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Saul Disobeys God - The Book of 1 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
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  Speaker 1: and stubbornness is an iniquity, an idolatry. Because thou hast
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  Speaker 1: rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected
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  Speaker 1: thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15.13 Lord, through today's
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  Speaker 1: reading of 1 Samuel and through the life of Saul,
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  Speaker 1: I see that obedience is better than sacrifice. With this truth,
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  Speaker 1: I am now going through my life like the Amalekites.
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  Speaker 1: I will get rid of anything that is contrary to
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  Speaker 1: your word and to the life you are helping me
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  Speaker 1: to build. I will not let the king agags in
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  Speaker 1: my life that represent sinful and destructive behaviors linger around
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  Speaker 1: me when you've commanded me to eradicate them completely. I
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  Speaker 1: will not partner myself with people who have corrupt and
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  Speaker 1: compromising character. no matter how much wealth they promise me. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: like Samuel, I will sever all ties because obedience to
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  Speaker 1: you is better than sacrificing my integrity for treasures and
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  Speaker 1: wealth that will bring my downfall. There's no disloyalty in me, God.
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  Speaker 1: I am unwavering and locked into my purpose. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Saul disobeys God. In our last story, we learned about
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  Speaker 2: Jonathan's bravery against the Philistines. Jonathan broke up the enemy's
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  Speaker 2: camp and sent them into a frenzy. Saul capitalized on
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  Speaker 2: Jonathan's bravery and sent his army in to defeat the Philistines.
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  Speaker 2: In this story we will learn about Saul's disobedience towards
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  Speaker 2: God because of his desire to please the people instead
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  Speaker 2: of God, inspired by the book of 1 Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous story, we
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  Speaker 3: focused on Jonathan's actions, which stood in stark contrast to
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  Speaker 3: his father, King Saul. When Saul tried to have Jonathan
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  Speaker 3: killed for disobeying a senseless order, the people rallied around
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  Speaker 3: Jonathan and protected him. Saul was by now king only
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  Speaker 3: in title. He was no longer the strong leader that
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  Speaker 3: he wanted to be and God commanded him to be.
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  Speaker 3: His selfish pride and impatience had cost him nearly everything.
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  Speaker 3: Today we'll see Saul disobey God in a desperate attempt
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  Speaker 3: to be a people pleaser rather than a godly leader.
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  Speaker 3: We will see how Saul's need to be liked, accepted,
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  Speaker 3: and praised by the people will lead him to lie
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  Speaker 3: and deceive. But Samuel, speaking for God, will see right
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  Speaker 3: through it all and give Saul a devastating word from
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. Let's listen to today's scripture.
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  Speaker 2: Saul led Israel with a strong arm. Battle after battle,
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  Speaker 2: the armies of Israel defended themselves against enemy kingdoms. Nations
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  Speaker 2: that had once oppressed Israel now feared them, and Saul
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  Speaker 2: began to regain favor from the people. One day, a
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  Speaker 2: word of the Lord came to Samuel. Samuel entered into
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  Speaker 2: the courts of Saul. This was the first time they
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  Speaker 2: had spoken since Saul unrightfully acted as priest over Israel
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  Speaker 2: before battle. Samuel could barely look at Saul anymore. His
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  Speaker 2: demeanor had slowly changed from humble servant to arrogant king. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 2: Samuel had a message from God to share. Saul, God
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  Speaker 2: has remembered the Amalekites and their crimes against them and
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  Speaker 2: made life hard. Now it is your duty to rise
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  Speaker 2: up against them. However, you must leave none of them alive. None.
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  Speaker 2: No soldier, WARRIOR, WOMAN, ANIMAL, OR RICHES? Saul wasted no time,
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  Speaker 2: for the Amalekites were truly wicked people. Their evil had
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  Speaker 2: corrupted the land surrounding them, and their oppression knew no bounds.
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  Speaker 2: Saul was grateful for a chance to prove himself to
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  Speaker 2: God and to Samuel. His sword was heavy against the
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  Speaker 2: armies of the Amalekites. The armies of Israel prevailed swiftly
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  Speaker 2: and laid waste to the city. All that remained was
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  Speaker 2: their king, Agag, and the riches of their livestock. Saul
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  Speaker 2: considered killing Agag and burning his riches. Instead, Saul spared
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  Speaker 2: Agag to parade him in front of the people, and
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  Speaker 2: he took all the livestock, riches, and wealth of the
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  Speaker 2: city for himself. Saul brought the spoils of war back
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  Speaker 2: to himself and the people of Israel, and he sat
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  Speaker 2: on the wealth of a corrupt nation. As he returned
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  Speaker 2: to Israel, Saul made a monument for himself, a clear
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  Speaker 2: representation of his delusion of self-importance. Samuel was dwelling alone
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  Speaker 2: in the cool of his home when the Lord came
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  Speaker 2: to him and spoke, saying, Saul has turned his back
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  Speaker 2: from me, and I regret ever making him king. Samuel
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  Speaker 2: cried to the Lord all night in anger, for Saul
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  Speaker 2: had been exactly what he warned the people of. Early
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  Speaker 2: the next day, Samuel approached the throne room of Saul.
