1 Samuel 15:27

1 Samuel 15:27 says, And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. When Samuel turned to leave Saul after telling him that the kingdom was going to be removed from him, Saul grabbed hold of him so tightly that he tore Samuel's garment.  We cannot physically force God to bless us by grabbing hold of His people today and demanding that they bless us.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.  Samuel used the tearing of his garment as a way to illustrate God's taking the kingdom away from Saul.  Just as Saul had torn his garment, God had torn the kingdom away from Saul and had given it to one who was better than him.  This did not mean physically better, but spiritually better.  We may be the best physically to do what God needs done, but if we are not the best spiritually, He will call someone who is.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.  Samuel told Saul that the Strength of Israel, God Himself, would not lie, so Saul could be certain that what Samuel was telling that God had revealed to him would certainly come to pass.   As God's word says, "Heaven and earth may pass away, but God's word is eternal."   Samuel also said God did not repent, because He had no reason to.  What He had decided about Saul and his kingship was nothing that needed Him to change His mind about.  God does not make mistakes that He later has to change His mind about, nor will He ever be guilty of anything He needs to repent for.  Verse thirty states, Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.  Saul at least acknowledged that he had sinned, but it was more of an attempt to get Samuel to stand before God for him than a genuine repentance I believe.  He also referred to God as Samuel's God and not as his God.  We cannot repent to a God Who is not our God.  Verse thirty-one adds, So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.  Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.  Matthew Henry says this may have been more to appease the people of Israel than out of a real concern for Saul.  I don't believe Samuel  compromised God's direction in order to do this though.  The new king, David, was not yet ready to assume the throne, and God had said He would give them a king, and He did not go back on His word.  When God tells us He will do something He will always do it, even if He is doing it to show us that we were wrong in what we asked for.  Verse thirty-two declares, Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.  Samuel sent for Agag, who was already supposed to have been killed, and Agag came to him meekly and said that surely the bitterness of death was past.  He was hoping to continue to be spared.  Sometimes those who have treated Christians the worst, if they find themselves in a bad situation, will call out to those same Christians for help, saying surely you don't still hold me responsible for my past actions.   Verse thirty-three adds, And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.  Samuel said that just as Agag and those who followed him had made women childless by the sword, likewise Samuel was going to make Agag's mother childless by the sword, and he cut Agag into pieces before the LORD.   Samuel did not attempt to hide what he was doing, but did so openly before the LORD, which I believe implied that he had God's blessing in doing so.  Anything that we as followers of Christ are doing today, we should be able to do it openly in front of God and His people,.  Verse thirty-four continues, Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.  After that, Samuel and Saul parted ways.  Samuel had anointed Saul and then had to tell him what God had said about the kingdom being taken from Saul, so there was little left to keep them together.  Sometimes, we may have to let certain people go from our life, because they are toxic to our relationship with God.  Of course,I believe that we should do this only after a lot of prayer asking God's guidance in the situation.   Verse thirty-five concludes, And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.. Samuel no longer came to Saul, but he continued to pray for him in sorrow.  Saul could have been a great king had he been faithful to God.  We may have to part company with someone for Godly reasons, but we should never stop praying for them.  We are told God repented of making Saul king, not because God had been wrong, but because Saul did not obey Him. If God calls us to a position today, if we fail, it won't be because God made a mistake in calling us,but because we failed to be obedient to His will for us.  God didn't call Saul for him to fail, but because He acknowledged Saul’s potential to be a good king.

