samuel asked what he was hearing. Saul said they had taken plunder of the best sheep and oxen for the purpose of sacrificing them to the Lord. This sounds like a well-intentioned motivation. However, as we will see, it was not God’s will. Samuel had heard enough of Saul’s brief excuse and told him to stop talking for he was now going to tell him what God said. Again, Saul responded appropriately to “speak on’ even though he didn’t know what was coming. It would be wise to use these two words in sincerely seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction and correction.
Relate it to your life.
A mature faith invites the Holy Spirit to “speak on” even if we don’t know what may come.
Do something.
“Father, through Your Spirit, “speak on” so I will stay faithful on the path of obedience. Amen.”
August 22-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:17-19, Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
Observe what it is saying.
Despite the fact that Saul had once considered himself too insignificant to be Israel's ruler, the Lord anointed him as king. He then reminded Saul of the divine commission regarding the wicked Amalekites. Saul cannot deny culpability for what the army does. Samuel confronts Saul for not taking responsibility for what happened. Saul was at the center of this disobedience. Samuel confronted Saul with the age-old problem of failing to take responsibility. We saw it with the first sin with Adam and Eve. Here it is again. Leaders of nations down to the most common person often use the same defense for their lack of appropriate conduct. Samuel would not let Saul get away with his weak attempt to justify himself in the eyes of God.
Relate it to your life.
Taking responsibility for our behavior is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Do something.
“Father, give me the grace to humble myself and take responsibility for my sin and failings. Amen.”
August 23-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:20-21, “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. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Saul disagreed with the prophet Samuel about his level of obedience. Although Saul stressed his own obedience by speaking in the first person several times, in doing so, he admitted sparing the foreign king which was not part of his orders. He also tried to justify the actions of his troops by attributing to them the worthy intention to sacrifice to the Lord the animals they had spared. What is further telling is how Saul describes God to Samuel, “the Lord your God.” (also in v.15) Why doesn’t he say “our God?” There was something missing in Saul’s relationship with God that he couldn’t claim God as his own. This clue reveals the heart of his disobedience. By the way, as seen here, we don’t get to determine if we’ve been obedient or not. Only God has that truly objective perspective on whether we’ve been faithful.
Relate it to your life.
We can think we have been obedient, but the only viewpoint that matters is God’s.
Do something.
“Father, give me the courage to be “all in” as I lovingly follow and serve You at all times. Amen.”
August 24-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Samuel 15:22-23, But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Saul thought that his exception to God’s command was justified because the animals were going to be used in sacrifices to God. However, we find an unobscured view into the mind of God’s highest value. Our obedience or lack thereof speaks louder than all of our acts of worship. A fully obedient heart in response to God’s word is our highest act of worship. We can sing all the songs and listen to all the sermons we want, but unless our “worship” comes with a totally devoted heart responding to God’s truth, it will never touch the heart of God. We may be surprised to discover that in God’s eyes rebellion against His word is viewed the same as divining the devil and choosing another god to worship.
Relate it to your life.
In the same light, Jesus told his disciples to teach baptized believers to obey everything He commanded.
Do something.
“Father, awaken me to understand that obedience is my highest act of worship to You. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals