Rebel Radar

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

      Have you ever noticed the “rebel radar” that seems to naturally take place. If you have a room full of people and place three bitter, rebellious people in the room they will somehow find each other. It seems like they are drawn together by an unseen magnetism. Unhappy, dissatisfied people stand out in a crowd. They need each other for support and don’t want to hear the counsel of those that are not possessed by the same destructive spirit.

      The prophet begins this verse by declaring rebellion (bitterness) is as the sin of witchcraft and then continues to unfold the thought as he pens “stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”. The NIV version translates “stubbornness” as “arrogance”. When we think about someone that is stubborn, arrogance is the best way to describe them. They have stopped listening, stopped searching, and become entrenched in their own position. They are arrogant in their belief and only seek to find those that agree with them. Perhaps this is why the bitter, arrogant / rebellious, stubborn crowd seems to be drawn to each other, they aren’t interested in learning just repeating their mantra.

      God doesn’t hold a very high opinion of the arrogant rebel. He considers them to be overtaken and controlled by demon spirits. This is illustrated in the way that the Prophet describes them. They are like witches and idol worshippers. Destruction is their reward. They have fallen from God and their blessing is removed. In this passage Saul had disobeyed the command to completely destroy everything of the Amalekites and kept the best sheep and animals. He repeatedly kept shifting the blame to the “people” and tried to rationalize the decision by saying that they were going to sacrifice them to the Lord. There is an interesting proclamation by Samuel to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:17

     “And Samuel said, When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel? And the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.”

     God doesn’t choose the biggest, or the best! He chooses the obedient and the humble. It is not in what you can bring to God but what God can bring through you! Saul had forgotten who was in charge. His blessing became his downfall as he began to consider himself more important than the charge given to him by Almighty God. Many today fall into the same trap. They begin humble and dependent on God but when blessings begin to flow through them they are lifted up and become arrogant. Instead of humble obedience to God they allow the trials that were meant to make them strong to become stumbling blocks that make them bitter. They turn inward and rely on their own reasoning instead of submitting to God given authority. In the end their rebellion and arrogance rob them of their God given purpose and leave them defeated.

      We see this in the last part of our verse as Samuel tells Saul, “Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”

     Saul had arrogantly listened to his own reasoning and the voice of the people that wanted the spoils that belonged to God. He stubbornly rebelled against the Word of God and did what he wanted instead. God saw his heart and removed him that day from being king. His end was decided ultimately by his own rebellious nature.

      May the Lord give us a servant’s heart. One that will walk humbly before Him and learn to honor the God given authorities in our lives.