“Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not”(1 Samuel 15:3a KJV)
was the command given to Saul.
Then The LORD told Samuel: “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.” 1 Samuel 15:11 KJV
“And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 15:13 KJV
And Samuel calls Saul on it!
“Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?” 1 Samuel 15:19 KJV
Then Saul argues; justifies his actions and blames others: “And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:20-21 KJV
Isn't that what we do? Instead of obeying God's commandments we justify our disobedience to ourselves and expect Him to understand; "We did it for Him!"
“But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” 1 Samuel 15:9 KJV
We are called to separate ourselves from the world; we are commanded to not love the things of the world, but yet we have taken the things of the world that we love and incorporated them into the church! ("all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them.")
One example that comes to mind is our music. Any given Christian concert looks just like a secular concert! Take away the words of any song and it is indistinguishable from any secular song. And the same "worship" is done in our churches every week.
Indistinguishable is not separated!
Our justification? “It's for The LORD!”
Obedience is on our terms!
“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 KJV
We, today, don't know what sacrifice is "because Jesus did it all!" We go about like Saul, prideful; cutting corners and making excuses! Our rebellion runs deep. We have missed it, just like Saul! We do what we want, never mind what He requires!
Do not think this is about the music; it's about the heart!
The sacrifice of our will in submission to His Commands is the only true worship He desires!
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 KJV
Rebellion is not a little thing!
It is actually everything!
Repent of your stubborn rebellion and obey The Word of The LORD, while there is still time!
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV
The consequences of disobedience we face -
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”Matthew 7:23 KJV
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalms 51:17 KJV
Repent while there is time.
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 8/18/16
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