Pride and Repentance

Some thoughts from Wednesday night's Bible study:

In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel gave Saul specific instructions to wipe out the Amalekites because of their treatment of Israel in the wilderness. These people had been given centuries to turn from their idolatry to the living God and now God was using Saul and his army as instruments of judgment.

Samuel's instructions from God were to kill every person and every animal. There were to be no survivors.

However, Saul was not obedient. He spared the life of Agag, the king, and the best of the livestock. They got rid of the worthless stuff and kept the best.

The LORD told Samuel that He regretted making Saul king, because he has been disobedient. Samuel spent the night crying out to the LORD and met Saul in the morning.

Saul had erected a monument to himself, no doubt commemorating this great battle. When Samuel met him, the king said, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD" (v 13).

Did he? No. And he was about to be exposed.

Samuel's response, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"

Dramatic pause. Wait for it.  Here's the answer:

"The people saved the best of the livestock to offer as a sacrifice to the LORD your God."

Lame excuse with a religious twist.

Samuel interrupted the king's lie and reminded him that God had taken him from nothing and made him king. God had given him a command and he failed to obey.

Saul's response, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took..."

I did everything right. The people are to blame. Not me!

Samuel reprimands Saul for his disobedience. Obedience is greater than sacrifice. God will take the kingdom from him.

When the king realizes that he had lost everything, then he owns up to his sin. "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice."

Notice how he still put the blame on the people?

Saul asks for a pardon from Samuel and for him to accompany the king to worship. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was. To look like everything was in order.

Saul's pride kept him from repentance.

He lied about his sin. "I have been obedient."

He shifted the blame for his sin. "The people made me do it."

He tried to cover it up with religion. "Let's go back and worship."

But he never owned up to his sin against God.

A repentant person will do just the opposite.

He will speak the truth about his sin.  Labeling sin the same way that God does, as sin. Not a disease. Not a genetic weakness.

He will own up to his sin. It's a result of personal choices. Not because of my upbringing. Not because of my environment. Not because of my education. But because I chose to do what I did.

He will not cover up his sin with good works. No amount of good can outweigh an ounce of sin. Even one fleck of sin in my life will make my good works pointless.

The repentant person will confess his sin to God and cling to His grace and mercy found in forgiveness.