Big Picture Question: How does God feel when His people obey? God delights in total obedience, but we all sin and need a Savior.
Key Passage: Psalm 51:10
Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David’s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
By all appearances, Saul was a good king. He was handsome, taller than most people, and God had blessed him. But Saul forgot that it was God who gave Saul his throne.
Saul sinned by burning offerings in Samuel’s absence. That moment was an important test for Saul. According to Samuel, the Lord would have permanently established Saul’s reign if Saul had obeyed. Instead, God would appoint a king who was loyal to Him.
Before battle, Saul vowed that anyone who ate before sunset would be cursed. When the battle was over, the Israelites were so hungry they ate the livestock before the meat finished cooking. Saul’s oath resulted in the people sinning against God, and it almost cost him his son Jonathan’s life.
Finally, God told Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely. But Saul spared Agag the king and kept the best livestock and cattle.
Samuel arrived. “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions!” Saul said. Samuel asked him about the sheep, the cattle, and King Agag. Saul still insisted that he had obeyed; he planned to offer the sheep and cattle to the Lord as a sacrifice. “To obey is better than sacrifice ... Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king!”
All earthly kings like Saul are imperfect. But we can see how those kings point us to the perfect King, Jesus, who carried out His Father’s instructions without fail. Thank You, God for sending us the King we needed—a King who loved us enough to give His life for our salvation.
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