I think sometimes we apologize for the gospel or may be tempted to apologize for the gospel. We may not be thorough with it. It's not catch and release. We're fishers of men. We're looking to save souls and Not let them off the hook.
When they feel convicted, no hesitation. for this. I think there was probably something in the way Agag carried himself, spoke, glanced at him, something set that man off. Special way, a holy zeal with no quarter for the flesh. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston.
Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now, here's Pastor Rick with the conclusion of his study called The Lying King in 1 Samuel 15. God seeks those who love him. And obedience is the evidence of that love. I mean, how else do you establish it? If you love me, keep my commandments.
This is when Peter was confronted by Christ, and Christ said to him, Do you love me? And Peter said, Lord, I don't love you as much as you want me to love you.
Well, do you love me, Peter? Not as much as. You want me to love you. And he was just being honest. He said, I've been there.
I thought I loved you more than all of these. I thought I'd never let you down because of my love for you. But when faced with the proper combination of temptation and trial, I blew it. I could not understand the crucifixion. I could not understand your arrest.
fell apart. and now I'm not ready to say to you, Lord. That I can do all that you want me to do, even though you know I love you. It's a very touching moment they are on the shore of Galilee. And we have been there, have we not, as believers?
Maybe you've said something to someone and you wish you could take those words back. But you cannot. But you know that you did not mean it, or if you meant it at the time you said it, it was not right, and you know that, and you just look to God and you say, I just can't do. everything perfectly. And of course, God says, you got that right.
Let's see what you do with it. Let's see what you do with others who are in the same boat as you. Verse 23. For rebellion is as witchcraft, is the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he also has rejected you from being king. For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, which is divination, which is trying to get in touch with forbidden spirits.
And that's how God classifies the sin. And he says this is rebellion against my authority. I've told you not to do it. And what are you doing sneaking around me anyway? You're supposed to come to me.
But you're going to them. And they are opposed to me. And this is rebellion. Seeks to bypass the throne of Yahweh. It is a heightened form of sin.
Saul later Flagrantly commits this very sin. He goes to the witch at Endor to find out, you know. Who's the winning horse in the first race? You know, what just does it matter? Does it even matter why he went there?
He's not supposed to go. There is no reason. There's no acceptable reason to. There's a reason, but it's just not acceptable. He says, and stubbornness is the iniquity of idolatry.
It's stiff-necked. God is pulling you this way, and you refuse to go. This is uh This is not the same stubbornness. As someone who's determined To do what they know is right, and others may be trying to get them off of that. That's a good kind of stubbornness.
This is the bad type of stubbornness that holds to error when it knows it's error, and it's going to hold to it nonetheless because it wants what it wants. Because you have rejected Yahweh.
Well, you're going to reap something for this rejection. He also has rejected you, and there it is. The crown goes from you, and the crowd goes, ooh. If any spectators are watching and they're hearing Samuel say this, they have got to be home. Man, this is not going good for Saul.
Too bad it wasn't instant. No, he's going to be king for a long time. Uh but his His children will not sit on the throne. And in the end, it will say that David, Judah, prevailed over Benjamin in 2 Samuel. Verse 24 now.
Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh. and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
Well, he's admitting to it because he has to admit to it. But still, he's got the people in there, doesn't he? Why can't he just say, I have sinned, I have transgressed? Why does he have to bring up the people? Even if he's trying to say, Yeah, I shouldn't have listened to that, why don't you shut your mouth?
You sin, just leave it at that. Without Samuel's confronting him, he would never admit to this.
Somebody else could come along and say, This is what you did wrong, and he'd probably have him killed even at this stage in his life. We'll get him later. 2 Corinthians chapter 7: For godly sorrow produces. Repentance leading to salvation. Because it is contrite, it is genuine.
Then he says, not to be regretted, but.
Sorrow of the world produces death. And that's what this is: the world's type of sorrow. Yeah, the plan didn't work out as I expected. Judas Iscariot, you know, yeah, it didn't work. I'm going to hang myself, punish somebody for it, whatever is going through his wicked head.
Whereas Peter was just shattered. just shattered by what he had done wrong. He wept bitterly, the Bible tells us. There are certain scenes. If you could portray these scenes in a movie, you won't forget that part of the movie.
or the play, or whatever it is. And this scene with Samuel and Saul you this was the highlight of the movie, if it was about, you know, the book of Samuel. And you get to the New Testament, the part about Peter weeping. And you know, Jesus looked at Peter. Before the weeping They made eye-to-eye contact.
