Saul Excuses His Sin and Loses His Favor from God

Before doing this study, please read the 1-minute Bible Love Note: There's No Such Thing As Good Sins. It explains the casual attitude many professing Christians have toward their sins.

Now, let's examine a biblical example of someone who had a casual attitude toward his sin:

Saul's "Un-Apology"

In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, God gave Saul careful instructions to destroy the evil Amalekites and leave nothing alive.(1) But Saul and his army decided to save the best of the livestock and one of the kings (1 Samuel 15:7-9). So God sent Samuel to rebuke Saul, and Saul made an "un-apology." If you could cut and paste certain words from the conversation, it would appear he admitted his sin. But his other words "deleted" his apology.

Neither Samuel nor God accepted Saul's un-apology (i.e. God removed His blessing from Saul and Samuel never visited Saul again--1 Samuel 15:35; 16:1).

As you read this conversation between Samuel and Saul, list Saul's lies and excuses. 

1 Samuel 15:10-31: Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” 

16 “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” 

🠙 How has Saul's view of himself led to his sins?

 20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.”   

🠙 Was it actually the soldiers' idea or is Saul lying? We don't know. Does Saul's position as king make him less responsible or more responsible?

25 “Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”  

30 Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.   

🠙 What irony is present in Saul's statement: “I have sinned. But please honor me...”?

How does this relate to verses 16-18?

Saul's casual attitude is a good reminder for us to honestly repent of our sins without excuses or "explanations."

Footnote:

(1) Regarding God's command to destroy all of the Amalekites: This troubles modern readers, but we must remember that our loving God gives each person ample opportunity to turn to Him. And He knows when people and nations have passed the point of repenting. If there were any seekers or godly people in the city, God would have saved them as He did Rahab.

 
copyright 2014, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, edited and updated in 2021

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