Hearing is Different From Obeying

J. A. Hunter

1 Samuel Series • Sermon • Submitted 8 months ago • Presented 8 months ago

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Notes

Transcript

Handout

1 Samuel 15

Introduction

There is a statement everyone in here has heard at least once in their life, has probably said to another person at least once in their life, and has had said to them at least once in their life. This statement becomes far more common when you get married, and becomes more common the longer you are married, at least so I hypothesize. Anyone know what that statement is? “What I say to you just goes in one ear and out the other.”

We day this statement quite a lot when we do not think someone is listening to us. We say something and we either get no reaction or a little while later find that a request was met with no action, and so we chide into the person saying they did not listen, that what we said to them went in one ear and out the other. So often though it is not that the words literally went in one ear and out the other as if there was only air in-between, albeit some of y’all may feel it is that way with your spouse or your children (that is not a time for an amen), but that the words were not listened to, only heard.

There really is a difference between hearing and listening. If you hear someone, then you are recognizing that their vocal chords are vibrating in your vicinity, but not actually paying all that much attention to it. Yet if you listen to someone, actually listen, you are devoting your time and attention to not only recognize their voice but to allow it to change you in some way. You either perform an action or give a response, but that action and that response are things you would not have done if that person had not communicated to you.

Think of what we are doing here right now. I am up here blabbering away, and you are either just listening or hearing. If you are only listening, you are probably thinking about what you are gonna eat for lunch, or what the person behind you is doing, or looking over the shoulder of the person in front of you to see what they are up to, maybe you are thinking about yesterday or tomorrow, or maybe you’re just half asleep and not really thinking of anything (again, not the time for an amen). We have a few little guys running around, and here soon we will have a real little guy being carried around, and they are sure fire ways to make sure no one hears the sermon. A mother puts her baby or toddler up on her shoulder and it will knock out the whole two rows behind her, at least that’s what my preaching professor always taught us.

Yet if you are hearing me talking, then you may be thinking about our Bible passage, you may be leaning forward to hear me better, you may be thinking about where I am going to go with this passage or even when this introduction will end, all things you would not be doing if I was not up here blabbering to you, you would be thinking about lunch or tomorrow or sleep. There is a difference between listening and hearing.

This is actually seen in the Hebrew language. There is a famous passage in Deuteronomy 6 called the Shema, named that because it begins with “Shema,” the Hebrew command for “to hear.” Yet this word does not just mean listen up, it has the idea of obedience. It is like a father telling his son to listen and obey. It means “Hear” but expects an action from you, something that you would not have otherwise done if you had not heard those words.

Passage Exposition

This is something Saul seems to really struggle with. He listens a lot to Samuel and to God, but does very little hearing and even less obeying. We saw last week how he foolishly bound the nation of Israel to a a prideful oath which led them to sin, and after blaming them and making himself look good, Saul was forced to kill his pride or kill his son. Now here in chapter 15 we see Samuel come to Saul and give an order.

In v. 1, Samuel gives a message from God to Saul and tells him to heed God’s voice in the NKJV. In the KJV, it says hearken, in NASB it says listen, but in Hebrew it is that term used there in Deuteronomy 6, Shema, hear me and obey, or in this case, hear the voice of God and obey.

Then in v. 2 we see what God’s command is, the LORD of Hosts, YHWH Sabaoth, literally God of the Armies, says to you O Saul, I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, so go and attack Amalek, utterly destroy everything they have, all of their mean, women, children, animals, everything.

Here I think we have a few things going on. First, I think we see God contending with Saul. We saw last week where God forced the decision on Saul whether to kill his own pride or kill his son, and Saul went with the second option! Now I think we see another test from God. Saul has really set himself up as a warrior king at this point. In 1 Samuel 14:47 Scripture tells us that Saul fought against his enemies on every side of Israel, and v. 52 of that same chapter tells us that Saul would take all the strong men and good warriors and recruit them into his army. He was a warrior king.

Yet here we have God referring to Himself was the God of the armies and giving a command to Saul. It seems to me God is essentially telling Saul, “No, I am the warrior King, I am the King of the Armies, I am the one who punishes and the one who establishes kings.” So God gives Saul a command to see if he will actually hear and obey or if he will choose his own pride again.

