Here’s the deal, I was…

Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."

 16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night."  "Tell me," Saul replied.

 17 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? 1 Sam 15:15-17

Samuel finally catches up with Saul and what does Saul do? He gets defensive, classic confrontation, you know, at one time you've been on either side of this conversation. Can't you just see it?

"I did what you asked!"

"But, here's the evidence."

Ok, you know what's coming, when the evidence is too great against us, what do we do? BLAME.

"It's their fault! They're the ones that did it."

How often does disobedience become a social event, encouraged and entered into by many? Think about that. Ever said "but everyone else is doing it"?

That's a quick way to get the label of hypocrite as a Christian. Think about it.

If you remember, Saul is a man who will not tolerate anyone who fails to carry out his commands, even when they are foolish and detrimental. Remember, he was going to kill his own son Jonathan because of his disobedience! Now, when it comes to Saul's obedience to the command of God, he is amazingly lenient on himself. Disobey God? Maybe. Disobey Saul? Never! When it's other people's sin we want justice, when it's ours we want grace.

Then, here it comes…the rationalization…I love this part, I guess because I can be so good at it!

"Well…um…we were going to do a sacrifice…yeah, that's right a sacrifice…to YOUR god."

A religious event? Notice the lack of conviction, then back to blame…but Samuel goes right to the root of the issue.

"'Though you were little in your own eyes,' Saul, when God chose you."

Saul had been a young humble man when God called him to serve, but now he's full of himself and has no need for the instruction of an old prophet.

Many of us who God called to serve forget where we were when God picked us up. We start thinking how lucky God is to have us; if not God, then, the church; if not the church, then friends, but man, somebody is sure lucky to have me. What a slippery slope! We start to advertise ourselves and our accomplishments more than the God who called us.

Pride is usually at the root of all disobedience; a proud person will not follow anyone else, not even God.