Bryant Hewitt Message from 1 Samuel 15:1-28. Rebellion of Ruin

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1-28 1 Samuel 15 New International Version (NIV) The Lord Rejects Saul as King 15 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” 4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. 7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. 10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” 16 “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17 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. 18 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.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” 20 “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.” 22 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.” 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” 30 Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him in chains.[c] And he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel I. Introduction: God has our best interests in mind. His commands are for our benefit, not to keep us from enjoying life. Disobeying the Lord usually makes our lives more difficult and complicated. Only when we are submitted to Him can we be assured of the full measure of His blessing. II. The Nature of Rebellion A. Definition: Rebellion is an act against established order and authority. It can be defiance against God’s will or resistance to leadership He has ordained. When we insist on doing things our way, we reveal our pride and selfishness. B. Biblical example: Saul, the first king of Israel, paid a price for his rebellion against God. The Lord wanted to punish the nation of Amalek for how they had treated the Israelites. He commanded Saul to destroy the nation completely—putting to death not just their army, but all the people and animals as well. However, Saul spared the king and the best of the livestock. III. God’s View of Rebellion A. Disobeying God is as serious as idolatry and witchcraft. Scripture says, “Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23). B. Rebellion isn’t limited to disregarding the Lord’s specific commands to us. It includes transgressing the moral guidelines given in His Word. They are designed to protect us in every area of our lives. C. God has ordained two primary types of authority. He is the ultimate authority (Matt. 28:18). However, the Lord delegates authority to governments, business leaders, parents, pastors, coaches, and other leaders. Otherwise, we would have anarchy. IV. We rebel against God by . . . A. Refusing to obey His calling. Instead, we should follow the specific instructions God gives us. B. Pursuing what He forbids. When we violate the commands of Scripture, we are in rebellion. For instance, a man should not seek an intimate relationship with someone else’s wife. C. Pursuing the right things, but in the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with wanting a promotion at work. But if we criticize and gossip about others in order to appear more competent, our actions become rebellion. D. Pursuing godly goals, but on our schedule. God has not only a correct way for us to pursue our objectives, but also a specific time. For instance, a 16-year-old may find a wonderful young man she wants to marry, but most teenagers aren’t ready for the life-long commitment of marriage. Before making any major decision, ask yourself, “What is the wisest thing to do?” Don’t make a move until you get a clear answer. Resist the temptation to compare your possessions with someone else’s. Instead, ask God what He wants you to have. When you surrender to the Lord Jesus, you will have life at its very best. V. The reasons for our rebellion include . . . A. Doubting the Word of God. At particular crossroads, disobedience to God can ruin our lives. He will forgive us but won’t always choose to eliminate the consequences. For instance, Eve’s life changed dramatically because she ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:17). B. Pride. Arrogant people demand their own way—and want it immediately. The Devil lies to us and says that unless we get something now, we will never have it. C. Bitterness and resentment. Some people rebel against God because they’ve been unable to let go of the past—they have an unforgiving spirit. D. Selfishness. Many people see biblical guidelines as restricting. But no one can live in defiance of God’s laws and have genuine peace. VI. The Results of Rebellion A. There are always consequences for rebelling against the Lord (Ps. 107:17-18). When the Israelites let fear prevent them from fighting for Canaan, God judged that generation and allowed them to die off in the wilderness. When Korah conspired against Moses, God caused the ground to open up and swallow the rebel and his family (Num. 16:1-40). King Saul paid a high price for his disobedience. Not only did the Spirit depart from him, but he also became mentally disturbed. Consumed with jealousy and bitterness, Saul spent his life chasing David. B. What happens in your life when you rebel against God? Immediately, fellowship with Him is broken. Genuine happiness, peace, and joy will disappear from your life. You will make foolish mistakes and as a result, you’ll start to doubt that the Father really loves and cares for you. Your physical well-being may suffer. People tend to make unhealthy decisions when they are living in disobedience to the Lord.