Rejection
This week we are studying 1 Samuel 16:1-13. This is the passage where Samuel anoints David as the next king over Israel – while Saul is still very much on the throne.
The first verse is as follows:
1The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go.
There is so much in that verse! First, there is the question – how long will you grieve, since I have rejected him. Samuel was sitting in Ramah, apparently with a great amount of grief and dispair. Last week we saw that Israel told Samuel they wanted a king – having judges and prophets was no longer enough for them. After all, the other countries around them all had kings, why not them? (such a human trait, no? Wanting to have whatever those around us have.)
So Samuel is rejected by Israel, although it was really God that was rejected. Saul is chosen by God to be king over Israel, and anointed by Samuel. At first Saul does great. He is humble and contrite of heart. He is scared of the responsibility. He doesn’t think he qualifies for the job.
Apparently that changed.
Over time Saul grew into the status and enjoyed being King. He took credit for things others did. He decided to take Samuel’s position and offer a sacrifice to God before the Israelites. Don’t misunderstand – he did good things too. He waged a war against the Philistines and drove them out of Israelite land, temporarily.
But then he chose to disobey God.
God sent him to wipe out the Amalekites. Why? Because of the way they treated the children of Israel while they were escaping from Egypt. Because they were tormenting the small town on the outskirts of Israel. Because they were the cause of God’s children crying out to Him.
Saul was told to keep nothing and to destroy everything.
But he didn’t.
Instead, Saul and the Israelite army chose to keep the best of the livestock. He chose to bring Agag, the king of the Amalekites back with him… alive. And he had turned his back on God.
How do we know this? How do we know that he turned away from God?
“…for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” – 1 Samuel 15:15b
“But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” – 1 Samuel 15:21
“Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God.” – 1 Samuel 15:30
What is the phrase that is repeated over and over in these verses?
The Lord your God.
Not the Lord my God, but your God.
Not good, Saul. Not good at all.
God had make him king over Israel – king over God’s chosen people – and he rejected God. What he failed to realize was that God had placed him there… and God could remove him as well.
And God could choose someone else to be king over Israel. Another family to begin a dynasty.
Which He did:
“And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” – 1 Samuel 15:26
And that catches us up to verse 1 of 1 Samuel 16…
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