Jesus is arrested. Peter is denying him. And they make eye-to-eye contact. As G. Campbell Morgan said, that look would have been wasted.
That look of Jesus would have been wasted if Peter didn't make it to make the connection. And he did make the connection, and it wasn't wasted. And Peter went out and cried like a baby. How different from this man Verse 24. Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed against the commandment.
Sorry, I read that.
Well, God must have felt you need to hear it again.
So, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words. It's the confession of a criminal. Not the confession of a contrite heart, not again hating his sin, just disliking being held accountable and boxed in, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
Now Brother Aaron. First high priest of Israel in a similar situation. And it's kind of passed over, and it's dealt with, and then they move on. As though Aaron knew he was wrong. But let's reread it, because it's fun.
It's fun because it's not my turn in the hot seat, it's Aaron's. This is when Moses comes down and the people are dancing and having a good time around the golden calf, which is why we don't allow dancing in church. That's not the only reason, but that's one. Anyway.
So Aaron said, Do not let the anger.
Now, pause there.
Somebody will pick that out of the whole sermon. Say, dancing, you said no dancing in church, and that's all there remained. He blacked out after that. Exodus 32.
So Aaron said, Do not let the anger of the Lord become hot. You know how the people You know the people. That they are set on evil.
So we see Aaron doing the same thing. For they said to me, Make us gods. That shall go before us. As for this Moses, your brother, The man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. And I said to them, Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.
So they gave it to me, and I cast it in the fire. And this calf came out.
Now if Moses was me I would have busted out laughing in his face. Of course, Moses wasn't me. Moses had an anger issue. He'd go to counseling. He'd sit there with his sandals and his robe.
Hi, I'm Moses. I have an issue with anger. He did. I mean, he killed the guy in the sand. He was mad because he got found out.
I mean, just so. We can relate I can relate to him. And imagine Moses driving. In downtown Brooklyn, could you imagine? He'd be arrested.
Moses would be calling fire down on people. Oh gosh, don't go. Why did I see that? It's kind of a Charlton Heston thing still happening.
Well Anyway, somehow Aaron knew this was ridiculous. And and Moses did too. But Saul Saul just doesn't, he's very serious and he's deadly. And that's the disconnect. Aaron doesn't then go throwing spears at godly people.
Saul will. Verse 25, now therefore please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship Yahweh. This is not the same class of sincerity of David before Nathan. He's maintaining his image here.
Now, therefore, please, pardon my saying, let's get past this.
Okay, I said I'm sorry. Can we just move on? We know people like this.
Sometimes it's right.
Sometimes, okay, look, you're just pouring salt in this. I've told you, I'm wrong, I'm sincere, and you won't let it go.
Now you're starting to sin. And you're going to make me sin again. Where's my taser? Anyway.
Oh, I'm the only one that's ever felt like that. You get busted, and you repented, and the other person is just going to drive you out. out of town. with tar and spoon you, so you click when you walk. This is very fun.
You gotta picture it.
Alright, anyway. If Samuel doesn't return with him. is a problem for the nation. Because they're going to say, What happened to Samuel? He walked 15 miles here, heard about your little statue.
Where is he? Uh well, you know, we had a big fallout. What? You're not with the man of God, we're not with you. I mean, this is pretty big.
Samuel's absence would. tumble into sus suspicion That there was a row between the two, and the riff remains.
So, Samuel, of course, with the heart of a shepherd, knows better, and he's pretty angry at this point. He's, I'm out of here. And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you, verse 26, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh. And Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel. Liar.
Okay, that's adding to the scripture. But that's, you know. Anyway.
Samuel knew this was the wrong kind of confession. He knows it. And he doesn't want any part to it. He admitted to being wrong. We went through all of that.
And he wants no fellowship with the one who wants no fellowship with God. He wants to disfellowship. Himself. from Saul. How could he?
The man is so out of rhythm with God. How could Samuel sit at the table with him?
Well, the way Samuel is going to do it is because of his heart for the people. That's how he's going to do it. He says, And the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.
Well, we think of David when David, of course, committed these egregious sins that Two Psalms sum up David: Psalm 32 and Psalm 51. That tells you what David was going through. My bones, it was just hardening up in me while I was hiding my sin. He just goes into this whole story. And create in me a clean heart, O God.