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  Speaker 2: Saul was elated to see Samuel, ignorant of his anger
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  Speaker 2: towards him. Blessed are you, Samuel. Look, I have done
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  Speaker 2: as God commanded. The Amalekites are wiped away. What are
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  Speaker 2: these sounds I hear of sheep and oxen? Samuel interrupted.
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  Speaker 2: Samuel was old and frail, yet he spoke with a
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  Speaker 2: strength that demanded attention. They are from the Amalekites, the people.
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  Speaker 2: They wanted me to spare them to make sacrifices unto God.
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  Speaker 2: In fact, I... Samuel interrupted again with his hand in
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  Speaker 2: the air. Stop, he yelled. Samuel knew Saul was lying.
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  Speaker 2: He had no intention of sacrificing anything to the Lord.
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  Speaker 2: You were appointed king by God, and you were given
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  Speaker 2: a mission to consume the Amalekites. You were instructed to
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  Speaker 2: spare nothing and take nothing. So tell me, Saul, why
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  Speaker 2: did you not obey? Why did you pounce on the
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  Speaker 2: spoils and riches? Saul smiled in fake ignorance. He laughed
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  Speaker 2: as though he did not see anything wrong with his actions.
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  Speaker 2: Standing up from his throne, Saul stepped down and put
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  Speaker 2: his hand on Samuel's shoulder and said,' Samuel, I have
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  Speaker 2: simply obeyed the voice of God. It is the people
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  Speaker 2: that wanted the spoils of war, not me. Yet I
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  Speaker 2: took the best of everything to sacrifice to God.' Samuel
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  Speaker 2: brushed the king's hands off his shoulder. Saul was over
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  Speaker 2: two feet taller than Samuel, yet Samuel in this moment
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  Speaker 2: seemed to loom over him like a nightmare.' Has God
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  Speaker 2: any delight in vain sacrifices when you have ignored his voice?'
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  Speaker 2: Behold Saul, it is far better to obey than to sacrifice.
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  Speaker 2: Rebellion is like witchcraft to him, and to presume you
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  Speaker 2: know better than him is worse than idolatry. Saul's eyes
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  Speaker 2: began to widen as he listened to Samuel. Samuel rose
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  Speaker 2: his arm and pointed to Saul. Because you have rejected
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  Speaker 2: God as your Lord, he has rejected you as king.
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  Speaker 2: As Samuel said this, he turned and stormed off. Saul
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  Speaker 2: chased after Samuel. No, Samuel, no, I have sinned. I
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  Speaker 2: feared the people would turn against me. Saul begged him
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  Speaker 2: to stay. Please, pardon my sin. Stay here and help
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  Speaker 2: me atone. Saul's fear of losing his throne caused a panic.
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  Speaker 2: He seized Samuel's robes and tugged back for him to stay.
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  Speaker 2: Samuel's robes began to tear. The sound of the tears
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  Speaker 2: echoed in the empty throne room. Samuel and Saul stood
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  Speaker 2: there looking at the torn garment. They were alone and
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  Speaker 2: completely silent for a few moments. Tears streamed down Saul's face.
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  Speaker 2: Samuel looked at the pathetic king in front of him.
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  Speaker 2: Though he cried, Samuel could see corruption in his heart.
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  Speaker 2: There was something disturbing dwelling inside him. Just as you
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  Speaker 2: have torn my robe, so God has torn Israel away
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  Speaker 2: from you and given it to another. Saul wept on
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  Speaker 2: the floor. Samuel looked at him with compassion. He led
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  Speaker 2: Saul to the altar of God to pray. God would
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  Speaker 2: not change his mind, but he would not abandon Saul completely.
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  Speaker 2: After they had prayed, Samuel had Saul bring King Agag
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  Speaker 2: before him. Agag approached them with a smile on his face.
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  Speaker 2: Agag was under the impression that Saul would not harm him,
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  Speaker 2: but he had not yet met Samuel. Agag looked at
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  Speaker 2: the old man and laughed. He mocked him. Samuel looked
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  Speaker 2: at Agag and said, You have led with corruption, greed,
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  Speaker 2: and wickedness. Your sword has made women childless. So shall
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  Speaker 2: your mother become childless. And in that instant, Samuel hacked
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  Speaker 2: off the head of Agag before Saul. Samuel wiped off
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  Speaker 2: the blade, handed it to Saul, and left. Saul would
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  Speaker 2: not see Samuel again, for death would soon take Samuel
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  Speaker 2: back to the Lord. Yet Samuel grieved over Saul He
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  Speaker 2: grieved his heart and his mind. Yet Samuel would get
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  Speaker 2: to see another king anointed, a king with flaws, weaknesses,
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  Speaker 2: and failures. Yet he was a king that would pursue
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  Speaker 2: the heart of God, someone Israel could look on to
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  Speaker 2: as an example of bravery, repentance, and worship. A shepherd
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  Speaker 2: like Moses, a warrior like Joshua, and a priest like Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with Samuel receiving a word from God
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  Speaker 3: to give to King Saul. That word was this, God
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  Speaker 3: had not forgotten the cruelty of the Amalekites from the
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  Speaker 3: time Israel departed Egypt and now it was time for
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  Speaker 3: them to account for their evil. So Samuel went to
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  Speaker 3: Saul and gave him orders. Saul was to fight against
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  Speaker 3: the Amalekites and after God granted him victory, Saul was
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  Speaker 3: to completely wipe them out. Not a single person or
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  Speaker 3: even the livestock of the Amalekites was to be spared.
