PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Are we so tuned in to God, that God’s pain fills our prayers? Such is Samuel in his connection with His creator. Such is our goal, even when the result is anger.

Again Saul disobeys and disappoints. I pause to self-reflect. God’s order to Saul I would find difficult to obey; but the difficult part Saul finds no discomfort in fulfilling. So his disappointing disobedience comes from a darker source, one all too familiar. The order is to annihilate the Amalekites, all people and all animals (1 Samuel 15.3). The divine punishment is for past sins (15.2). The destruction begins, the part I would have trouble obeying. Then the disobedience comes, and the reason sounds respectable even if the whole reason is not at first said. Saul and the troops spare the foreign king, and the best of the sheep, cattle and other animals (15.8-9). All the worthless, unwanted animals they destroy. Humans think we are so good at defining worth. Israel claims to keep the best for God (15.15); so that has to make God happy, right?

God tells Samuel, and Samuel confronts Saul. Saul even convinces himself he has completely obeyed: “May the LORD bless you, I have carried out the LORD’s instructions” (15.13). The noisy evidence of the sheep and cattle contradicts Saul’s bold claim. When called out, Saul blames the troops, “The troops brought them…to offer a sacrifice, but the rest we destroyed” (15.15). When a sentence has the word “but,” get ready for the excuses. So Saul not only blames the troops, he excuses them. When criticized again by Samuel, Saul protests claiming perfection: “But I did obey the LORD!” (15.20). Please read Samuel’s rebuke which teaches God does not want us to think of ways to please Him; God wants us to please Him His way (15.22-23). Finally after admitting his failure, Saul gives the real reason for his rationalization: “I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them” (15.24). Saul obeyed men rather than God, while claiming to obey God, for the sake of God. Fear, not faith, does not make for following God.

Between the command and confrontation, we have God’s reaction and Samuel’s prayer of reaction. God admits, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions” (15.11). Samuel sees God’s pain and gets angry (15.11). Versions reading that Samuel was “grieved” or “distressed” do not capture the right emotion. Samuel is “burning with anger.” Being deeply moved, Samuel “cried out to the LORD all night” (15.10). “Cried out” is verbally out loud, like an announcer. This is not a silent prayer. This is not a short outburst. It lasts all night long, loudly. Anger turns to mourning (15.35). Saul is more in tune with his own fear, and the wants of his people than with God. Samuel feels God’s pain. Saul is ready to make excuses and Samuel is ready to pray. Are we more like Saul or Samuel?

Prayer Challenge: Emotion must follow fact. We must choose to be charged by God’s emotions and not our own. Pray to experience God’s reactions.

Tags: Prayer, Praying through the Bible

This entry was posted by PHall on Thursday, September 26th, 2013 at 1:46 pm and is filed under I Samuel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.