Take not your Holy Spirit from me. He pours out these Psalms to God. Saul says, look, don't leave, come and eat with everybody. People are going to talk if you don't come. What a stark Contrast, verse 27, and Samuel turned around to go away.
Saul seized the edge of his robe and tore it. Drama music right there. Who's paying for this? I mean, I take it that like if he ripped my jacket, like, who pays for that? Yeah.
Well it's the upper tunic. and he grabbed it hard enough to tear it. Samuel is going to make metaphor of the moment. Verse twenty eight, and Samuel said to him, The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. I don't think Samuel's enjoying this enough.
His heart is too broken. We know that at the end. He's angry. is angry on multiple levels. I'm kind of enjoying it because I'm a little bit in the flesh over the whole thing.
Because I, you know. Because the case is closed. What if Saul was alive today? I'd have a whole different approach. You know, I'd just.
I want to distance myself from him. From him, hope that God would save him. But certainly salt the area so he cannot spread himself. Uh is evil. But, you know, if you can't obey, Samuel is saying you cannot command, not on this level.
And he says, And has given it to a neighbor of yours who's better than you. Um It doesn't seem to bother Saul at the time when I read this. Going back to chapter 13. But now your kingdom shall not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart.
And Yahweh has commanded him to be commander over his people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you. That was Saul. Um messing it up. And God's saying, There's a man with a heart after mind, that's what makes him better than Saul. What made David better than Saul?
David chased God. Saul did not. Uh and and this while it doesn't bother him now The seeds of jealousy are there, but And Saul is going to be shaken. pick it up. In 1 Samuel chapter 18.
This is after David had slain Goliath and he had become a commander in Saul's army. He was under Saul's authority, and he's out conquering Philistines, and victories are piling up.
So the women sang and they danced and said. Saul has slain his thousands, David is ten thousands. Then Saul was very angry. We pause there. This is the anger.
That wants blood. It is the events Confirm this. This is not Boy, I don't like that guy. This is boy, I am gonna kill that guy. And it continues, and the saying displeased him.
And he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands, because he's self-centered. He picks up on anything that does not promote him.
Now what more can they have but the kingdom? That was his conclusion. And well, how about what Samuel said to you? The kingdom's torn from you. Remember when you tore his robe?
No, I don't remember. That probably would have been probably so kooky. David so endeared himself to God, After acts of shame even. That God never let him go. He shows up 500 years later in the prophecies of, you know, of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Ezekiel has him on the throne in the millennial kingdom. I mean, as I mentioned, I think last session, he's the last man mentioned in the Bible. Other than Jesus Christ, directly named is David, the throne of David, the seed of David. And these contrasts are the flesh and the spirit. Imagine being the last man named in God's Word.
I I would, you know You know, have my name, the last name. It is what an honor. And we can't lose sight of that, and that's why I keep saying because I know there have been those over the years that I've met. That have sort of harbored a grudge on David for his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. He said, Well, you know what?
God didn't harbor that grudge. You better watch your step. Jesus Christ is associated with this man directly and not shamefully, right out honorably. Anyway, verse 29. And also, the strength of Israel will not lie nor relent, for he is not a man that he should relent.
And so he personifies the strength of Israel. It refers to God. When he says, for he is not a man here in verse 29, he should not relent. That means God does not back down. His rejection came along in Deuteronomy.
God said, I'll bless you if you obey, but if you don't, to the whole nation, the curses will follow. Verse 30. Then he said, I have sinned, yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh, your God. There a third time. It's not a mistake.
It's not a mistake. The Holy Spirit is saying, See what's inside this man's head and his heart. It's not my God. Our God. It is your God, Samuel.
I said I was sorry.
Now come back with me. Appearances mean everything, Samuel. Who cares about what the substance when we can have appearances? Rehoboam, they stole the golden shields of Solomon, so he put bronze shields up. What kind of, what was that?
Some find it honorable. I would have founded just Sad. He says that I may worship Yahweh your God. With what? utter utter half truths.
Verse 31.
So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshipped. Let me reread verse 31 because it's a key part to this.
