1 Samuel 15:17-21: a reflection

17Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel; 18and the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19Why then didn’t you obey the LORD’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight?” 20Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the LORD’s voice, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

God had commanded Saul to carry out a specific judgment completely; but Saul kept back the best of the plunder, and spared the enemy king. When Samuel confronts him, notice Saul's response: But I have obeyed the LORD's voice, he insists. He has not obeyed; he has done only part of what God said, and kept back the rest. Yet he calls it obedience, blames the people for the plunder that was kept, and even dresses up the disobedience as devotion, saying the animals were kept to sacrifice to God. Partial obedience, rationalized and excused, is presented as obedience.

Notice how Saul turns disobedience into what he calls obedience. He did not do all God commanded; he kept back what he was told to destroy. But rather than own this as disobedience, he insists he obeyed, shifts the blame to the people, and gives his disobedience a pious motive, that the spared animals were for sacrifice. Partial obedience, doing some of what God says while keeping back the rest, is still disobedience; and Saul's excuses, however plausible, did not change that. He had not obeyed, however he dressed it up.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can practice partial obedience and call it obedience, excusing what we keep back. We can do part of what God asks while holding back the rest, and tell ourselves we have obeyed; we can blame circumstances or others for our disobedience, or give it a pious-sounding motive, as Saul did. But partial obedience is disobedience, however we rationalize it. Do not dress up partial obedience as obedience, keeping back part of what God asks while excusing yourself; obedience that holds back the hard part is not the obedience God seeks. Examine whether you are obeying God fully, or only in part while excusing what you keep back, as Saul kept back the plunder and called it obedience. Give God full obedience, not the partial obedience that holds back and rationalizes, as Saul held back and insisted he had obeyed, when he had not.

Lord, you had commanded Saul to carry out a specific judgment completely; but Saul kept back the best of the plunder, and spared the enemy king. When Samuel confronted him, notice his response: but I have obeyed the LORD's voice, he insisted. He had not obeyed; he had done only part of what you said. Yet he called it obedience, blamed the people, and even dressed up the disobedience as devotion, saying the animals were kept to sacrifice to you. Show me how Saul turned disobedience into what he called obedience. He did not do all you commanded; he kept back what he was told to destroy. But rather than own this as disobedience, he insisted he obeyed, shifted the blame, and gave his disobedience a pious motive. Partial obedience is still disobedience; and his excuses did not change that. Take that to my heart, for I too can practice partial obedience and call it obedience, excusing what I keep back. I can do part of what you ask while holding back the rest, and tell myself I have obeyed; I can blame circumstances or give my disobedience a pious-sounding motive. But partial obedience is disobedience, however I rationalize it. Keep me from dressing up partial obedience as obedience, holding back part of what you ask while excusing myself. Help me examine whether I am obeying you fully, or only in part while excusing what I keep back, as Saul kept back the plunder and called it obedience. Help me give you full obedience, Lord, not the partial obedience that holds back and rationalizes.