Second, it may seem really harsh that God calls Saul to kill everyone, women and children excluded. Surely the God of love and justice would not do that, would he? I think it is important we first look at who the Amalekites were. They were descendants of Amalek, one of the grandsons of Esau. The Amalekites were mentioned back in Exodus 17:8-16 and is the account where the Israelites go out to war, Moses goes up on a cliff, and Moses has to keep his hands up above his head for the Israelites to prevail. What is interesting is that Amalekites were not in Israel’s way. They were a nation south of what would become Judah that already lived in the Promised Land. Being a semi-nomadic tribe, they were quite spread out, but were in a considerable portion of the southern area of the Promised Land which the Israelites were going around to enter from the West. Yet the Amalekites rushed out to attack them! Deuteronomy 25:17-18 adds information saying that the Amalekites attacked the Israelites when the Israelites were tired and weary from travel. Then in Numbers 14, after the Israelites sinned and were told they could not enter the Promised Land, the Israelites tried to enter anyway and the Amalekites were one of the groups specifically mentioned as coming and slaughtering the Israelites.

The hatred of the Amalekites by the Israelites was so strong it lasts even until recent history. The Nazis were referred to as Amalekites by some Israelites, showing just how hated and horrible the Israelites considered these people. They were wicked, evil, war-mongering people that had ambushed the Israelites once, forced them back a second time, and we see in Judges they were even hired to kill more of the Israelites at one point. Yet God did not forget, and rendered judgment against them. The term here “utterly destroy” means to devote to the ban. It is banned from all else because it is devoted to the deity, as one commentator says, that they are solemnly vowed with no chance of redemption. That sounds really weird in English, but the idea is that they were devoted to God’s wrath, that God banned the Amalekites from life itself. Their sins had become so disgusting to God that He devoted them to complete and total destruction. It is a terrifying phrase that, when seen in Scripture, means God has rendered His divine judgment and the people placed under this ban were to be wiped off the face of this earth.

So, Saul gathers people together, come to one of the Amalekites’ cities and destroys it, and takes the king of that city captive, as seen in v.9, and even keeps the best looking animals, disobeying the command God had given him. He heard, but did not listen.

So God speaks to Samuel, and Samuel begins grieving for Saul and pleading for him, but God has had enough. Samuel goes to meet Saul, carrying his message, and v. 12 says Samuel is told Saul is over by Gilgal, and has set a monument, a trophy, up for himself. He is proud of what he did.

So Samuel continued on to Gilgal, and when he approaches Saul, he comes out and look what he says in v. 13. I performed the commandment. I did what you told me. Saul is so entrenched in his sin that he is blind to his own disobedience and sin. So Samuel interrupts him in v. 15, what is this I hear?! He points to the sheep and the oxen and asks what are these?! Like a child with crumbs all over his face saying I did not eat that, Saul is caught in the act.

Yet he digs himself a deeper hole. When Saul is called out by Samuel, he responds in v. 15 with they have brought them. Not me, but they. He says it was the people who spared them, not me, but the people. He is doing the same thing he did last week, casting blame on everyone and not recognizing his own sin. Yet he keeps going, the people brought them to sacrifice to the Lord your God. Not my God, not our God, the Lord your God. It seems Saul has become so consumed by his own sin it is not even his God anymore, but Samuel’s. God chose the death of his son over his pride, and now chose his kingship over God’s, to where even the prophet is now the messenger of a God foreign to Saul.

So Samuel interrupts Saul again, and in v. 16 basically tells him to shut up, to be quiet, for God has pronounced His judgment. Samuel is tired of hearing Saul’s excuses, and seems to have realized just how deeply in sin he has fallen. Yet Saul is audacious, he is prideful enough, to give the prophet of God permission to deliver his message. Samuel spoke with the authority of God, so Saul is essentially telling God He is allowed to speak. It seems Saul is finally willing to hear rather than just listen.

So Samuel begins speaking, and in vv. 17-19 tells Saul that though Saul did not think he was much of anything, hiding from the lot when God was naming the king, yet God still made him king, and now he has become full of himself. The power went to his head, and now he is taking things that the Lord claimed for His wrath. And in v. 20 Saul argues with the prophet of God. He says, no, what God told you is wrong, I did obey His voice. Either you heard wrong or God got His info wrong, because I did obey His voice, I went on His mission, and then Saul even repeats Himself. I did do what was right, the people took the plunder, the people took the things dedicated to the ban, the people brought it back to sacrifice to your God. Again, not mine, not ours, your God. Saul is so lost in his sin he is not only disobeying the words of God, He is denying them outright, calling either God or His prophet a liar, blaming it on the people, anything but Himself.

In the following verses we see Samuel does not fight, he does not argue, he instead gives what in Hebrew is a poem, which poetry in Hebrew, if not a song, usually tells us it is a declaration from God. So here God makes a declaration to Saul in vv. 22-23, do I take pleasure in sacrifices? You say these animals were brought back to be sacrificed to me, but do I take pleasure in that? Or do I take greater pleasure in doing what I tell you to do? Is not obedience, hearing me rather than just listening, better? For your rebellion is as evil as witchcraft, and your stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have forsaken my words, I forsake you as king.

