“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. ” 1 Samuel 15.12-16
Saul was in trouble, and he knew it. He could tell by the look in Samuel’s eyes. You know the look — the one you’d get as a kid when Mom or Dad walked into your room, and you just knew you were guilty. It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach because you know the consequences are coming.
Saul surely had the intuition to recognize he was in trouble. Not only had he disobeyed God by failing to completely destroy everything and everyone as commanded, but he had also set up a monument to himself (not to God) and apparently thrown himself a celebration party. The first words out of his mouth were not, “I’m sorry; I know I did the wrong thing.” Instead, he said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
Saul revealed his flawed character by making excuses for himself. Instead of obeying God, he decided he knew better and claimed he had spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord. Then he added, “But we totally destroyed the rest.” It’s almost absurd for him to say that! I’ve made excuses myself, and I’ve heard others do the same. Like Saul, we sometimes make excuses to hide our shame and disobedience. Samuel had to cut him off, saying, “Enough! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Thus, the downfall and disappointment of Saul continued.
But before we blame Saul and point fingers only at him, remember that the Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Isaiah 53:6 reminds us, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” It’s easy to look at the sins of others and forget our own failures.
Today, confess your sins before the Lord. Recommit your ways to Him and seek to follow Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Don’t allow sin to gain a foothold — place your faith in the Father this day.
“O Lord God, the lessons from Scripture are many. Thank You for allowing me to know You and walk in the way of Christ. Even when I falter, You remain faithful. Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness and for the power of Your grace. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen