1Sa 15:15 | KingComments | STEP | Samuel must convey the message of God to Saul. He does not sleep that night but calls to God. From that fellowship with God he goes to Saul. Before he meets Saul, he is told where Saul is, what he did and where he then went. God supports His servant in his task. The fact that Saul has set up a monument for himself shows that he is looking for his own honor (cf. ). The word “monument” is literally “hand”, symbolizing his actions, what he has accomplished. Now he is in Gilgal. Samuel follows him until there. There everything becomes public. Saul does not take the place that suits him toward the man of God. He does not wait until Samuel starts. He does not ask what Samuel comes for, but immediately takes the floor, to praise himself and to tell how obedient he has been. Saul deceives his own conscience through his words. He takes the initiative because he feels that he has not been obedient. The presence of a man of God like Samuel can only make him restless about his incomplete execution of the command. This is how it is when we come to someone who lives with the Lord, while we fill in our lives with the Lord in a loose way. Samuel is not deceived by the elation with which Saul meets him and the testimony he gives about himself. Firstly, Samuel is informed by the LORD of the reality of Saul’s actions. Secondly, Samuel points to the evidence that Saul was not obedient. He hears the bleating of sheep and the lowing of the oxen. How is this possible when he has exterminated everything according to the LORD’s command? Saul’s pompous talk of devotion to the LORD is being denied by the noise of the spared sheep and oxen. Anyone who says that he is full of the Lord but does not read the Bible or thinks he does not need the upbuilding of his faith in Christian meetings, shows the same contradiction. The deeds show the lie of the words. What is spared of the flesh contradicts a confession of devotion. There is the same arbitrariness with such believers as with Saul. Later on, we see Saul does thoroughly act against Abimelech, whom he suspects of sympathy for David. He spares nothing of him ( ). The bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen are like the rust of gold and silver ( ). The beautiful confession is contradicted by the practice. It is nothing new that beautifully looking confessions of obedience to God’s commandments are at odds with giving in to the flesh and love of the world. If the beautiful confession sounds that nothing on earth has value but the Lord Jesus, while we are willing to do anything to live in large and luxuriously furnished houses and drive expensive cars, that confession is not worth much. Saul not only presents things better than they are, but he also lies. He has spared the best himself ( ), but he blames others by saying that the people did it. This is the old shear-off system. It has already been put into practice by Adam and Eve. He also speaks three times about “the LORD your God” ( ). Indeed, it is not his God, but only Samuel’s. He has no bond with God. David reacts very differently when the sword of judgment hangs above the people ( ). Moses also wanted to be exterminated out of God’s book himself, and that for a disobedient people ( ). Above all, the Lord Jesus reacted very different, who says: “If you seek Me, let these go their way” ( ).

‏ 1 Samuel 15:15

Saul’s ‘Obedience’

Samuel must convey the message of God to Saul. He does not sleep that night but calls to God. From that fellowship with God he goes to Saul. Before he meets Saul, he is told where Saul is, what he did and where he then went. God supports His servant in his task.

The fact that Saul has set up a monument for himself shows that he is looking for his own honor (cf. 2Sam 18:18). The word “monument” is literally “hand”, symbolizing his actions, what he has accomplished. Now he is in Gilgal. Samuel follows him until there. There everything becomes public.

Saul does not take the place that suits him toward the man of God. He does not wait until Samuel starts. He does not ask what Samuel comes for, but immediately takes the floor, to praise himself and to tell how obedient he has been. Saul deceives his own conscience through his words. He takes the initiative because he feels that he has not been obedient. The presence of a man of God like Samuel can only make him restless about his incomplete execution of the command. This is how it is when we come to someone who lives with the Lord, while we fill in our lives with the Lord in a loose way.

Samuel is not deceived by the elation with which Saul meets him and the testimony he gives about himself. Firstly, Samuel is informed by the LORD of the reality of Saul’s actions. Secondly, Samuel points to the evidence that Saul was not obedient. He hears the bleating of sheep and the lowing of the oxen. How is this possible when he has exterminated everything according to the LORD’s command?

Saul’s pompous talk of devotion to the LORD is being denied by the noise of the spared sheep and oxen. Anyone who says that he is full of the Lord but does not read the Bible or thinks he does not need the upbuilding of his faith in Christian meetings, shows the same contradiction. The deeds show the lie of the words. What is spared of the flesh contradicts a confession of devotion. There is the same arbitrariness with such believers as with Saul. Later on, we see Saul does thoroughly act against Abimelech, whom he suspects of sympathy for David. He spares nothing of him (1Sam 22:19).

The bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen are like the rust of gold and silver (Jam 5:3a). The beautiful confession is contradicted by the practice. It is nothing new that beautifully looking confessions of obedience to God’s commandments are at odds with giving in to the flesh and love of the world. If the beautiful confession sounds that nothing on earth has value but the Lord Jesus, while we are willing to do anything to live in large and luxuriously furnished houses and drive expensive cars, that confession is not worth much.

Saul not only presents things better than they are, but he also lies. He has spared the best himself (1Sam 15:9), but he blames others by saying that the people did it. This is the old shear-off system. It has already been put into practice by Adam and Eve. He also speaks three times about “the LORD your God” (1Sam 15:15 ; 21 ; 30). Indeed, it is not his God, but only Samuel’s. He has no bond with God.

David reacts very differently when the sword of judgment hangs above the people (2Sam 24:17). Moses also wanted to be exterminated out of God’s book himself, and that for a disobedient people (Exo 32:32). Above all, the Lord Jesus reacted very different, who says: “If you seek Me, let these go their way” (Jn 18:8).