1 Samuel 15:22

1 Samuel 15:22 says, And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.  We need to understand and live by this today.  As Samuel told Saul, what God wants from us as followers of Christ is our obedience to His word.  Any offering that we bring Him is already His.  Of course, having said this, being obedient to His word also means bringing Him our tithes and offerings, but not as an act of obligation, but of love and obedience.  Verse twenty-three adds, For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  Samuel added that rebellion against God’s word was as bad as witchcraft and stubbornness against obeying His word is as bad as iniquity and idolatry.  We may profess to put our faith in God, but if we at the same time resist doing as He commands or calls us to do, we need to heed this warning.  Samuel then told Saul, who had just recently been anointed king, that because of his attitude toward God, his rejecting His word, that God had rejected Saul as the king of Israel.   Verse twenty-four states, And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.  Saul again attempted to put the responsibility for his sin on his fear of the people he was king over.  He said because he feared them, he obeyed their voice.  As Christians, we can never allow our fear of anyone or anything in this world to keep us from being obedient to God’s word.  Verse twenty-five adds, Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.  Saul asked Samuel to forgive him and turn to him again so that he might worship the LORD, but we are not told that he confessed to God and turned to Him by faith.  No one in this world can restore our relationship to God but us.  I believe that Saul was more interested in continuing to be king than he was in following God, and some people today want God to bless what they are doing more than they want to be obedient to His word.  Verse twenty-five declares, And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.  Samuel refused to do as Saul asked, even though Saul was the appointed king of Israel, and therefore technically in a position of power over Samuel.  Samuel told Saul that since he had rejected God’s word, that God had rejected him as the king of Israel.  Of course, we know that there is but One King of God's people, and that is Jesus Christ, but God does call us to service in His kingdom as followers of Christ, and we need to obey His calling by faith, and we can never change His word because we are afraid of those around us. 

1 Samuel 15:10

1 Samuel 15:10 says,  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,  Verse eleven adds, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.  Saul may have been the king that the people of Israel demanded that Samuel appoint, and he may have been chosen by God, but God still spoke through Samuel.  Also, just because God chose Saul, it didn't mean that Saul chose God.  God has chosen to save everyone who will put their faith in Jesus Christ, but not everyone chooses to do so.  As followers of Christ, God has a purpose for us, but not everyone will choose to follow His purpose.  Samuel cried out to God all night because he was grieved by the situation.  How long has it been since we as the church today have called out to God all night because we are grieved by the state the world is in today?  Verse twelve continues, And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. When Samuel went o speak to Saul the next morning, he was told that Saul had set up a monument to his victory, not to God’s, and had gone to Gilgal in a triumphant display of his power.  We should never expect, or even want, people to honor us for what God has done.  Verse thirteen states, And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.  When Samuel came to Saul, Saul was bragging about what he had done, instead of repenting for his sin in attempting to take on the duties of a priest.  We still have people today who want to take the glory of what God has done for themselves.  Verse fourteen adds, And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?  Samuel then asked Saul if he had kept the commandment of the LORD, then why did he hear sheep bleating and oxen lowing, since God’s commandment had been to destroy them all.  We cannot put material things in the way of our doing what God has called us to do.  Verse fifteen continues, And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.  Saul justified their actions by saying that they had saved the best of the sheep and oxen to offer as a sacrifice to God.  We can never justify disobeying God by saying we did so to honor Him.  Verse sixteen declares, Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.  Samuel then told Saul to stay and he would tell him what God had told him that night.  Ultimately, this is all we as Christians can do.  We can only tell people the truth of God if we are to be spiritually faithful.  Verse seventeen adds, And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?  Samuel reminded Saul that before he was anointed king of Israel  that in his own sight he was but a little person in Israel.  He was still humble at that time.  No matter our status in life, until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are but a little person, and after we accept Him, we should not become puffed up in our own importance.  Verse eighteen continues, And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.  Samuel then reminded Saul of what God had sent him to do with the Amalekites, and that was to utterly destroy them.  We cannot alter God's commandments to suit our purpose, even by partially keeping them.  Verse nineteen asks, Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?  Samuel then asked Saul, who was celebrating his victory, why he hadn't done as God had commed him to do.  We may have people who are professing to have done great things for God who are doing it for their own glory.  Verse twenty adds, And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.  Saul then tried to claim that he had done what God had said do, but that never included taking the king of the Amalekites prisoner.  All of them were to be totally destroyed.  We today cannot take credit nor expect to be rewarded for partially obeying God's commandments.  Verse twenty-one continues, But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.  Saul, the king, the leader of the people of Israel, then said it was the people who took of the best of the sheep and oxen to be used as sacrifices to God, Whom he again referred to as Samuel's God, and not his God.  We cannot pass the responsibility for obeying God's word off to others.  We are all individually responsible for keeping all of God's commandments if we are indeed one of His people. 

