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people pressure

1 Samuel 15:10-23 (JDV)

1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of Yahveh came to Samuel,
1 Samuel 15:11 “I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So, Samuel became angry and cried out to Yahveh all night.
1 Samuel 15:12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where (notice) he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”
1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May Yahveh bless you. I have carried out Yahveh’s instructions.”
1 Samuel 15:14 Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”
1 Samuel 15:15 Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to Yahveh your God, but the rest we destroyed.”
1 Samuel 15:16 “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what Yahveh said to me last night.” “Tell me,” he said.
1 Samuel 15:17 Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? Yahveh anointed you king over Israel
1 Samuel 15:18 and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and annihilate the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’
1 Samuel 15:19 So why didn’t you obey Yahveh? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in Yahveh’s sight?”
1 Samuel 15:20 “But I did obey Yahveh!” Saul answered. “I went on the mission Yahveh gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I annihilated the Amalekites.
1 Samuel 15:21 The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder – the first of what was set apart for destruction – to sacrifice to Yahveh your God at Gilgal.”
1 Samuel 15:22 Then Samuel said: Does Yahveh take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying Yahveh? Notice: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahveh, he has rejected you as king.

people pressure

The people were under Saul’s charge. He had the responsibility under God to lead them on God’s mission. His fear of the people led him to compromise the mission. The LORD wanted to obliterate the Amalekites from the land. The people wanted to win the battle – and keep the best of the spoils. Saul knew that everything had to be devoted to destruction. He caved in under people pressure and lost his right to rule.

LORD, make our Christian leaders strong enough not to give in to people pressure – even when those people are us.