So Samuel turned back. after Saul. And Saul worshipped Yahweh. And so there's is the Samuel with his shepherd heart. He goes back because of the people.
with his torn robe. And I wonder if anybody, how'd you get that, Samuel? Pretty sloppy today, aren't we? Of course, that's just attempts at humor. Two men are standing here in contrast to each other, worshiping side by side.
one with a love and loyalty in his heart That cannot be outmatched, and the other, not so. It's a tragedy, it really is, and not fun. Beating up on Saul, but I think it would be inexcusable. I'm going to have a Tozia quote in a little bit that really says.
something about not covering up the lessons from Scripture. For people's sake, because it's not for their sake. It would be against them. Verse 32: Then Samuel said, Bring Agag, king of the Amalekites, here to me.
So Agag came to him cautiously, and Agag said, Surely the bitterness is past. You can hear his voice changing because he can see that Samuel is about to take out a lot of stuff on him that he would like to have taken out on Saul.
So. While Saul plundered, of course, the Amalekites, many of them escaped, Haman, proof of that, and other sections of Scripture. But Samuel knows the deal. And he knows that the Amalekites and Agag, they weren't out selling cookies one season of the year. Um the Girl Scouts.
Uh they were they were bad people and He didn't, he was a monster, is what I'm trying to say. But this word, so Agag came to him cautiously. It's translated elsewhere that Hebrew word is daintily. You know, he's just kind of like. Walking with thin ice, but trying to be cheerful at the same time.
It's all over, right? We're good. We're past the whole judgment thing. Nope. And Agag said, Surely the business is past, verse thirty-three, but Samuel said, As your sw sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.
And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before Yahweh and Gilgal. And in front of everybody else too. Saul had to be saying, Whoa. Man, I didn't think the old guy had it in him. Yeah.
And this is another scene in the scripture that once you see it, you don't forget. This is how you treat the flesh. If you can treat it, hack it to death with a sword. Unfortunately, the flesh has a sword too. It fights back.
So there's the indictment. As you have made women childless, you've been a murderer, so you are going to be murdered. or executed. And he hacked them thorough, without apology, and without hesitation. I think sometimes we apologize for the gospe or may be tempted to apologize for the gospel.
We may not be thorough with it. It's not catch and release. We're fishers of men. We're looking to save souls. Not let them off the hook.
When they feel convicted, no hesitation. For this. I think there was probably something in the way Agag carried himself, spoke, glanced at him, something set that man off. Special way, a holy zeal with no quarter for the flesh. A.W.
Tozier. says this I think this is from his uh biography by Snyder. on tozier. But this is what Tojio said. The fashion now, and this is probably in the 50s, late 50s, early 60s when he said this, the fashion now is to tolerate anything.
lest we gain the reputation of being intolerant. The tender minded saints cannot bear to see Agag slain.
So they choose rather to sacrifice the health of the church for years to come by sparing error and evil. and this they do in the name of Christian love. If Tozier was a prize fighter, he would have beat everybody. He was just amazing. How he could formulate these truths in language that nobody could mistake what was being said.
So full of doctrine. I had s few more Tozi quotes, but I I had had we don't have time. I had to take him out. Anyway, if the prophet could comply with God, what was the king's problem? Verse 34, then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
Yeah, you notice Saul was saying, Did you see the way he acted that guy? Man, how do you feel? If you've ever seen anything dramatic, it does not go away quickly. It stays with you for days. Anyway, verse thirty five And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death.
Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul. And Yahweh regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. That last part of the verse, Yahweh regretting, of course, it wasn't the regret of, I made a mistake, I shouldn't have done that. That's not it at all. It is, this is not what I was aiming for.
The failure of Saul is on Saul. I did not engineer his collapse. And that is true of all sinners. If they are in hell, it is their fault, not God's fault. If they've heard the gospel and rejected it, what defense do they have?
So, nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul. Saul did not mourn for Samuel. We don't read of him, yeah. You know what? I think I upset the old guy.
No, none of that. Instead, He took hold of the flesh life. And you know, you've seen some of those stickers, the salt life. I'm they're innocent enough. But I see them and I always think of the flesh life.
It's that's the flesh life. Not the spirit life. Anyway, and I don't mean if you have that sticker in your car, I'm not saying you should take it off or anything. I'm just. Shouldn't have said anything, probably.
Oops.
So uh Only one goes home with their heart broken. How does that work out? Two people seen the steel, two thieves on the cross. One goes to heaven, one does not. One here, his heart is broken, and God sees it and stamps it on the record for all the ages to read.
Nothing said of the other one. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. Not what God hoped for. A man like Saul. saddens heaven and earth.
That's the point. Uh Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel. If you'd like to listen again to this or other messages or share it with someone you know, please visit crossreferenceradio.com.
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