Responding to Sin

Today we are going to look at two different men in the Bible in which God worked through.  One, God rejected and the other one God loved.  We begin our study today in I Samuel 13 where Samuel, a prophet of God, rebuked Saul, king of Israel.  It says in I Samuel 13:13 & 14 “You have acted foolishly, Samuel said, “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. (14) But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 

As we read further we find out whom that appointed one is in I Samuel 16.  The Lord sent Samuel to the house of Jesse where one of his sons would be anointed king of Israel.  Seven of the sons of Jesse passed before Samuel but none of them were to be anointed.  I really like verses 6 and 7, “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord. (7) But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider the appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”  How many times do we look at the outward appearance of ourselves or others and think that God has not appointed us or others to do His work.  God doesn’t look at us in that way; He gets down deep in our soul and looks at our heart.  His knows our intentions and He knows who we really are.  I believe He knows us better than we know ourselves; this is evident through what He asks of people.  Look at Moses, he didn’t think he could lead the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt but God knew He could do it.  There are many other examples in the Bible where God used those that we would have never thought of, maybe we will have to take a look at more of them but now let’s get back to the anointed one.  In verses 12 and 13 of I Samuel 16 we find out who the anointed one is.  (12) “So he went and had him brought in.  He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.  Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” (13) So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power, Samuel then went to Ramah.” 

The question of the day is, why did God reject Saul and anoint David?  Saul made a mistake but David did too just as we do.  Let’s look at little more into the attitude of Saul, let’s take a look at his heart.  If you look back in I Samuel 15: 1-3 “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 everything that belongs to them.  Do not spare them, put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”  That sounds very harsh doesn’t it?  We talked about the love of God but here we see that everything is to be destroyed.  Why do you think God commanded this?  Remember the vengeance that we want to take, God has now taken it upon the people who hurt His people. Any remnant of their existence could cause them to attack again.  Saul doesn’t do exactly what God has asked him to do.  He and his men took it upon themselves to keep back the best animals to sacrifice to the Lord and they captured the king of the Amalekites. He did not do as he was told to do and because of that Samuel had to tell Saul that God was going to take the power from him.  Saul doesn’t confess though, as seen in  I Samuel 15:20-21  “‘But I did obey the Lord,’ Saul said, ‘I went on the mission the Lord assigned me, 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 Gigal.’”  Now, those verses take me back to the Garden when Adam was confronted for eating the forbidden fruit.  Blame went to someone else with no confession of wrongdoing.    

Now look at verse 22 “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”  Now if you look at verse 30 Saul finally admits that he has sinned but let’s look at what he says, (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.’”   Samuel confessed but still it was about him not God.  He wanted to be honored and take a special note of who he wanted to worship, your God.  Saul didn’t say, so I can worship my God but rather said “your God”.  Where is a personal relationship with God in that?

In contrast if you look at David when Nathan confronted him about his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, in Psalm 51, David speaks to God and this is what he says.  Psalm 51:1-2 “‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. (2)Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’”  David recognized sin for what it was, he did not blame others for the sin but all the blame was upon him.  He goes on, (3)”For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  (4)Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak.’” He recognizes that God is always right and that His words are perfect.  He knows what God has said and he recognizes that he strayed from that law and that God’s judgment is fair and deserved.  Now look in verse 10, as David makes a request to the Lord, “’Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  (11) Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  (12) Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (13) Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you.’”  David recognized where his power came from.  It was not from his looks or his title, it was from God.  He recognized life was not about power but about teaching others about God.  He also recognized that God does not care about the many sacrifices that we may give, like Saul had sacrifices for God,  He says in verse 12 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”   All the sacrifices we make in this life are nothing if we do not humble ourselves to Him, know to whom we have sinned against, recognize the power is from Him and truly repent of our sin.  He doesn’t want excuses or for us to play the blame game, He wants us to draw near to Him.  I have to wonder what it would have been like if Adam and Eve would have had that attitude in the Garden.  Where is your heart today?  Is it a heart after God’s own heart or is it a heart that is looking after itself?  If it is the latter, go to Him with a broken spirit and confess and then you can say as the Psalmist said in Psalm 66:18-20  (16) “’Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. (17) I cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise was on my tongue.  (18) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would have not listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. (20)Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!’”

As you seek Him, find Him with a pure heart, purified through Him who loved us enough to send His son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila