1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15

Trapp - When he could deny it no longer, at length he maketh a forced and feigned confession; drawn thereto, more by the danger and damage of his sin, than by the offence; mincing and making the best of an ill matter. because I feared the people and listened (shama; Lxx = akouo) to their voice - He persists in refusing to take personal responsibility for the disobedience. He gives two weak excuses. He the king of the people, feared the people! Is this the same man who gave such a rash, harsh command to his soldiers not to eat food on the day of battle? If there was ever a chance that there might have been a revolt against him, that would have been the occasion. Now we hear weak excuse number two which is that he listened to (meaning "obeyed") the people! These words should have stuck in his mouth, for the truth is that he refused to listen (repeatedly) to voice of Samuel, God's mouthpiece and therefore refused to listen to God! Adam Clarke on “because I feared the people” “Had he feared God more, he need have feared the people less.” (ED: ALTHOUGH I QUESTION WHETHER HE TRULY FEARED THE PEOPLE AND WAS JUST USING THEM AS A LAME EXCUSE) John Butler - CONFESSION 1 Samuel 15:24 - Butler's Sermon Starters “Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words; because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24). Saul made quite a statement here. It was under duress and was not sincere as the context reveals, but the statement, which is a confession, is still very instructive about the sin. FIRST—THE CONFESSION OF SIN “I have sinned.” Everyone needs to make this basic confession to God. Unless you confess that you have sinned, you cannot be forgiven. Saul had certainly sinned. He had not destroyed the enemy as he was suppose to do and furthermore he had kept some of the spoils which he was also not suppose to do. Many would not call Saul’s actions sin, but would call it expediency. Men have quite a habit of calling sin by other names to make the deed sound less evil. As an example, men call drunkenness a disease, abortion is called women’s rights, homosexualism is simply called a different life style. It is protected even though it has brought much death (AIDS). Yes, Saul’s conduct would not be called evil today. In fact, to call it sin will offend many. SECOND—THE CHARACTER OF SIN “I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD.” The commandment of God is the rule that determines what is righteous and what is not righteous. God is the One who decides whether something is sin or not. Our culture and political correctness are not the foundation for our right and wrong beliefs. They are simply that which are often used to justify evil by calling it something other than sin. Saul disobeyed the commandment of God and that is sin. Sin does not submit to God’s ways. You may not be politicaly correct or act according to your culture, but that does not necessarily make you sinful. THIRD—THE CAUSE OF SIN “I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” Saul did two things here that caused his sin. • His attitude about the people. “I feared the people.” This means he wanted the people’s approval. He wanted to be popular with the people. That is a sure way to corruption. Politicians are this way, and many others, be they an insignificant person or important person. But folk need to fear what God thinks of them more than what people think of them. People were more important than God to Saul. Many are in the same boat, and it is sinking fast. • His acquiescence to the people. “I obeyed their voice.” This is the inevitable result of fearing the people. When you are concerned about what people think and whether or not you are popular among the people, you will end up doing what they tell you to do instead of what God tells you to do. And what they tell you to do is seldom what God tells you to do. You cannot fear the people and obeyed their voice and still fear God and obey His voice. 1 Samuel 15:25 "Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." BGT 1 Samuel 15:25 καὶ νῦν ἆρον δὴ τὸ ἁμάρτημά μου καὶ ἀνάστρεψον μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ καὶ προσκυνήσω κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου LXE 1 Samuel 15:25 And now remove, I pray thee, my sin, and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord thy God. KJV 1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. NET 1 Samuel 15:25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship the LORD." CSB 1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD." ESV 1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the LORD." NIV 1 Samuel 15:25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD." NLT 1 Samuel 15:25 But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the LORD." NRS 1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, so that I may worship the LORD." NJB 1 Samuel 15:25 Now, please forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I can worship Yahweh.' NAB 1 Samuel 15:25 Now forgive