1 Samuel 15-16

The Lord, through Samuel, sent Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites. Samuel instructed Saul to not take any plunder. Instead, Saul does just that and then tries to justify his actions before the man of God. At this, God tells Saul that the kingship will be taken away from him & given to another. After this, Samuel never sees or speaks to Saul again. Later, the Lord calls Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel, who eventually serves under Saul.

Saul is a tragic story, but one we must be mindful of. Even though he had the Lord’s spirit on him, he did not follow or obey the Lord. He never had a personal relationship with God. When speaking to Samuel, Saul would always say “your God,” it was never “my God.” We see this in his decision making and his lack of adherence to God’s commands. As this first book of Samuel has shown us, there is a clear distinction between knowing about God and actually knowing him. When we know God it changes our hearts and actions, particularly our obedience.

Are you giving God the obedience he requires or what you think he wants from you?