_Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to
Israel._
NATIONAL SINS AND NATIONAL PUNISHMENTS
We turn from Saul to the case of those against whom he was sent.
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to
Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he... [ Continue Reading ]
_It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king._
SAUL REJECTED
The story is graphic and pathetic. This is Saul’s victory and also
his defeat. Our defeats are often wrapped up in our victories. Some of
our most dismal failures are hidden from us by the glare of a partial
and disastrous success.... [ Continue Reading ]
_What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears._
HYPOCRISY
1_._I learn, first, from the subject that God will expose hypocrisy. A
hypocrite is one who pretends to be what he is not, or to do what he
does not. Saul was only a type of a class. There are a great many
churches that have two... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which
the Lord sent me._
SAUL’S OBEDIENCE
We invite your attention to some features of Saul’s character, as
drawn out by the way in which he obeyed the Divine command.
1. First, let us notice the zeal and alacrity with which Saul
pro... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice._
OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE
Saul’s misconduct supplied the occasion for the announcement of an
absolute and eternal truth.
I. That sacrifice is only circumstantially necessary, but obedience is
essentially so.
1. Sacrifice is either an atonement for offenc... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft._
REBELLION AGAINST GOD ALL MALIGNANT AS WITCHCRAFT
To rebel against the clearest light and most express declaration of
the will of God: this is an action of the like malignity, even as the
sin of witchcraft. When a crime is said to be “as the sin of
witchcraf... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have sinned._
TEMPORARY RELIGIOUS FEELING
“Some are frightened into a little religiousness in their straits
and deep necessities, but it is poor work and superficial work. They
are like an ice in thawing weather, soft at top and hard at bottom.”
They melt, but to no very great extent. It is upon... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected
thee._
ONE SIN TOO MANY
The whole story affords an extensive illustration of sin in almost all
of its phases of manifestation as judged by the righteous law of God.
1. We discover the simple nature of sin: it is disobedience of... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of
my people._
TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE
How may we discriminate between a merely seeming repentance and
genuine penitence? There is hardly a passage of Scripture which could
render us mere decided assistance than that portion of Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Surely, the bitterness of death is passed._
DEATH AN ADVANTAGE
So cried Agag, and the only objection I have go this text is that a
bad man uttered it. Nevertheless, it is true, and in a higher sense
than that in which it was originally uttered. We talk about the
shortness of life, but if we exerc... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal._
THE VINDICTIVE JUSTICE OF GOD
God, who viewed Agag as an enemy to Himself and to His people, would
not release him from the punishment he deserved; but inspired Samuel
to give him a just recompense of reward. This striking instance of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death._
SAMUEL’S WITHDRAWAL FROM SAUL
Very few bad persons are without some “redeeming quality,” as it
is called; and “redeeming qualities” are usually precisely of that
kind by which we are most fascinated. The “redeeming qualities” of
a wicke... [ Continue Reading ]