A FLAW IN OUR CHARACTER

Image result for clipart of character flaws   Oh my, Saul is given another opportunity to show that he can function as a man after God's own heart and in today's reading, 1 Samuel 15, we will find more flaws revealed in his character. 

 Samuel again comes to Saul and give him instructions from the Lord.  Saul is to strike  the Amalekites and utterly destroy them and spare no one and no thing. (I am the first to confess that I do not fully understand such a directive, but I do know that God is good.  He is long-suffering and that fact is shown in that it had been a  couple of hundred years since Israel had come up from Egypt and  the Amalekites sought to fight and destroy Israel.)  The Amalekites are defeated.  BUT Saul and the people spare the king, the best of the animals, and all that is useful.  What they could not use or deem as worthless, they destroyed.  

Of course, God knows Saul's heart and reveals to Samuel what Saul has done.  The Lord's take, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands."  Samuel's response:  he cried out all night to the Lord in his distress for Saul's decisions.  Samuel goes to find Saul and repeats the directives of the Lord to Saul.  Saul's response was that he did follow through on the mission against the Amalekites, but brought back Amalek  to Gilgal, and the people took the best of the animals to sacrifice to the Lord.  (No reason given as to why he spared Amalek.)  Saul is repentant and is most concerned that Samuel stay with him to honor him before the elders of his people and Israel.  Samuel leaves Saul and does not see him again.  Samuel calls Saul's disobedience rebellion and insubordination.  Saul will continue on for years as king, but without the influence of Samuel to guide him. 

Samuel's words to Saul, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."  Obedience always brings blessings.  The blessings may not be immediate, but the Psalmist expresses my heart, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8  Whom would I rather delight?  The Lord God or me?  I have chosen me at times, and it has not been a pretty or happy sight!  #IHAVETHREESONS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh...
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress...
Read more

A DONKEY SPEAKS!

Image
    Numbers has been full of repetitive accounts of the Israelites and their disobedience.  They have now made several laps around Mt. Sinai, many of the original people have died off, or been killed for their arrogant and presumptuous actions against the LORD, Moses, and Aaron. The overriding truth of the accounts is the merciful grace of the LORD! Moses is in his last days of leadership.  The forty years are coming to an end and they are moving toward a second attempt to enter the Promise Land.  They have been victorious in taking land, and they are moving further into the interior of the land of Moab.  The king and the residents of Moab are "filled with dread because of the Israelites.  The king of Moab, Balak, sends messages to Balaam, who is a sorcerer and is able to to place curses or blessings on others.  King Balak wants to know how to defeat "this horde" that is licking up everything around them.  Of course, he is desirous th...
Read more