T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
242
July, 1933
seem to have been the most common. They seem to have varied in size from images small enough to be hidden under the sad dle of Rachel’s donkey, to one large enough to resemble a man, which was put in David’s bed by his wife, Michal, to deceive Saul’s messengers. While they may not have been worshiped as gods, they were kept in the house to bring good luck to the dwelling. Their value was chiefly as a charm. In addition to the teraphim, there were many images o f the goddess Astarte. She is called Ashtoreth in the Bible. We found one o f these figures among the ruins of an ancient city in southern Palestine. It was about four inches high, hewn from some hard, white stone, and represented a fe male figure. Astarte was the goddess of fecundity, and was worshiped especially by the women. Some o f the ritual connect ed with her worship was extremely im moral. It is no wonder that anything con nected with Ashtoreth was an abomination in the sight o f Jehovah and of the Israel ites. Outline and Exposition Saul had been appointed king when the people turned from God and asked that they become like the nations round about them. Saul’s record is one long, dark story of rebellion against God, culminating at last in self-destruction. The account of the beginning of his rebellion is found in today’s lesson. He had been sent against the Amalekites with strict instructions to destroy them utterly; our lesson finds him returning from this warfare. I. S aul R esisting G od ’ s W ill (13-15). Saul’s hypocrisy is revealed by the salu tation with which he greeted Samuel, the prophet. He did not hesitate to lie when he said, “I have performed the command ment o f the Lord.” Amalek is a type of the flesh ; he came from Esau and was to be destroyed utterly (cf. Gen. 36:12.; Ex. 17:8-14; Deut. 25:17-19; Gal. 5:24, 25; 6 :8 ; Rom. 8:13, 14). But Saul presumed to know better than God. Saul’s conviction followed immediately, when the cattle he had reserved began lowing, and Samuel heard them. “ Be sure your sin will find you out” is a merciful warning. It is designed to awaken the sin ner to his need and give him the oppor tunity to put his sin away and find for giveness. Saul then tried to avoid the responsibility for his evil deed by laying it upon the people. He blamed the people for the evil, but took credit for whatever good there was in having partly fulfilled the com mand of God—“they” spared the cattle, but “w6” destroyed the rest. He knew what the will of God was, but he would allow that will to be altered by the people over whom he had been made ruler. II. S aul R efusing G od ’ s W ay (16-21). Saul was reminded that it was the Lord who had made him king, and it was the Lord who had sent him against the Amale kites with orders to destroy them all. He. was thus responsible to the Lord (v. 16), and he was reminded that he had been made king not for his own exaltation but for the service of God (vs. 17, 18). “Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord?” Thus Samuel pressed home the charge of disobedience. Saul remained stubborn and maintained that he had obeyed (v. 20). Without any sign of sorrow, he persisted in his lie that he had done as he was commanded. But to do part o f what the Lord commands and then claim to have obeyed fully is sheer hypoc risy.
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Saul continued to manifest his stubborn ness by once again blaming the people (v. 21). Everything had been done except what the Lord had told him to do; yet he declared that whatever was left undone was the fault o f the people and not of himself. Thus sin always seeks an excuse. Adam blamed the woman; Saul blamed the people; and we blame our circumstances. But whether in Adam or in Saul or in our selves, whenever excuse is offered for sin ning, it is evidence o f a stubborn heart and of uncontrolled rebellion against God. Saui palliated his disobedience by suggesting that the cattle which should have been ut terly destroyed were to be used as a sacri fice unto God. But God cannot be wor shiped with the fruits of rebellion, as Sam uel pointed out at once to Saul. III. S aul R ejecting G od ’ s W ord (22, 23). Saul is told that “to obey is better than sacrifice.” Where there is no obedience, there is rebellion; and where there is re bellion, there is the overthrow of God’s throne as far as the disobedient one is con cerned. Without obedience, whatever may be offered unto the Lord becomes an insult to Him. As the proverb says: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination” (Prov. 28:9). The consequence of disobedience is rebel-, lion, or the sin of witchcraft; and stub bornness is as iniquity and idolatry (v. 23). When one refuses to obey the voice of the Lord, that one enters into rebellion against Him, and thus opens the heart for iniquity and idolatry. Had Saul possessed any incli nation toward the ways of the Lord, he would at once have fallen before the Lord in confession of his. sin, and immediately he would have received forgiveness and restoration. But his heart was adamant, and from that moment his doom was sealed. The solemn consequences of' Saul’s stub bornness are announced in verse 23. Hav ing rejected God, God rejected him. His kingship was finished, and although he was permitted to continue as king for1several years, his rule was virtually ended, and his royal house also was ended. While God had rejected him as king, there was still opportunity for Saul to preserve his soul, even though he had lost his kingdom. But, as the story reveals, Saul was not inter ested in his soul; his interest centered in his reputation, and he thought far more of it than of his character. IV. S aul R elinquishing G od ’ s G race (24-26). Saul turned away from God’s grace by vain remorse instead of accepting that grace through true repentance (v. 24). “I have sinned,” he said; but it was only the consequences o f his sin as they touched himself that appalled him, not the iniquity o f which he had been guilty. Hell is full of those who are sorry for the consequences of their sin, but who have no true repentance which would cause them to forsake their sin. “ I feared the people, and obeyed their
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