Key Concepts from the Lecture on Obedience and Saul

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms from the lecture on Saul, Haman, and God's commands.

Focus Verse

1 Samuel 15:22 - 'But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.' This verse lays the foundation for understanding the importance of obedience over ritualistic sacrifice.

Can you think of a practice of sacrificing that we do nowadays that can seem very ritualistic when you’re attempting to atone for a sin?

Fasting!

To sacrifice is to give an offering of the flesh. So many times we may transgress and then go right into fasting. Fasting was always meant solely for focusing on The Lord, to draw close to Him. Not to pardon sin.

Saul's Disobedience

King Saul's failure to completely obey God's command regarding the Amalekites exemplifies disobedience, showcasing how ignoring God's instructions can lead to dire consequences.

Saul was told to kill everything. But Saul saved some animals and the king of Amalek.

Focus Verse

1 Samuel 15:22 - 'But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.' This verse lays the foundation for understanding the importance of obedience over ritualistic sacrifice.

Obedience

In the context of Saul, obedience refers to the necessity of fully adhering to God's commands rather than selectively following them or choosing personal desires.

Partial obedience

Partial obedience is still disobedience. There is a reason why God is telling you to completely kill something (ie:flesh) Saul did not completely kill everything and the repercussions of that was in the book of Esther. A descendant of the Amaleks named Hamman sought to kill every Jew because of his hate for Mordecai

Sacrifice

Sacrifice in this narrative represents external acts of worship that cannot substitute for genuine obedience to God's will, as demonstrated by Saul's actions.

Self-willed

Saul's self-willed behavior led to his downfall; he acted according to his own judgment instead of God's commands, illustrating the dangers of prioritizing personal will over divine guidance.

Anoint

Anointing refers to God's selection of Saul as king through Samuel, indicating divine approval and responsibility to follow God's commandments. With anointing comes great power and great obedience is needed

Amalekites

The Amalekites symbolized persistent sin and opposition to God, serving as a significant test of Saul's obedience and faithfulness.

Haman

A descendant of the Amalekite king Agag, Haman's plot against the Jews highlights the ongoing struggle against sin and rebellion against God's people.

Saul’s excuses

King Saul made excuses for his disobedience because of pride. Before he was king he did not esteem himself higher than anyone and God then made him king (see 1Samuel 15:17)

Often times when people become anointed, they get high-minded and fall into pride. Saul found himself making excuses

1Samuel 15:20-21 Saul said to Samuel, Yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which The Lord sent me, and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep, oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto The Lord thy God in Gigal.

This is where we see the infamous verse about obedience being better than sacrifice.