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Samuel also said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel... Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" (1 Samuel 15:1–3)

A king who forgot whose kingdom it really was—and the high cost of partial obedience.

The Lord's Prayer and God's Sovereignty

How many of you grew up in Sunday school and church? If I asked you to recite the Lord's Prayer, you'd say, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done." Notice it's Thy kingdom, not my kingdom. That small difference isn't such a small difference.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began by recognizing the sovereignty of who God is. When we say "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we are recognizing that God is the one who reigns, the one who is sovereign. Tonight we're going to look at a passage about a king who forgot that.

The Old Testament Is for Our Admonition

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10 that the things in the Old Testament were written for our examples, so that we would not lust after the things they lusted after, and for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come. These things apply very much to a Christian.

I've met many believers who feel the Old Testament isn't so profitable. But hasn't it been wonderful going through the prophets to see how much they apply to us today? There's no part of God's Word that's there by mistake. Every part is for our learning. You've heard the expression: those who forget history are destined to repeat it. Much of the Bible is written so we won't make the same mistakes as those in times past.

Who Was King Saul?

By design, Israel was God's nation, His special possession. He led the people out of Egypt through Moses, brought them through the wilderness, and led them by prophets and then judges. We call that period the theocracy of Israel, because God reigned. Samuel, who wrote this book, was the last of the judges.

But Israel became envious of the surrounding nations and cried out, "We want a king, too, just like the others." They forgot what a privilege it was to be ruled by the Lord. The one God chose was King Saul.

When Samuel first anointed him in chapter 10, he said, "Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?" Notice—not "king over the people," but "commander over His people." From the beginning, Saul was reminded that yes, he was king and a political figure, but he was still to lead the people as God led him. He was a godly leader, a general; God was still the King, the sovereign.

The Command to Heed

Samuel gives Saul a charge: "Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord." This is a call to heed—not merely to listen, but carefully to pay attention and follow. The message follows: "I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way."

Amalek was a long-standing enemy of Israel, a descendant of Esau (Genesis 36). You can read of their battles with Israel back in the time of Moses (Exodus 17; Deuteronomy 25). They tried to hinder Israel from entering the promised land, attacking unfairly—ambushing the rear, attacking the weak, those left behind. God held it personally against them.

Why? God promised Abraham in Genesis 12, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you." Amalek fell into that second category. In fighting Israel, they were really fighting against God. Also, God allowed the fullness of the sin of Canaan and the surrounding nations to fill up so they would be ripe for judgment. As we'll see, Amalek represents sin.

So God commands Saul: "Go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have." Saul was to be God's instrument—the sword in His hand—an instrument of righteousness, justice, and mercy. The Hebrew word for "utterly destroy" can be translated the ban or dedicated; it means all the spoil is given to God, dedicated to destruction in His honor, much like Jericho.

This seems harsh—men, women, infants, nursing children, livestock all destroyed. But remember, they represent sin. Shouldn't we deal severely with sin? How much grief in our lives comes when we tolerate sin and say, "Just a little bit is okay"? No—it needs to be wiped out completely.

Saul's Plan to Be the Head

There was a call to heed God; but then Saul makes a plan to be the head. Saul lost perspective that God was his head. He started out humble and meek, but it didn't take long until his pride began building.

In verse 4, Saul gathers 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah and lies in wait. So far, so good. He even spares the Kenites, who had been friendly to Israel—remember, "I will bless those who bless you." (Moses' father-in-law is called a Kenite in Judges.) Up to this point, Saul is obedient.

But then verse 9: they spared Agag the king of Amalek alive, along with the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, and the lambs. They captured the king alive. God's instruction was clear: utterly destroy all, don't spare. Yet Saul took Agag alive—a common practice of his day to humiliate a defeated nation and elevate his own reputation. He's posturing: "Look how much more powerful I am than this king."

And it wasn't only Agag. They kept the best of the livestock. Could this be the lust of the eyes, similar to what Achan experienced at Jericho—seeing the silver and saying, "I've got to have it"? Saul was supposed to lead his people in obedience, but he led them in disobedience.