my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." YLT 1 Samuel 15:25 and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.' pardon: Ex 10:17 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE Now therefore, please pardon (salach) my sin - Saul is so self-deceived (or so into SELF), that he considers 1Sa 15:24 a genuine confession of his heinous sin against God! He is theologically correct that if we confess (truly confess) our sins to God, He will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:9+). And so he pleads for pardon (actually in Hebrew it is a command as if one could command a pardon!) But even here one has to ask of whom is he asking the pardon? The way the text reads, it is as if Saul is going to Samuel as some religions do seeking a human being to forgive their sins! And return with me, that I may worship (shachah; Lxx = proskuneo - bow down) the LORD (cf repeat request in 1Sa 15:30+) - He is concerned about getting Samuel's visible support in front of the people. We haven't heard the word worship from his lips until now. From all we have seen about Saul in this chapter to this point, do you really believe he truly desires to bow down before the LORD? While Saul does not say "your LORD" here, in 1Sa 15:30 he does say "I may worship the LORD your God.” I can find no statement where Saul ever says "MY LORD." He doesn't even react to God's verdict that he is removed as king! Pardon (forgive) (05545) salach means to free from or release from something and so to pardon, to forgive, to spare. God's offer of pardon and forgiveness to sinners. Salach is never used of people forgiving each other but used of God forgiving. Jehovah Himself announces, in response to Moses' prayers for Israel, that He has forgiven Israel at two of their darkest moments, the golden calf incident and the murmuring at Kadesh Barnea (Ex 34:9; Nu 14:19-20). Worship (bow down, prostrate one's self) (07812) shachah means to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to crouch, to fall down, to humbly beseech, to do reverence, to worship. The idea is to assume a prostrate position as would in paying homage to royalty (Ge 43:28) or to God (Ge 24:26, Ps 95:6). Shachach in 1-2 Samuel - 1 Sam. 1:3; 1 Sam. 1:19; 1 Sam. 1:28; 1 Sam. 2:36; 1 Sam. 15:25; 1 Sam. 15:30; 1 Sam. 15:31; 1 Sam. 20:41; 1 Sam. 24:8; 1 Sam. 25:23; 1 Sam. 25:41; 1 Sam. 28:14; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2 Sam. 9:6; 2 Sam. 9:8; 2 Sam. 12:20; 2 Sam. 14:4; 2 Sam. 14:22; 2 Sam. 14:33; 2 Sam. 15:5; 2 Sam. 15:32; 2 Sam. 16:4; 2 Sam. 18:21; 2 Sam. 18:28; 2 Sam. 24:20; 1 Samuel 15:26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." BGT 1 Samuel 15:26 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς Σαουλ οὐκ ἀναστρέφω μετὰ σοῦ ὅτι ἐξουδένωσας τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου καὶ ἐξουδενώσει σε κύριος τοῦ μὴ εἶναι βασιλέα ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ LXE 1 Samuel 15:26 And Samuel said to Saul, I will not turn back with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord will reject thee from being king over Israel. KJV 1 Samuel 15:26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. NET 1 Samuel 15:26 Samuel said to Saul, "I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel!" CSB 1 Samuel 15:26 Samuel replied to Saul, "I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." ESV 1 Samuel 15:26 And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." NIV 1 Samuel 15:26 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!" NLT 1 Samuel 15:26 But Samuel replied, "I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king of Israel." NRS 1 Samuel 15:26 Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." NJB 1 Samuel 15:26 Samuel said to Saul, 'I will not come back with you, since you have rejected Yahweh's word and Yahweh has rejected you as king of Israel.' NAB 1 Samuel 15:26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, because you rejected the command of the LORD and the LORD rejects you as king of Israel." YLT 1 Samuel 15:26 And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.' I will not: 1Sa 15:31 Ge 42:38 43:11-14 Lu 24:28,29 2Jn 1:11 for you: 1Sa 15:23 2:30 13:14 16:1 Jer 6:19 Ho 4:6 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAMUEL'S REFUSAL TO RETURN AND HIS REASON But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you - Recall Samuel had been up all night and was stirred by a righteous anger so that it was easy for him to refuse to return with Saul. There is nothing else for Samuel to say. Samuel's statement reflects God's evaluation of Saul. For - Term of explanation. Samuel repeats an earlier verdict as justification for not returning. You have rejected the word of the LORD (ma'as; Lxx = exoutheneo = despised, treated with contempt), and the LORD has rejected (ma'as; Lxx = exoutheneo) you from being king over Israel - Samuel refused to return because Saul had rejected His LORD which resulted in the LORD rejecting him as king. Why would Samuel want to return and participate in sham worship with Saul? That's a rhetorical question.