1 Samuel 15:1

1 Samuel 15:1 says, Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.  Samuel came to Saul, reminding him that God had sent Samuel to Saul to anoint him as king, and then calling on him to listen to the words of the LORD.  Though we aren't called to be kings, we are called to God, by His speaking to our heart directly and/or by someone He has sent witnessing to us, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we must listen to God's words as to how we should live our life.  Verse two adds, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Samuel said God remembered how the Amalekites had laid wait for Israel when they came up out of the land of Egypt.  We can also be certain that God knows when anyone, or any group of people, are attempting to harm those who are His followers today.  Verse three continues, Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.  Samuel told Saul that God said to go and utterly destroy Amalek, all the people and all their livestock.  I know that this may seem harsh and even cruel, but we need to remember that God sees things from an eternal perspective, and we can only see from a limited perspective.  Verse four states, And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.   Saul gathered the people, and there were two hundred thousand of them, plus ten thousand men of Judah.  This was quite a change from when shortly before Saul could only raise six hundred men to fight with him.  The other change was that this time Saul was acting under God's direction.  We may never gain an advantage over the world number wise as Christians, but the main thing that we need to ensure is that we are acting under God's leadership and power.  Verse five adds, And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.  When Saul got to the city of Amalek, he did not immediately enter it to destroy it, but laid wait in the valley.  Verse six continues, And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.  Saul gave the Kenites an opportunity to leave so that they wouldn't be destroyed with the Amalekites.  Matthew Henry says that Saul probably did this by the direction of God through Samuel.  The Kenites had not sought to destroy the Israelites while they were on their way to the Promised Land, but had actually been kind to them.  Through Saul, God granted them a chance to not be destroyed if they heeded his advice.  God gives everyone that same chance today, if they will only put their faith in Jesus Christ.  If we do accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we must spiritually separate ourselves from the rest of the world, though we are told that physically we must be amongst them.  The Kenites did as Saul instructed them to do, and were spared.  We must do what God tells us to do today, and that is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord if we are to be spared when the final judgment comes.  Verse seven declares, And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.  Saul then killed the Amalekites, from where they were all the way to Egypt.  Verse eight adds, And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. Saul and his forces utterly destroyed the Amalekites, except for Agag their king.  This was not in accordance with what God had told Saul to do.  If we as Christians are following God's commands today, we must obey it totally, and not stop short of what He has called us to do.  Verse nine continues, But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.  The people of Israel and Saul also deviated from God's command by keeping the best of the livestock and only destroying those which were vile and refuse.  They did not obey God's command, and as king, Saul should have ensured that they did.  We cannot allow anything to come between God and us, no matter how desirable it may look.

Happy Independence Day, and as we celebrate our independence as Americans, if we are to have true independence, it can only come from accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.  If you haven't,  I pray that you will do so today, so that you can know what true independence is all about.  Once you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are freed from the power of sin and death, which is real independence 

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1 Samuel 14:47

1 Samuel 14:47 says, So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.  Saul began to establish himself as a powerful king, defending Israel against their enemies all around them.  Still, this was what God had always done for them, so a king was really unnecessary.  We as followers of Christ need to learn to rely on Him totally, and not on earthly rulers, and we have direct access to God and need no one to stand between God and us.  Verse forty-eight adds, And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.  Saul gathered a host, or army, and delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Amalekites.  Saul was successful in defending Israel, but that still didn't mean that Israel having a king was God's plan.  We may be successful as Christians today, but if we are acting outside of God's word and leadership, it is a temporary success.  Verse forty-nine states, Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:  We are then given the names of Saul's sons and daughters, though Jonathan is the one we hear the most about.  As descendants of the king, they might have expected to be the heirs of the kingdom, but that was not God's plan.  As I have said before, simply being the child of a preacher or teacher in the church today does not make that person a preacher or teacher.  Only a call from God does.  Verse fifty adds, And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.  Then, we are given the name of Saul's wife and the captain of his army, who was his first cousin.  I don't know if Abner was chosen for that reason or not, but we cannot use nepotism to choose our leaders in the church today.  Verse fifty-one continues, And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.  This is simply more details about Saul's family.  Verse fifty-two concludes, And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.  Israel was at war with the Philistines all during Saul's reign as king, and anytime Saul saw a strong or valiant man in Israel, he took him into his army, as Samuel had told the people would happen.   We as Christians will be at war withevil in the world as long as we live, and we need to be united in following God's will for each of us individually.  We cannot all be expecting to do the same thing, but are 7nited in purpose while serving in different roles in God's kingdom. 

