What lessons can we learn from Saul's disobedience in 1 Samuel 28:17? The LORD Keeps His Word, Whether in Blessing or Judgment • 1 Samuel 28:17 declares, “The LORD has done exactly as He spoke through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor—David.” • What God had promised years earlier in 1 Samuel 15:28 finally fell: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today.” • Lesson: Every promise and warning in Scripture stands unshakable (Joshua 23:14; Matthew 24:35). Our obedience or disobedience determines which side of those promises we experience. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice—Partial Compliance Counts as Rebellion • Saul kept the best of Amalek’s spoils (1 Samuel 15:9) and then tried to justify it with religious excuses. • Samuel’s rebuke still echoes: “To obey is better than sacrifice… For rebellion is like the sin of divination” (1 Samuel 15:22–23). • Lesson: God wants wholehearted obedience, not selective compliance or pious cover-ups (John 14:15; James 1:22). Rebellion Opens Doors to Darkness • By refusing God’s voice, Saul lost divine guidance (1 Samuel 28:6) and eventually sought a medium—the very practice he had outlawed (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). • Lesson: Persisting in sin numbs the conscience and drives a person toward counterfeit spiritual guidance (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). Disobedience Brings Loss Beyond the Individual • Saul’s downfall cost Israel morale and lives (1 Samuel 31:1-6); his sons died alongside him. • Lesson: Our choices ripple into families, congregations, and nations (Exodus 20:5; Romans 5:19). God Will Raise Another to Fulfill His Purposes • While Saul squandered his call, God prepared David “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). • Lesson: No human failure thwarts God’s plan; He simply moves to a willing vessel (Isaiah 55:11; Acts 13:22). Delayed Judgment Does Not Equal Divine Approval • Years passed between Saul’s first act of disobedience and the final verdict in 1 Samuel 28:17. • Lesson: God’s patience is mercy, not permission (Ecclesiastes 8:11; 2 Peter 3:9). Takeaways for Today • Treasure and obey God’s word immediately and completely. • Guard your heart; small compromises can lead to catastrophic choices. • Seek the Lord while He may be found; do not wait until He is silent. • Remember that faithfulness today safeguards blessings for tomorrow’s generation. |
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