The Danger and Deceit of Partial Obedience

Although it isn't rocket science, one of the most influential factors in parenting even small children was the use of Scripture. We didn't beat our children over the head or cram it down their throats, we simply used it as our authority. God said that my job, as a mom (or dad), is to train and discipline our children. I told them that and it made me accountable. As they saw me giving up other opportunities or priorities to train and discipline them, they were more receptive to hear what God had to say to them. After all, if I say one thing (God says Moms are to ____) but I obviously don't obey God myself, then why should they obey either one of us?

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The same thing happened in the life of Samuel and King Saul. Samuel received a message from the Lord (utterly destroy King Agag and the Amalekites). He delivered the message to Saul who then partially obeyed, partially came up with his own, "better," plan. God made it clear to Samuel that Saul had blown it, and Samuel was grieved, so grieved that he cried out to the Lord all night.

Have you been there? A grown child, spouse, or friend sins boldly against God. You see not only the pride and unbelief, but the consequences that could result. The one you love, invested in, watched, taught, and intervened for has turned his/her back on God and doesn't see it; doesn't care.

Samuel's response was so, so excellent! It's worth learning from.After a time of prayer and grieving:

• Samuel got up early the next morning meet Saul. He didn't shy away from the encounter. He didn't procrastinate or make excuses. As soon as he was able, he determined to find Saul and work it out. "Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul..." (1 Sam. 15:12)
• He did what it took to find Saul. He wasn't discouraged by the fact that Saul had moved on; Saul had already built himself a monument (note: there was no altar for God, just a declaration of Saul's prowess and might). "...it was told Samuel, saying, 'Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, ten turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.'"(1 Sam. 15:12)
• Samuel wasn't put off by or distracted by Saul's cheery greeting and desire to paint things pink. "'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.'"(1 Sam. 15:13)
• Samuel asked a question regarding the evidence of disobedience, giving Saul an opportunity to come clean and repent. "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" (1 Sam. 15:14)
• Saul blameshifted, denied responsibility, excused his disobedience and touted partial obedience. "'They have brought them from the Amalekites for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.'" (1 Sam. 15:15)
• At this point, Samuel nearly interrupted Saul with real, actual, words of the Lord (instead of Saul's selfish, watered down, deluded interpretation). "'Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.'" ( 1 Sam. 15:16) 
• He reminded Saul of who he was and how that changed with God's call on his life. "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel." (1 Sam. 15:17)
• He restated God's command: "'the LORD sent you on a mission and said, "God and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated."'" (1 Sam. 15:18)
• And gave Saul another opportunity to confess and repent. "'Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?'" (1 Sam. 15:19)
• Saul repeated his answer, replacing God's command with his desired interpretation, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites..." (1 Sam. 15:20)
• Saul adds blameshifting (again) and throws the name of God back at Samuel  "But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." (1 Sam. 15:21, emphasis added)
• Samuel lays it on the line, calling Saul out with a few powerful words (1 Sam. 15:22-23).
• In response, Saul says, "Ok, yeah, you're right, I sinned. Just forgive me and let's do this sacrifice. I'm going to worship God and move on." (1 Sam. 15:24).Notice, there is no corporate worship, no desire for fellowship, the focus is on outward doing and fixing as a substitute for heart change.
• Samuel, praise the LORD, continued with loving confrontation. He refused to be used, bullied, or manipulated. He will not take the easy out. "But Samuel said to Saul, 'I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." (1 Sam. 15:26).
• In response, Saul assaults Samuel. Reaching out, he grabbed Samuel roughly and completely enough to tear his clothing. (1 Sam. 15:27).
• Samuel then used Saul's violence as evidence of coming consequences."So Samuel said to him, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.'" (1 Sam. 15:28).
• Samuel continued, his final words to Saul, words that may have echoed for years to come, words Saul fought the rest of his life, words that declare God and His character: "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." (1 Sam. 15:29)
• Again, Saul says, "I'm sorry..." just don't make me look bad. Come with me, let's do this. (1 Sam. 15:30).

Samuel went with Saul at that point, but he there is no record of conversation or moving on. After this encounter, "Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death...."1 Sam. 15:34-35.

That's really long, but the point is, we have to make God's Word the authority. Allowing our children to make excuses, wriggle out from under the consequences or blame others does nothing more than train them for a life of disobedience. It's not easy. It requires constant attention, intervention, honesty, inconvenience, and hard, fast love, but it's God's calling on our lives if we belong to Him. Samuel was not responsible for Saul's choices, but he was responsible to uphold the Word of God, to represent Him accurately, and to enact consequences that were in his realm of responsibility.

Are you a Samuel or a Saul? It will be evident in your words and choices. God gives repeated opportunities to cry out to Him, confess our sin, and change. Maybe this is yours....

