As a young teenager, I didn’t quite enjoy the snakes and ladders game. You could be up there one moment and near rock boHom the next. All due to a single serpent bite. The ladders all appear to be too elusive. The game was too erraLc to be fun. In real life and the spiritual world, there are serpents amidst ladders. Because of character flaws, one can trip in the last lap of life.
The people wanted a monarch, so Saul became the “top dog”. Not because it was part of the Sovereign’s divine design. This ought to humble us. However, we have this propensity to forget how we got there once we reach the top. Many leaders, pastors and workers too oTen forget how easy it is to slip. Though chosen and promoted, unless humility is fostered with the fear of God, we will miss out on the promises of richness, honour and life (Proverbs 22:4).
Prior to the baHle with the Amalekites, Saul had already “missed it” – he was impaLent and didn’t respect boundaries. Because Samuel was delayed in arriving, Saul took it upon himself to offer the burnt offerings, angering God. Thus, Samuel proclaimed, “…now your kingdom shall not conLnue.” (1 Samuel 13:14). With no sign of repentance, Saul took a rash oath in chapter 14 which led Jonathan to lament, “My father has troubled the land.” (1 Samuel 14:29)
Saul again failed in 1 Samuel 15:10–31, this Lme in carrying out the mandate to punish the Amalekites. This passage details for us Saul’s ten mistakes that made God regret choosing him. The LORD groaned. “I greatly regret …” 1 Samuel 15:11. Instead of the anLcipated “well done” spoken over our lives, how many have fallen through the cracks in ministry, and accordingly, have made God regret?
Firstly, “he has turned back from following Me” v11. This is perhaps the most common summary judgement we are guilty of nowadays. At the memorial service of Charlie Kirk, his wife encouraged all to “return to prayer, read the Bible again, and aHend church every Sunday.” When these basics are neglected, we have turned back from following God. It’s that simple.
Secondly, Saul “has not performed My commandments.” Reading the Bible and aHending church, but not doing His works, easily characterises 80% of His people. The pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh have entangled us. Today, His Church has ignored the “mission” assigned to us v18 and I can hear Him asking the same quesLon, “why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?” 1 Samuel 15:19.
Thirdly, we see Samuel the prophet grieved 1 Samuel 15:11. We thank God for the many emerging workers and new churches planted. But underlying these, many seniors have been “grieved” by the disrespeckul casLng aside of spiritual fathers.
Fourthly, Saul “…set up a monument for himself …” v12b. There is room for selng up personal YouTube channels, wriLng books, drawing up promoLonal materials… but there is a line we can cross, where we promote ourselves, and in some cases, we become even more famous and well known than our Saviour Jesus.
FiThly, Saul proclaimed, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” v13. Nobody is more blind than the man who has good eyesight but cannot see.
Sixth mistake: Saul disobeyed the clear and direct instrucLon given to him personally to deal with the Amalekites. However, when confronted, he was quick to blame the people – “the people spared” v15; “the people took” v21. When the church is not growing, when the prayer meeLng is in a dismal state – is it not “the people“? It could well be, but are leaders absolved?
Saul had this almost unexplainable relaLonship with the people he led. He was not afraid to blame them, but he had this anthropophobia; he explained to Samuel “I feared the people and obeyed their voice” v24.
The seventh misstep of Saul is “pseudo worship.” Here we have outright disobedience in sparing the enemies and keeping the best of the animals so that he could present the best to “sacrifice to the LORD” v15. Nowadays, instead of sparing sheep, are we not stealing sheep so that we can have this “big-crowd anointed worship“? We believe dark colours and dim lights help usher in “the presence“? Like Saul, we have our own ideas of what kind of worship pleases Him.
Eighth mistake – “I have sinned, yet honour me now …” v30. Yes, I want to look good. What was Saul focused on? It’s intriguing that Saul worshipped in v31. But not Samuel. Perhaps the old prophet could not bring himself to do so in that phoney selng.
Ninth blunder – Samuel himself had to take up the sword to kill Agag, the Amalekite king. Why was Saul not asked to do it? There will come a Lme when the opportunity to do what God has called you to do will be fulfilled by another.
Finally, in v34-35, both Saul and Samuel parted ways. And “Samuel went no more to see Saul.” Perhaps the saddest day that will come upon the church and the individual is when all propheLc input ceases.
Finally, it’s stated once again, “The LORD regreHed that He had made Saul king over Israel” v34b. Far too many do not think too much of living a life that is pleasing to Him. Life is fraught with spiritual anacondas. Nobody can afford to be like Saul and “reject the word of the LORD” (1 Sam15:26). Leaders who will survive the snakes and ladders terrain are those who are grounded in the Word.
We might be anointed and appointed. But we have not arrived. To be the bride prepared to welcome the Bridegroom, we must conLnue to put off and put on. Only the humble and those who fear the Lord realise that we are not exempt from making the same mistakes Saul did. It’s incumbent upon us to begin this journey of sancLficaLon.
Yes, Saul begged, “please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD” v25. But Saul missed out on deep cleansing, on true repentance.
In this short passage, this long list of words was menLoned – sin, transgression, iniquity, idolatry, witchcraT, rebellion and stubbornness. Mere words pleading for pardon does not cut it.
Lest we are tempted to jusLfy ourselves, the prophet Samuel chides us, “Be quiet!” (1 Samuel 15:16). Let us take the opportunity to be quiet before Him. May He guide us whilst mercy is sLll available, before He returns.