Essentially, God is telling Saul that he listens but does not hear. You may have thought you were doing this for me, but you were really just doing it for yourself. You did not obey me, but you rebelled, you fought back, and you have called me a liar, so since you have rejected me, I will reject you as king.

Now Saul does repent in a way, though Samuel does not seem to buy it. Saul tears Samuel’s robes which Samuel foresees as further evidence of God having torn the kingdom from Saul. So Samuel, the obedient prophet since the beginning, fulfils God’s command, kills Agag, and never sees Saul again, though mourning for him continually.

Application

There is a lot more I wish we had time to cover today. For example, was Saul saved and this was his instance of apostasy? Maybe, but that’s a longer discussion than we have time for this morning. Why did God reject Saul as king twice? I actually put this in my notes but had to remove it for time. There’s a lot to look at in this passage that will just have to remain in the iceberg under the ocean, but I want us to consider whether you are a listener or a hearer. When God speaks to you, through Scripture and the lives of others, do you listen, or do you actually hear and listen to what God is telling you.

When you feel convicted of your sinfulness, exposed to how wicked you are, do you submit, ask forgiveness, and repent of your sin? Or do you just ignore the feeling, pushing it off, until the point your conscience becomes burned, turned to stone, until it dies to the point you see nothing wrong with your sins anymore?

Yet the Bible tells to know to do good and not do it is just as sinful. So do you feel convicted to pray, convicted to read your Bible more, convicted to witness or encourage someone, convicted to do x, y, or z, and you refuse, burning your conscience to what is good?

How many of us are like Saul? We hear God’s commands but we do what we want instead. We, like Saul does here and we have talked about before, try to make it look spiritual or blame others, when it is us, our rebellion, our witchcraft, our idolatry because we value ourselves and what we desire more than God.

Christ Connection

This is a very dangerous place to be in, because if you are lost then there may come a time in which you have rejected God to the point He rejects you. You will pass from this world and encounter Him in judgment, and He will say He never knew you. You may be the nicest person on this planet. You may give to the poor, you may volunteer, you may be kind to others and never cheat or steal, you may even read a Bible and pray to some God, maybe even Christ, but if you are not saved by Him, if you believe you can get to Heaven on your own, on your own good works, then you are mistaken. God does not care how much you read your Bible, how much you pray, how much good you do, what He cares about is that you are obedient, and because of the sin of Adam none of us can be, but by the blood of Christ, the only obedient one who heard the voice of God rather than listened, we can claim His blood to where Christ’s obedience becomes our own. Then God looks down and all He sees is the obedience of Christ. You can never work your way to Heaven, God takes no pleasure in your goodness, but He takes great pleasure in the obedience of His only Son.

Maybe you are saved here this morning, disobedient to God, which I would venture to say we all are to some degree. We are all disobedient in some way, shape, or form, because we take after the disobedience of our father Adam. Yet if we are saved that obedience of Christ already covers us, but it also calls us to continued obedience. Now, hear me when I say this, there are some in the church who, either through how they were raised, how they were taught, or through OCD, believe they need to read their Bible so much, say so many prayers, or do so many good things to achieve God’s favor or to maintain their salvation. I assure you of this, brothers and sisters, you are just as protected from the wrath of God by the obedience of Christ as you were the day you first got saved. No sin nor good deeds can change His love for you because it is based in Christ, not you.

However, if you continue in sin, whether actively or by refusing to do what you know is the right thing to do, you can burn your conscience. You can rebel against God to the point your rebellion becomes your natural state, backsliding to the point where you no longer even feel the conviction of the Spirit. If you continue further down that path, you may even get to the point where you actively cast off God’s salvation, committing apostasy and forsaking Christ. Christ will never leave you, but your rebellion will pull you away from His voice, His conviction, and may eventually convince you it is best to leave Him forever.

Conclusion

So please, let us continue in obedience, continue in following our Lord and Master like we did the day we were first saved. When our King calls us to action, may we not be like Saul in our rebellion, in our idolatry worshipping ourselves, but may we be obedient. May we cast off our sins, cast off our trespasses, cast off our idols, may we pray for forgiveness and strength when facing down with temptation. May we flee from Satan and cling to the Gospel message, cling to the feet of Christ, the only obedient servant of God, pleading His blood, claiming His obedience, for ours will accomplish nothing. May we not be rebellious teenagers before our father, but humble and loving servants.

Reflection

Hebrews 10:11–31 (NASB 2020)

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant which I will make with them

After those days, declares the Lord:

I will put My laws upon their hearts,

And write them on their mind,”

He then says,

“And their sins and their lawless deeds

I will no longer remember.”

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

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Benediction

Hebrews 10:15–24 NASB 2020

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant which I will make with them After those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws upon their hearts, And write them on their mind,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will no longer remember.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds,

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