Apr 12 (Daily reading: 1 Samuel 15-17) God’s rejected Saul as king. On February 4, I wrote about God’s judgement over self-sufficiency as committed by Esau and repeated by his grandson Amalek. This led to God declaring: “I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (Ex. 17:14). This is why God told Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites (15:3). Saul disobeyed this command, which led to Samuel telling him: “Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice … Since you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king” (15:22-23). Saul spared the life of Agag, but “Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord” (15:33). Agag can represent the flesh, which must be crucified: “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24).
God chose David to be king after Saul. The difference between the two is easy to see in our text. When Samuel was looking for Saul, he was told that Saul had gone “to set up a monument in his own honor” (15:12, NIV). Contrast this with what David said while facing Goliath: “I come to you in the name of the LORD of armies, the God of the armies of Israel” (17:45). For Saul, it was all about Saul; for David, it was all about God!
We see God’s own words concerning David, first to Samuel: “God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (16:7). Then God revealed to Paul His sentiments towards David: “‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will” (Ac. 13:22).
Both Saul and David were chosen by God to lead His people. God chooses us, but He does not determine the response of our hearts. That is up to us!
– Al Gary
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