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  Speaker 3: Saul is given an opportunity to obey God and to
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  Speaker 3: do his will completely. Israel defeated the enemy and Saul's
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  Speaker 3: army carried out the mission, for the most part. Saul
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  Speaker 3: kept the enemy king Agag alive. All the remaining Amalekites
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  Speaker 3: were killed and everything considered worthless was destroyed. But they
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  Speaker 3: spared the best of the livestock, taking it as plunder.
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  Speaker 3: Saul was looking on as all of this happened. Rather
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  Speaker 3: than completely obeying God's command, Saul wanted to please the
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  Speaker 3: people and increase his name and his power among them.
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  Speaker 3: But God sees through this, of course, and Saul's disobedience
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  Speaker 3: greatly displeases him, so he spoke again to Samuel. God
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  Speaker 3: rejects Saul as king. Samuel was distraught. Saul, who once
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  Speaker 3: held so much potential, had fallen so far, and Samuel
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  Speaker 3: knew that God would not allow this to stand. Samuel
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  Speaker 3: returned to Saul and on the way discovered that Saul
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  Speaker 3: had built a monument to himself after the victory. It
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  Speaker 3: was worse than he had even imagined. Not only was
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  Speaker 3: Saul disobeying God, now he was exalting himself, seeking glory
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  Speaker 3: that belonged only to the Lord. Samuel confronted Saul, who
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  Speaker 3: once again made excuses and tried to justify himself. First,
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  Speaker 3: he tried to couch his actions as obedience. He said
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  Speaker 3: he had brought King Agag back, as if this was
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  Speaker 3: some kind of prize that he would give to God,
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  Speaker 3: and that the people set aside the best livestock to
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  Speaker 3: offer as sacrifices to the Lord. All of this was
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  Speaker 3: a lie. God never told Saul to spare Agag, and
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  Speaker 3: he certainly didn't ask for offerings. God's orders had been
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  Speaker 3: very clear. All was to be destroyed, sparing nothing. This
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  Speaker 3: is another sad story of Saul's disobedience. And it reminds
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  Speaker 3: us that God does not accept disobedience or partial obedience.
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  Speaker 3: Partial obedience is disobedience. Samuel then tells Saul the bad news.
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  Speaker 3: Because he has rejected God, God has rejected him as king.
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  Speaker 3: The throne will be taken from him and given to another.
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  Speaker 3: Saul is desperate and tries once more to justify his sin.
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  Speaker 3: In 1 Samuel 15, 24, he says.
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  Speaker 3: I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of
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  Speaker 3: the Lord and your words, because I feared the people
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  Speaker 3: and obeyed their voice. This reminds us of the words
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  Speaker 3: of Adam blaming Eve for his sin in the Garden
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  Speaker 3: of Eden. Saul shifts blame to the people, and he
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  Speaker 3: says he was just trying to please them. He's making excuses.
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  Speaker 3: But it's too late. God has seen Saul's sin and
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  Speaker 3: his pride, and the Bible says pride comes before a fall.
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  Speaker 3: There's no turning back now. Saul holds on to Samuel's
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  Speaker 3: robe and tears it, and then Samuel tells him that
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  Speaker 3: just as he's torn his garment, God will tear the
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  Speaker 3: kingdom away from Saul. Samuel then does what Saul did not.
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  Speaker 3: He kills King Agag right in front of Saul. He leaves,
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  Speaker 3: mourning Saul's disobedience, and never sees the king again until
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  Speaker 3: his death. God would bring another king, one who did
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  Speaker 3: have his heart and though not perfect, would lead God's
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  Speaker 3: people as God intended and planned. And we'll meet him
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  Speaker 3: the next time. Dear God, may we always obey you completely,
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  Speaker 3: not half-heartedly, but completely. Help us to fear you more
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  Speaker 3: than man and to listen to you rather than to
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  Speaker 3: listen to the world. May we have the boldness to
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  Speaker 3: do what you have called us to do regardless of
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  Speaker 3: the cost, because we know that the cost of rejecting
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  Speaker 3: you is greater than we can possibly imagine. In Christ's name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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