The Folly of
Rebellion
Psalm 2:1-12
1
Why do nations assemble,
and peoples plot vain things;
2 kings of the earth take their
stand,
and regents intrigue together
against the Lord and against His anointed?
3 “Let us break the cords of their
yoke,
shake off their ropes from us!”
4 He who is enthroned in heaven
laughs;
the Lord mocks at them.
5 Then He speaks to them in anger,
terrifying them in His rage,
6 “But I have installed My king
on Zion, My holy mountain!”
7 Let me tell of the decree:
the Lord
said to me,
“You are My son,
I have fathered you this day.
8 Ask it of Me,
and I will make the nations your
domain;
your estate, the limits of the earth.
9 You can smash them with an iron
mace,
shatter them like potter’s ware.”
10 So now, O kings, be prudent;
accept discipline, you rulers of the
earth!
11 Serve the Lord in awe;
tremble with fright,
12
pay homage in good faith,
lest He be angered, and your way be
doomed
in the mere flash of His anger.
Happy are all who take refuge
in Him.
1 Samuel 15:1-35
1 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one
the Lord sent to anoint you king
over His people Israel. Therefore, listen to the Lord’s command!
2 “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: I am exacting the
penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the
road, on their way up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribe all
that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and
sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!”
4 Saul mustered the troops and
enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 men of Judah. 5 Then
Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the wadi. 6 Saul
said to the Kenites, “Come, withdraw at once from among the Amalekites, that I
may not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the
Israelites when they left Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the
Amalekites.
7 Saul destroyed Amalek from Havilah
all the way to Shur, which is close to Egypt, 8 and he captured King Agag of
Amalek alive. He proscribed all the people, putting them to the sword; 9 but
Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the
second-born, the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not
proscribe them; they proscribed only what was cheap and worthless.
10 The word of the Lord then came to Samuel: 11 “I regret
that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from Me and has not carried out
My commands.” Samuel was distressed and he entreated the Lord all night long. 12 Early in the
morning Samuel went to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where
he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.”
13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul
said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord!
I have fulfilled the Lord’s
command.” 14 “Then what,” demanded Samuel, “is this bleating of sheep in my
ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “They were brought
from the Amalekites, for the troops spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen
for sacrificing to the Lord your
God. And we proscribed the rest.” 16 Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell
you what the Lord said to me last
night!” “Speak,” he replied. 17 And Samuel said, “You may look small to
yourself, but you are the head of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18
and the Lord sent you on a
mission, saying, ‘Go and proscribe the sinful Amalekites; make war on them
until you have exterminated them.’ 19 Why did you disobey the Lord and swoop down on the spoil in
defiance of the Lord’s will?” 20
Saul said to Samuel, “But I did obey the Lord!
I performed the mission on which the Lord
sent me: I captured King Agag of Amalek, and I proscribed Amalek, 21 and the
troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen—the best of what had been
proscribed—to sacrifice to the Lord
your God at Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel said:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As much as in obedience to the Lord’s command?
Surely, obedience is better than
sacrifice,
Compliance than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of
divination,
Defiance, like the iniquity of
teraphim.
Because you rejected the Lord’s command,
He has rejected you as king.”
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong
to transgress the Lord’s command
and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them. 25
Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I
will not go back with you; for you have rejected the Lord’s command, and the Lord
has rejected you as king over Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul
seized the corner of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has this day torn the kingship
over Israel away from you and has given it to another who is worthier than you.
29 Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not deceive or change His mind, for He is
not human that He should change His mind.” 30 But [Saul] pleaded, “I did wrong.
Please, honor me in the presence of the elders of my people and in the presence
of Israel, and come back with me until I have bowed low to the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel followed
Saul back, and Saul bowed low to the Lord.
32 Samuel said, “Bring forward to me
King Agag of Amalek.” Agag approached him with faltering steps; and Agag said,
“Ah, bitter death is at hand!”
33 Samuel said:
“As your sword has bereaved women,
So shall your mother be bereaved
among women.”
And Samuel cut Agag down before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Samuel then departed for Ramah,
and Saul went up to his home at Gibeah of Saul.
35 Samuel never saw Saul again to the day of his
death. But Samuel grieved over Saul, because the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.[1]