Disobedience And Rebellion
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king." 1 Samuel 15:23
Samuel charged King Saul with the crime of rebellion, and as a result took his kingdom from him. Saul, when given the task of annihilating the Amalekites, decided to save the best for sacrificing later. Nathan charged King David with the crime of murder and adultery without David losing either his kingdom or his life. Although the crime of David seems more serious than that of Saul, the difference lay in their attitude.
When Nathan confronted David, he said, "I sinned." David did not seek to excuse himself; he immediately confessed. Saul on the other hand argued with Samuel, seeking to excuse himself by blaming the people. David was disobedient. Saul was rebellious. If you liken God's Law to a fence, when David broke the fence he freely admitted that he was wrong. When Saul broke the fence, he wanted to argue with God over the validity of the fence. "It was a bad command, an unreasonable expectation. You should have allowed me to modify it in light of my current circumstances." God will not tolerate the attitude of Saul.
Because all are sinners, you find yourself frequently having to confess your wrongs. But that is different from ignoring God's commands or refusing to recognize their authority over your life. When you find yourself moving in the direction of rebellion, quickly repent. It is not a safe place to be.
Devotional © Copyright by Walter A Henrichsen.
The part that talks about "the attitude of Saul" is powerful. I think it is so easy for our generation to go here. Seems like we are surrounded with arguments that basically say "the culture is different now, God did not mean that for me."I wonder how much of our "culture" is sinful?
Thoughts?
