Abandoned by God because of Greed (1 Samuel 15)

Saul could not believe his ears when he heard Samuel say “God has chosen a new king instead of you” (13:14).  Somehow in his own arrogance, Saul hoped Samuel’s words to be wrong.  Then, for the first time as an act of desperation, Saul builds an altar unto God and calls for guidance (14:35).  Sadly, 14:37 records a terrifying response to his prayers; “God did not answer him that day”.  Bewildered, confused, and lost, Saul abandons the battlefield and goes home.

In chapter 15, we still see God’s heart for this man who had begun so graciously.  He was an unassuming personality, fully aware of his frailties and weaknesses.  His dependence in and reverence for God was evident when he hesitated to see the seer without any gift in hand (1 Sam. 9:7) and his willingness to be led by the Spirit and join the band of prophets, making the phrase a byword “Is Saul among the prophets” (1 Sam. 10:11) was simply commendable.  In chapter 15, it is as if God gives Saul one last chance to see what was in his heart.

When Samuel presented him the task of obliterating Amalekites, Saul instantly took to the task as if to prove to Samuel that he was still God’s anointed king of Israel, and that Samuel was wrong to assume in God choosing a new king.  However, as the battle progressed and victory ensured; Saul and his army saw the possibility of enriching themselves with the abundance of plunder they could have from the Amalekites.  Instead of obliterating the city and everything in it, Saul began to collect the best items for him and for his soldiers.  He knew the command so very well but the power of greed and the residue of arrogance he had accumulated over the years blinded him completely and broke God’s commands. 

Finally, when Samuel was sent by God to confront him, Saul had the best possible explanation for not obeying the given instructions; “he was saving them to offer sacrifice to God”.  He was doing it for God!  It is at this time that Samuel breaks down and screams at Saul and says “are you crazy, don’t you know that obedience is better than sacrifice!”(15:22-23). Saul’s greed and arrogance deeply grieves God’s heart and old Samuel too departs from Saul with a broken heart never to see him again.  Abandoned by God and his mentor, Saul entered his loneliest period of his earthly existence that drove him into insanity.

How often have we justified our disobedience to God’s word by saying “I am doing this for God or I am doing this for something good”?  Particularly when it comes to material and financial dealings, the temptation to sin while doing something for God’s kingdom is very real.  Without any sense of remorse or regret, a well-known Pastor friend of mine in Nepal once shared with me about his exploits of profiting from a healing crusade held in Kathmandu.  An American healing Evangelist organized this healing crusade and his church was selected to do the advertising for the upcoming crusade.  Substantial amount of money was allocated for that.  But my friend spent only the 25% of the money given to him and the rest he kept for himself.  Of course in the bills, 100% was spent for advertising!  When I said, “how could you do this?” he simply said, “Maha katnele hat chatchha = when you extract honey from bee-hives, you lick your hand”.  I don’t want to say much about this friend, but Saul also thought the same. 

Many ministers, missionaries, native mission leaders, and contract workers in God’s kingdom think like Saul thought.  They assume that because they are in the ministry or mission fields, they sacrifice so much; they suffer in many ways, and therefore deserve some break.  God would not hold them accountable even if they mismanage ministry/mission money and profit a little.  But how sad; soon these people find themselves without the presence of God.  Ministers disappear from societies, missionaries become bitter and return home with broken hearts, native mission leaders find themselves in all kinds of trouble in their families and with their governments, and contract workers for God’s kingdom find it hard to exist once the wrath of God begin to show up.   

God never condoned disobedience then, and he would not do now.  God never stayed with the person of pride, greed, and sexual impurity then and he would not do now.  God never associated with an unfaithful people then, and he would not do now.  Humility, obedience, and purity are essential qualities that would never see the absence of God because they are the fruits of obedience to God’s word whereas greed, pride, and sexual impurity will drive a person so far from God where living becomes a form of punishment as Saul found out.