1 Samuel 14:36

1 Samuel 14:36 says, And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.  Saul decided to go into the camp of the Philistines at night and kill all of them.  The people of Israel said to Saul that they would do as he said, eqven though they were tired and needed rest themselves.  Some leaders today have very little concern for the people they are ove, but look only to what is good for themselves.  The priest said the should draw nigh to, or ask God what they should do first, and so should we today in every situation.  Verse thirty-seven adds, And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.  Saul did then ask counsel of God, asking if he should go down after the Philistines, but God did not answer him that day.  We may not get an immediate answer from God at all times, especially if we have gotten ourselves into a situation without consulting Him first.  Verse thirty-eight states,  And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.  Since God did not answer, Saul called the people together to find out what might be causing God to not answer.  If God doesn't seem to be answering our prayers, we may need to see if there is some sin in our life that is standing between Him and us.  Of course,  I believe that God always hears and answers our sincere prayers, but we often do not recognize the answer.  Verse thirty-nine adds, For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.  Saul then said that as the LORD liveth, if the problem was created even by Johathan, his son, that he would surely die.  Though the people knew what Jonathan had done, they did not tell Saul.  Of course, the problem was really of Saul’s own creation by denying the people the right to eat while they were fighting the Philistines.  Verse forty adds, Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.  Saul then separated Jonathan and himself from the rest of the people of Israel and again the people told him to do what seemed right.  Sometimes, we may guiltily of telling leaders, religious or secular, to do what seems right, instead of telling them to do what God says is right.  Verse forty-one says, Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.  At least Saul then left the decision up to God by asking that He give a perfect lot, which would choose between the people and Jonathan and himself as the source of the problem.  I believe that if we feel  that there is a problem in the church today that we should always be willing to consider that we are possibly the problem and not just look for someone else to blame.  The lot fell on Jonathan and Saul, so the people escaped.  Verse forty-two adds, And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Saul then asked that the lot then be cast between Jonathan and himself, and the lot fell on Jonathan.  Of course, the situation arose because of an ill advised decree from Saul, and sometimes our problems may occur because of ill advised decisions on our part.  Saul’s decree had nothing to do with obeying God's commandments and was made without consulting God.  Verse forty-three continues, Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.  Saul asked Jonathan what he had done, and he told him.  He took responsibility for his actions, telling Saul that he had tasted a little of the honey, and even though he did not know of Saul's decree, acknowledged that he would die for his actions.  Verse forty-four states, And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.  Saul did not seek God's guidance about how to handle the situation, but instead vowed to God that he should die if he did not kill Jonathan for his action.  We may make bold statements about our willingness to die if we do not do some particular thing that we have vowed to God to do, without first seeking His will before we even make the vow. Verse forty-five adds, And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.  The people of Israel came to Jonathan's defense, pointing out that he had been responsibly for their victory over the Philistines acting under God's direction.  Jonathan did not die, even though Saul, his father and their king, was ready to kill him simply because he had innocently disobeyed Saul’s decree.  Again, this wasn't about Jonathan being disobedient to God, but only about his being disobedient to Saul’s decree which he knew nothing about.  We can sometimes get caught up in legalism in the church, being ready to condemn people for things that may not be in God's will to start with.  Verse forty-six continues, Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.  At this point, Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and they went to their own place.   Again, Saul did not consult God about this decision.  We should never make decisions as Christians without first consulting God.