King Saul’s Rejection of Authority

By: Richard Kirkland

Introduction:

A.  Long ago, during the time when Israel was ruled by Judges, Samuel appointed his two sons, Abiah and Joel, to judge over Israel.  “But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.  Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.  Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations’” (1 Sam. 8:3-5).  Even though God did not approve of their request, He nevertheless allowed them to have the king they desired (v. 7-9).

B.  Saul, the son of Kish, was selected to be the first king over Israel (1 Sam. 9:17) and he appeared to be an excellent choice.  He was a man of above average stature, he was humble and he had the potential to be an excellent leader of great character and integrity.  Saul was so humble at the beginning that he even hid himself among the people when he learned he had been chosen as king (10:22). 

C.  But his humility was soon to be replaced by arrogance and pride and brazen rebellion against the authority of God. Because he did not properly respect the authority and rule of God, in time, God rejected Saul as king and appointed David, a man after His own heart, to be Saul’s successor.

D.  The sad story of King Saul’s departure from God and subsequent rejection is one that continues to live in our hearts because it is a reminder to each of us not to follow in his wayward steps. 

E.  Today we want to look at some very important lessons that we learn from King Saul’s rejection of authority. 

I.  KING SAUL’S FAILURE.

     A.  King Saul first demonstrated a lack of respect for the authority of God by his disobedience at Gilgal (1 Sam. 13:1-15).

            1.  Saul had been king for two years when he desired to show his military strength by warring against the Philistines, one of the arch-enemies of Israel.  He began by winning a small victory at Geba.  But then the Philistines began to threaten Israel with a mighty host of soldiers and the Israelites were shut-in without a way of escape and they were distressed and began to hide themselves and to be scattered.

            2.  Saul, in the meantime, was waiting for Samuel, the priest to come and offer a sacrifice for the people and to strengthen their hearts.  But after seven days, Samuel still had not come.  So Saul took it upon himself to do what only the priest was authorized to do and he offered a sacrifice for himself and the people (v.9).

3.  But Saul was not a priest, nor even a Levite (the priestly tribe), and had no authority from  God to make such an offering.

4.  A great opportunity was missed. If Saul had been faithful to God and honored His word, God would have established Saul’s kingdom and blessed the people, but Saul’s foolish action resulted in his rejection instead.  “And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly.  You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you.  For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  But now your kingdom shall not continue.  The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD  has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you” (1 Sam. 13:13-14).

        B.  Saul’s second, and more obvious, rejection of God’s authority was witnessed at Amalek (1 Sam. 15:1-24).

                  1.   God gave Saul clear and definite instructions and sent him on a mission against Amalek.  God told Saul, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them.  But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (v.3).

                  2.   Saul went where God told Him to go and he began to do what God told him to do--but he didn’t fully obey the Lord.  “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them.  But everything despised and worthless, they utterly destroyed” (1 Sam. 15:9).

                  3.   Saul disobeyed God. 

a.  Partial obedience is not obedience at all.  Saul’s partial obedience was reckoned as disobedience His disobedience was and indication of rebellion and rejection of the authority of God. 

b.  His disobedience to the particulars of God’s instruction nullified everything else that he did under God’s direction.  Saul might as well have slain none of the people and destroyed none of the property.  In fact, he might as well have not gone down to Amalek at all!

C.  The sad story of King Saul’s rejection of the authority of God and the subsequent consequences of his failure provide some important and practical lessons for us.

I.  WE MUST RESPECT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD.

A.    This was Saul’s first and greatest failure.  He failed to respect the authority of God to command and instruct him.  God’s instructions were contained first in the Law of Moses and then in words of the divinely inspired prophet, Samuel.  In the first instance, Saul rejection the written law regarding the priesthood.  In the second instance, Saul rejected the instructions of God given through the prophet.

     B.  Today God does not communicate His will to us directly from heaven in visions, dreams and inspired revelations.  He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). 

1.   “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.  For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb. 2-1-4).

2.  “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.  For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven” (Heb. 12:25). 

3.           The commandments of Christ are fully revealed in the pages of the New Testament.  Paul wrote, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37; cf. also, Gal. 1:6-11).

C.    There is no higher authority on this earth than the Scriptures.  When we neglect, refuse, disobey and disregard the Scriptures, we do it to Jesus Christ.  We just must respect the authority of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18) as He speaks through the Scriptures today (Col. 3:17).

II.  WE MUST NOT BE TURNED ASIDE BY THE WORDS OF MEN.

      A.   Saul’s disobedience is the tragic story of one man’s desire for the praise and adulation of the people.  Saul did what he did in disobedience to God because he was trying to win the approval and confidence of the people.  He listened to the voice of the people rather than the voice of God and the voice of the people turned away his heart from following God with a pure heart.

B.   Many others have made the same mistake.

1.  The Jewish religious leaders were guilty in the first century.

                  a.   Matt. 15:7-9.

                  b.   John 12:43.

            2.  This is the mistake many religious people make today when they blindly follow their church traditions or church creeds rather than going directly to the Word of God.

3.  This is the mistake many make who simply follow the traditions of their families and are what they are religiously because of what previous generations of their families were.

      C.  The words of men and the words of God will often disagree.

            1.  Men say: What people believe is not important.

           God says: What people believe is important (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

2.   Men say: We are justified by faith only.

            God says: We are not justified by faith only (Jas. 2:24).

            3.  Men say: Baptism is not essential to salvation.

           God says: Baptism puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:27) where salvation is found (2

            Tim. 2:10).

4.  Men say: Baptism may be sprinkling, pouring, etc.

           God says: Baptism is a burial (Rom. 6;3-4; Col. 2:12).

5.  Men say: There are many churches (bodies) in which men may be reconciled to God.

     God says: There is one body (Eph. 4:4) which is the church (Eph. 1:18) and reconciliation is in it (Eph. 2:16).

D.    We must, like the apostles before us, obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29).

II.  WE MUST OBEY GOD IMPLICITLY AND FULLY.

     A.    God speaks through the New Testament to people of our day and we must not reject what He says.  Someday we will be judged by it (Jn. 12:48).

B.    We must not think of men above that which is WRITTEN (1 Cor. 4:6).

C.    And we must not alter, modify, change, add to or subtract from the written revelation of God’s word (Gal. 1:6-9).

        D.        Unless we respect the divine authority of Christ as He speaks through His written word and obey Him implicitly and fully, we cannot be saved (Heb. 5:8-9).  Partial obedience will no more avail for us than it did for King Saul long ago.

Conclusion: 

                        A.        If we don’t believe and obey all of the commandments of Christ, we might as well believe and obey none (Lk 6:46; Jas. 2:10).

                        B.         It is important to believe ALL that God says and to obey ALL that God commands, the way He says to do it and for the reasons He says to do it.  This is the only way we can know that we are pleasing to Him.