Obedience

Introduction

A. My experience with the military is limited to what others tell me. A friend was a Marine Sergeant. Johnny was a typical Marine. He seemed to really like the military life. The military is noted among other things for its strict adherence to commands. Your understanding of what is expected is unimportant. When an order is given, the one to whom the order is given is to carry it out. My friend Johnny was coming out of the Marines. His tour of duty was up. One hour before his time was up, Johnny’s commanding officer approached him with one last order. “Go get a haircut.” Did it make any sense? Only if you understand that obedience is what is expected.

B. We have all been in situations in which obedience was necessary. As children we were expected to obey our parents. In school we are given rules which we are expected to obey. In our jobs we have company rules which demand obedience. We have laws which we are expected to obey. Obedience is a part of our life. The person who refuses to obey will find himself in trouble. None of us can get away from commands which demand obedience. This is true in our walk with God. God has specific laws, rules, or commands that he wants us to obey. Failure to do so results in sin, frustration, and a sense of abandonment. These rules are requirements which are a part of being in God’s family.

C. In 1 Samuel 15, God through Samuel gives Saul a specific command to obey. Saul is to attack the Amalekites. God had made a promise back in Exodus 17 to completely destroy the Amalekites. This promise was repeated forty years later in Deuteronomy 25:17-19 just as Israel was getting ready to enter the Promised Land. It was time for that promise to be completed. God wants Saul to take the army and completely destroy the Amalekites. Nothing is to be left alive — men, women, children, animals are all to be destroyed. Saul went on the military campaign. But he didn’t obey. He captured the king, Agag, and kept the best of the animals. God’s response is in verse 10. God is sorry that he made Saul king.

D. How important is complete obedience to God? 1 Samuel 15 illustrates that God expects and wants complete obedience to his commands. Partial obedience is the same thing as disobedience. God is full of grace and love. But he also wants us to obey him and his commands. This morning we are going to look at the excuses given when we don’t obey and see what God has to say about those excuses. I have asked Murray Murphey to lead us in a prayer of confession and repentance. Let’s never be afraid to confess our sin to the God who expects obedience.

Saul’s Excuses

A. Following Saul’s disobedience, God informs Samuel of Saul’s deed. The promise is made that Saul is not going to remain king. Samuel spends the night asking God to reconsider (v. 11). The next morning Samuel has a job to do. It will not be pleasant, but as God’s spokesman he is required to tell the truth. God tells Samuel that Saul is busy building a monument to himself and this great victory. Monuments were a regular part of life in the promised land. It was not uncommon for God to instruct the leaders to build a monument as a way to remember some great event. The problem in this case is that Saul is building this monument for himself. As far as we know, God has not instructed anyone to build a monument. This shows us something about Saul’s arrogance which will be mentioned in verse 23.

B. Samuel arrives and Saul greets him warmly. It would be the type of greeting someone has when they are on an emotional high from a great success. Samuel cuts to the chase. What are those animal noises I hear? Animals are not a regular part of an army’s equipment. Verse 15 is filled with Saul’s excuses. The obvious is lost on Saul. Samuel’s question should have brought an immediate recognition that something was wrong. Instead Saul tries to justify his disobedience.

1. First, he lays the blame on the soldiers. They brought them from the Amalekites. Saul will expand on this excuse in verse 21. The people wanted to worship God with the best animals. They brought back the best for sacrificing. In other words, they are going to sacrifice that which cost them nothing. Who told the soldiers that it was okay to bring back the best animals? Who was responsible for carrying out God's commands?

2. Second, Saul says his motives were pure. He wanted to worship God. He appeals to his piety to excuse his disobedience. He insists that his only motive was to worship God. Saul assumes that God would rather have worship than obedience. He further assumes that God will be pleased with these sacrifices rather than obeying his command.

C. I graduated from HGSR in 1986. My final required research paper focused on what we presume God really wants. We presume that what God really wants is for us to be happy. He doesn’t want us miserable. He doesn’t want us frustrated. He doesn’t want us to be moping around. What God really wants is for us to be happy. This is what Adam and Eve thought in the garden. God wouldn’t want us to be deficient in knowledge. He wouldn’t want us to be lacking in wisdom. So they ate the forbidden fruit. They presumed upon God’s goodness. He couldn’t possibly mean that obedience is more important than wisdom or my happiness.

D. Look at Samuel’s response to Saul’s excuses. Which do you think God really wants Saul obedience or worship? In rebellious arrogance you have presumed to know what God wants. In essence you have rejected God because you put yourself in his place. This is what happened in the garden and this is what happens to us. God wants obedience. Does that mean worship means nothing to him or that our happiness is of no concern? NO! What it means is that worship and happiness cannot be used as an excuse to do what we want to do. God commands. We are to obey. What delights God is obedience.

E. George Barna, a researcher in the religious world, just released some astonishing statistics. Astonishing because if close to accurate then we are no different from Saul. According to Barna 85% of those who attend a Sunday morning worship assembly say that what they experience on Sunday morning has no affect on them on Monday through Saturday. To clarify Barna goes on to explain that the ethics of the church goer is really no different from any one else. The call of Christianity falls on deaf ears. What we learn from Saul is that worship without obedience is of little value. No excuse, no reason, no justification is valid when we do not obey God.

Saul’s Repentance

A. Saul’s response should have been one of immediate repentance. If his heart had melted immediately instead of trying to defend himself or excuse his behavior, perhaps God would have relented. Instead in verse 16 Samuel’s frustration comes through. “Shut up! Let me tell you what God said to me last night.” We finally get to some statement of repentance in verse 24. Most scholars see this as a less than sincere repentance based on Samuel’s refusal to accompany Saul in worship in verse 26. In fact, Saul’s second statement of repentance in verse 30 appears to be more accurate of what he really wants. He wants Samuel to come back so that he will look good. This is all about Saul and what will result in a good appearance.

B. Saul minimizes the seriousness of his sin by saying he feared the people. Just another excuse. Still a refusal to take responsibility for his disobedience. He blames others and wants to be let off the hook. He wants Samuel to go back with him so that he can look good. It appears that all Saul wants is for things to go back to the way they were. He wants Samuel’s acceptance and he wants Samuel’s presence. He will get neither. Look at verse 35. Saul never saw Samuel again. Samuel grieved for Saul, but never again would Samuel leave the impression that things could go back to the way they were before. Saul’s confession could have been genuine. But the consequence of disobedience cannot always be undone by a simple “I have sinned.” There are still losses because of our sin.

C. We make excuses for our behavior because we want some level of understanding about what we did wrong. That is natural. But it also keeps us from God. ILL. “Excuses.” These are humorous. What excuse will you use tomorrow to justify your disobedience? Do you think it will work with your teacher tomorrow to say “I know the homework assignment was to do page 318, but I thought a good review of 299 would be better.”? Do you think your teacher will give you a good grade for effort? Not hardly.

D. What about your employer? “I know you wanted me to work on this project today, but I thought if I could go ahead and knock out this other project first then I could devote my whole attention to the first project.” Do you think your employer would be satisfied? Then what makes us think God would be pleased with our excuses for not obeying him? What excuse do you offer now for not obeying him? God wants us to become his followers. This is a choice which you must make. He doesn’t twist anyone’s arm to be saved. But if you are thinking about becoming a Christian, he does give a command to repent and be baptized. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:19 that what really matters is keeping God’s commands.

E. What excuse do you offer for not coming to him right now? Whatever the excuse it is not obedience. Come confessing your sins. Repent of your rebellion and arrogance. What God wants is obedience.

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