Samuel and Saul
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he met thee by the way, and smote the hindermost of thee, even all
that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary. And
he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath
given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which
the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou
shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Thou
shalt not forget it.”
And yet Saul had ventured to disobey God, and reserve that which
he had cursed, and appointed unto death, to offer before God as a
sacrifice for sin.
Samuel presented before Saul his wicked course, and then inquired,
“Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in
obeying the voice of the Lord?” It would have been better had he
obeyed God, than to make such provisions for sacrifices and offerings
for their sins of disobedience.
God did not have as great delight in their shedding the blood of
beasts as in obedience to his commandments. The offerings were
divinely appointed to remind sinful man that sin brought death, and
that the blood of the innocent beast could atone for the guilt of the
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transgressor, by virtue of the great sacrifice yet to be offered. God
required of his people obedience rather than sacrifice. All the riches
of the earth were his. The cattle upon a thousand hills belonged to
him. He did not require the spoil of a corrupt people, upon whom his
curse rested, even to their utter extinction, to be presented to him to
prefigure the holy Saviour, as a lamb without blemish.
Samuel informed Saul that his rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft.
That is, when one commenced to travel in the path of rebellion, he
yields himself to be controlled by an influence that is in opposition
to the will of God. Satan controls the rebellious mind. Those who
are thus controlled lose a calm trust in God, and have less and less
disposition to yield loving obedience to his will. Satan becomes more
and more familiar with them, until they seem to have no power to
cease to rebel. In this respect, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
Saul’s stubbornness in persisting before Samuel that he had obeyed
God, was as iniquity and idolatry. His love to carry out his own will
was more desirable to him than to obtain the favor of God, or the
approbation of a clear conscience. And when his sin was opened
clearly before him, and his wrong definitely pointed out, his pride of