March 30

Judges 14:46-15:35

Saul is rejected as king.

"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. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

Saul had some qualities that made him a good king. In the first part of today's reading, we learn that Saul had successfully defeated many of Israel's enemies. He recruited many brave, strong fighters and battled Moab, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, and the Philistines.

Although Saul was successful in defending his people against those that once terrorized them, he made major mistakes that ended up costing him the throne. Saul's number one error was not taking God's commands seriously. In chapter 15, the Lord gave Saul specific instructions on dealing with the Amalekites. They were to be punished for their cruel treatment of Israel. God ordered Saul to leave no one alive, not even the animals. Unfortunately, Saul thought his ways were better than God's. He left the Amalekite king alive and he spared the best of the cattle and sheep. When Samuel confronted him with his disobedience, Saul claimed that he followed God's orders exactly. He tried to justify his actions by saying he left the animals alive in order to sacrifice them to God. But God was not pleased at all with Saul's gesture. God prefers obedience over sacrifice because it shows that the person's heart belongs to Him. (In the same way, God was displeased with Cain's sacrifices in Genesis because his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.)

God doesn't want us to simply go through the motions and He certainly doesn't want us making up our own rules and guidelines. In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Show God you love Him by following Him with your whole heart!