Notice the irony: "everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed." God asked for the best—indeed, for all—and they gave Him the leftovers. That's a whole sermon in itself, but that's what's happening here. Instead of leading by example in obedience, Saul gave God the leftovers and hung on to the best.

Saul's Attempt to Hide

There was a call to heed, then a plan to be the head; now Saul attempts to hide. The word of the Lord came to Samuel: "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments."

Imagine what Samuel felt. He was the last of the judges, dedicated to the Lord from childhood, raised in the tabernacle alongside Eli and his ungodly sons Hophni and Phinehas. Samuel grew up longing for Israel to follow the Lord. He warned the people what a king would do—he would tax you, take the best of your sons and horses. Yet when Samuel grieved, God comforted him: "They have not rejected you, but Me."

Now here is Saul, a head taller than everyone, zealous in the beginning—but his zeal became misplaced. As he got it in his head that he was king of the nation, he began viewing the nation as his own instead of God's. Samuel's heart must have broken to see the same mistakes repeated all over again—this time by the very king they had asked for.

Don't think this means God changes His mind. Verse 29 makes it clear: "The Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent." God is immutable, unchanging. When Scripture says God "regretted," it gives God human characteristics we can relate to. God was grieved over Saul's disobedience and changed the course laid out for him. God had promised that if Saul obeyed, his kingdom would be prolonged—but Saul did not obey.

A Monument for Himself

When Samuel rose to meet Saul, he was told that Saul went to Carmel and "set up a monument for himself," then went down to Gilgal. Not an altar to the Lord—a monument for himself. The battle was supposed to be for the glory of the Lord, but Saul twisted it for his own glory. "My kingdom come, my will be done. It's going to be for me."

This wasn't the first time. Back in chapter 13, at Gilgal, Saul grew impatient waiting for Samuel and offered the burnt offering himself—something reserved only for the priests, and Saul wasn't even of the tribe of Levi but of Benjamin. Samuel told him then, "You have done foolishly... now your kingdom shall not continue." So chapter 15 is the second major time Saul is told he is in serious trouble for refusing to submit and obey.

"I Have Performed the Commandment"

When Samuel comes, Saul greets him: "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord." If that's not a bold-faced lie, I don't know what is. But Samuel asks, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Who are you kidding, King Saul?

Saul justifies himself: "They have brought them... for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God." He blame-shifts. He wants to claim the good and disown the bad. He's not fooling anybody. So Samuel says, in effect, "Be quiet, Saul—let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night."

Here's a key contrast: Saul, the king, feared the people; Samuel, the prophet, didn't even fear the king—he feared God. That's why Samuel dared to speak the truth.

Partial Obedience Is Disobedience

By his own admission, the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen. Remember this: partial obedience is disobedience. God requires 100% obedience. The law says if we're guilty of breaking one law, we're guilty of breaking them all. Imagine speeding down the freeway at 95 and telling the officer, "But I paid my taxes!" Does he care? You broke the law. Partial obedience won't make it.

Samuel reminds Saul: "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king?" God called him when he was insignificant—His commander, under the Lord of hosts, the Lord of the heavenly army, not just the earthly one. "Now the Lord sent you on a mission... Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites."

Symbolically, the Amalekites are sin, and God wants to deal with sin completely. Hebrews tells us to lay aside the weight and the besetting sin that so easily ensnares us. We're told not to cast out demons but to put off the old man, the flesh. James says, "Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." As we submit and set these things aside, we won't be hindered in following the Lord.

Delayed Obedience Is Also Disobedience

Saul insists, "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord... and brought back Agag king of Amalek." This is doublespeak. Did God order him to bring back the king? No. By that very statement Saul admits he didn't follow orders. Then again he blame-shifts: "But the people took of the plunder... to sacrifice to the Lord your God."

Notice the excuse: we kept the best so we could sacrifice it later. We learned that partial obedience is disobedience; here we learn that delayed obedience is also disobedience. When we say, "God, I'll follow You next year, I'll do this next time," what about now? Especially with sin God has revealed, all the time we put it off, we continue in it. God won't let Saul get by with it.