Potential vs. Actual

It's important to understand that Bible narratives are just that--written accounts of other's lives. We cannot draw direct commands from their examples, but we can certainly learn principles and see God more clearly.

Jonathon, Saul's son, keeps coming to the forefront in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Unlike his father, he lives by faith, trusting God with the outcome. One day Jonathon took his armor bearer to scout out the Philistine (enemy) garrison. Traveling between two crags, Jonathon said, "Come and let us cross over tot he garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few." They pushed forward and took out 20 men, creating an uproar and battle that continued and spread.

Watching that same courage and faith work in David's life a short time later (as he killed Goliath), "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David...." (1 Samuel 18:1). One young man would become the father of kings and the line of Christ; the other would serve his capricious father, dying an early death on the battlefield. Both were men of valor, courage, faith, action, and promise.

We, American Christians, especially American Christian parents, often get distracted by "potential." We tend to get caught up in our children's education, opportunities, challenges, stimulation and growth to the detriment of character. We are so compelled to create children in our own image (or the image we always wanted), that we fail to consider God's purpose, direction, and plan. At times our children complained about boredom with the public school system. "Being a mom isn't so different," I would counter, "there's nothing challenging about cleaning toilets and doing laundry." What if it's not about "what I do" or "how much I do" but "how I do it?"

As I read about Jonathon, I could see great potential. Surely he would have made a great king: one who loved others well, willingly risked his life, and pursued God's revealed will despite the cost. If nothing else, he and David would have made an incredible Dream Team for Israel! The two of them, side by side, could have ruled righteously and held one another accountable. But that was not God's plan. Jonathon lived in the shadow of a domineering, violent, angry father, united by a covenant to David who was destined to take the crown. We know little of Jonathon's family, pursuits, dreams, or victories.

What we do know is that Jonathon was humble. Faithful. Loving. Trustworthy. Courageous. Firm. Loyal. Strong. Swift. Generous. Does that not describe our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ? He served (and continues to serve) the least deserving; He gave His life in the line of duty; He loves with His whole being.

I believe that Jonathon is an example to each of us that life is not about the glitz, the glam, the bling, the wow, or pow. His audience was not the watching world, his  tyrannical father, faithful armor bearer, or kindred spirit. His one, only, true audience was His Creator-Father-King, the same One we serve in our most mundane, difficult, painful, unseen, quiet moments. As we give Him the weight, the glory, the honor due His name, He is made much of, and we find great satisfaction, contentment and rest.


To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.

How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work. (Psalm 62)

Eternal Thanksgiving

If you've followed my blog entries lately, you know I've been reading and studying through 1-2 Samuel. The chronological account dovetailed with 1 Chronicles this morning as David established himself in Jerusalem and brought the ark to its final resting place.

In his initial excitement he overlooked God's method. Focused on getting the job done and achieving his goal, David and the men put the ark of God on an ox-cart and Uzzah lost his life.

Later, after gathering the sons of Aaron and the Levites, David reflected, "Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance." (1 Chron. 15:13). In other words, no matter how important I am, how many promises God has fulfilled, how blessed I may be, obedience matters. God has not changed. We don't get special privileges because we experience His favor; we experience His favor as a privilege.

With the priests in row, David prepared for the finest celebration:gifts of bread, meat and raisin cakes for each man and woman; sacrifices along the way, burnt offerings and peace offerings in Jerusalem. The time had come for David to realize the anointing he received from Samuel many years ago. God would fulfill His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After years of living in hiding, assaulted and hunted by King Saul, fighting Philistines and Amalekites, being lied to, betrayed, and manipulated, God brought it all together. David was 37 years old when he began to rule from Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:4-5). That's a LONG way from his anointing as a shepherd boy.

Is it any wonder he danced with all his might? That he rejoiced, celebrated, and praised God? He called Asaph and his relatives to give thanks. And they did (see below). As I read their words in preparation for Thanksgiving, I was humbled at how short-sighted I am; how little I think of God; how much He is due, and how little I know Him. I was reminded of how fickle we are. In a couple of short chapters, David will assault Bathsheba, conspire against Uriah, use Joab, and set himself up against God.

But in this moment, today, like David, may I be found on my knees, humbled by a God who loves me and gave Himself for me that I might experience the blessing, joy, and riches of His grace. By His grace, may I choose to serve, obey, and seek Him--in the good and the difficult, the ease and the struggle, the joy and the grief.

Thanksgiving is a hallmark of eternity that doesn't have to wait. With David, the priests, and people, I can lift my heart and voice, experiencing Heaven and the divine nature as I live in, choose, and express thanks.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”
When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,
And they wandered about from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,
He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,
“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.

Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. (1 Chronicles 16:8-36)