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

Then comes the judgment: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

Much of the Old Covenant involved appeasing God with sacrifices and offering worship. But God says it's not merely the outward things He's looking for—Scripture tells us God looks at the heart. Is it outward religious actions that matter? I say this in love and grief: hell is going to be filled with religious people. It's a sad thing to think we can go through religious motions and somehow please God.

That was never even the purpose of the law. The law was given so Israel would realize they need a Savior, that they can't do it themselves. The law was meant to condemn, to convict, so they would cry out to the Lord, and the sacrifices were a picture of what would come. God is looking for obedience. The non-believer can't obey—he's a slave of sin. But once we give our life to Christ, God calls us to obedience.

Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." When the religious leaders asked what works they must do, Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe on the one whom the Father sent." Hebrews says without faith it is impossible to please God. And as we saw in James, practical faith shows by real action. The obedience comes out of a response of love—"We love Him because He first loved us."

Hosea 6:6 says, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." And David, after his sin with Bathsheba, prayed in Psalm 51: "You do not desire sacrifice... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise." Contrast that with Saul. Do you see any contrition, any repentance in him? What comes out is a man building his own kingdom, making excuses, justifying his sin, and blame-shifting—all while being disobedient.

Rebellion Is as Witchcraft

Verse 23 is very challenging: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." Sometimes we categorize sins as big or little. In God's eyes, sin is sin.

How many of you would consider joining the occult after church—going off to a coven and offering a sacrifice? I pray you wouldn't. But God says that when we are rebellious, from His perspective it's the same thing. The rebellion here is disobedience. God called Saul His commander, and in the heat of battle Saul disobeyed a direct order from the King.

What would happen if a general today disobeyed a direct order from the president in the heat of battle? It happened in American history—General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman. It can't be tolerated. All sin is rebellion against God. When David was confronted by Nathan, he said, "Against You, You only, have I sinned." All sin is first against God.

Where was the root of the very first sin? It was pride, which rose up a rebellious spirit in Adam and Eve. God said, "Don't eat of this one tree," and they ate. The root problem is rebellion. So God says rebellion is as witchcraft. If you think you're better than someone who practices witchcraft—wait, wait. If you're rebellious, that's a serious thing.

And "stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." Any of you stubborn? Other words for it are insubordination and presumption. "I'll do it my way"—that was the favorite karaoke song in the Philippines, "I Did It My Way." But don't we say that to God? "Yes, Lord, but..." As Pastor Richard once said, sometimes we have to get our big "buts" out of the way. Either He is Lord or He's not. He can't be kind of Lord. He's either Lord of all or not Lord at all.

Pride Can Creep In

When we fight against God, who loses? We do, every time. We might be self-deluded like Saul: "I'm pretty good. I've walked with the Lord a long time. I read my Bible all the time." This same pride can creep into a Christian. Knowledge puffs up. We can develop hearts of arrogance that say, "I know how to play the game"—all while playing this game of partial obedience.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6 that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; you are not your own, for you were bought at a price. In chapter 7 he says, "He who is called while free is Christ's slave." Paul began most of his letters as "a bondservant"—even the mighty apostle. If we start thinking we are something, take heed when we think we stand, lest we fall.

I once read a saying in Pastor Mark's office: "Prayerlessness is the greatest indicator of pride." Are we seeking the Lord, or do we think we can handle it ourselves? When God gives instruction in His Word, it's not for head knowledge—it's to hear from Him. When we hear He wants us to change something, how do we respond? If we pick and choose how we obey, we might as well tear out the parts we don't like. But God gives us His whole counsel so we might know who He is and how to follow Him.

God's Judgment on Saul

"Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." Sin always has consequences, even for a Christian. Sin grieves God's heart—that's the number one reason it matters. All those "thou shalt nots" weren't given because God doesn't love us; they were given because He does. You tell your child not to play with the electrical outlet not because you dislike them, but because you don't want them hurt. God's Word is partly given as a caution against stumbling.

Saul was warned several times but didn't heed. So God told him his kingdom was done; it would go to David. And even then, Saul wouldn't accept it—he tried to murder David, the Lord's anointed, so he could hold onto his kingdom. We can't fight against God or outsmart Him.

Jesus said we must worship God in spirit and truth. We can't do it our own way. Adam tried religion his way—a fig leaf to cover sin, not a good solution. Men built the tower of Babel to reach God their own way. That's false religion: any attempt to get to God on our own terms. It must be His way. And the first thing Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount was, "Blessed are the poor in spirit"—those who recognize they're spiritually bankrupt, who come and obey and sit at His feet.

Saul Lost Position and Privilege

Saul didn't lose his life here, but he lost position and privilege. Even the apostle Paul was concerned about being disqualified. In 1 Corinthians 9 he wrote, "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." I don't believe that's about losing salvation, but Paul recognized it was a privilege and a grace to be an apostle. Much of his talk about grace concerns the privilege of serving, preaching, and reaching the Gentiles.

Why doesn't God rapture us to heaven the moment we're saved? Because He gave us a command—"Go and make disciples... teaching them to obey all that I commanded." How can we teach it if we don't live it? Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us we're saved by grace through faith, but verse 10 gives us our purpose: "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." The emphasis is that we are His workmanship. God has a purpose for you, and He calls us to obey, just as He called Saul.

As Hebrews reminds us from the Psalms: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." I believe God forgave Saul's actions, but the consequences stood; the kingdom was taken and given to David.

Total Obedience

Even at the end, the work was undone. Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord at Gilgal. Samuel was zealous to honor exactly what God commanded. It was a statement: this is God's severe judgment on sin. God requires total obedience.

So here's a serious question: who's on the throne of your life—you or God? Who's really in control? Here's a test: if Jesus truly is Lord, what are we giving up to serve Him? If He's truly Lord, there will be something we do that's beyond ourselves. If we only live for ourselves, how can we say we're following Him?

When God bids us follow, will we obey? "I'll follow when it's convenient" is delayed obedience—the same as disobedience. "I'll follow, Lord, but let me give You some conditions." When people gave Jesus conditions—"Let me first bury my father"—He said, "Let the dead bury their own dead. You come follow Me." Jesus wouldn't put up with the excuse. That's God's heart: complete obedience, total surrender, total submission.

Count the Cost

Jesus said in Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." How many want to be a disciple? The condition is denying ourselves, putting Him first, living not for our own pleasure but for His.

I'm concerned about the brand of Christianity popularized today—"Come to Jesus and you'll be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous." Who is that centered on? Scripture shows that's not who God is. Following Him costs. Jesus told us to count the cost—the Christian life is a life of suffering, sacrifice, submission, a life as a bondservant.

In Luke, Jesus gives a parable: when a laborer comes in from the field, does the master thank him for doing his duty? No—it's simply expected. We as bondservants are expected to follow His commands. That's not too much to ask. We were bought at a price; we're not our own. We are to glorify God with our bodies.

Both things need to take place in our lives—offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, voluntarily pouring out our lives to God, and also responding when God confronts us with the truth of His Word. We say, "Yes, Lord. Here am I, Your servant. I will follow You."

Closing Prayer

Lord, I pray that You would give us boldness, that You would pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us and enable us to follow You. Lord, help us not to try to justify ourselves. Help us not to put off obedience or to say, "Yes, I'll partially follow You." Lord, help us to totally surrender to Your sovereignty.

Lord, I pray for that spirit David declared—a broken and a contrite heart, an admission that, just as Paul said, we desire to do the right thing but so often don't. We recognize, God, that there is no condemnation in Christ, but still You call us to follow. We pray that You would help us make a fresh commitment to follow You, that we might have a victorious life—not trying to do everything ourselves, but simply listening to Your voice and obeying the things You command. Help us to listen to You, Lord, and make in our hearts the desire to follow You. These things I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.