The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1920-06-03
LESSON FOR JUNE 8
MuL's FAILURE.

sAuL'o FAILURE.
GE80oN TEXT San. IL
GOLDEN TExT.Jor thou hast ra3ect-
- the word OF The Lord, and Tie Lsrl
hath re3ected theo.-I Sam, MA
ADDITIONAL. NATERIAL-I Sam. ~
PR1xARY 'Top1o-A King wa. d.
ebsysd God.
JUNIOR ToP1c-Hew Saul Lost HIS
Kingdom.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOPIC
why Saul Failed.
Tho Strength and Weakness Of Saul's
This 10 one Of the saddest pictures
In Bible history. No one has had q
brighter prospect before him than Saul,
yet no one has made Q greater failure.
he possessed strong natural gifts, the
qualities Of q great king. he had nne
physique. which greatly favors ones
success in life. other things being
equal. he had the benefit Of Samuel's
advice and cody life. which was Of In.
estimabls value.
]. The Command 70 Saul wv. 1-8).
he 10 commanded to utterly extermi-
nate the Amalekites. leaving neither
people nor booty. The reason assigned
10 their evil treatment Of Israel a.
they came up out Of Egypt (Ex. 17:S:
Deut % I'D. This command may seem
cruel. but We must remember that II
was given BY the Lord, who has the
right to kill or to make alive. The
wickedness Of this people was very
great Their judgment was only such
a. their sin deserved. It was not Il
rael's act, but Gods. Israel only being
the sword In his hand.
u. The pIsobsdisnes " eauf w!
l-s).
He renders q partial obedience.
Agag. the king, 10 spared and the best
Of the goods 10 appropriated. The pur-
pose Of Gods thoroughgoing command
was to show that 1t was a warfare Of
judgment for wIckedness. not for greed.
Saul only obeyed as far as his inclina.
lions led him. The obedience to God
which 10 limited by the hearts ineli.
nation 10 the worst kind Of obedience.
~. Saul Rsbuksd BY Samuel wv.
1925.
1. Samuel cried to God ". ny. Tho
news Of this disgraceful act greatly dis.
turbed Samuel. causing him to cry to
the Lord all night.
2. Saul's hypocritlcal pretense wv.
Is. 16). Saul met Samuel with the
pretense Of having executed the Lords
commandment. This pretense carried
q lie upon it, face. Those who are the
most willing to speak of their obedl-
ence are the ones who are conscious Of
disobedience, and their consciences
trouble them over 1t. Though dis.
turbed by a guilty conscience he tried
to conciliate Samuel. the prophet. but
the very bleating of the sheep and the
lowing Of the herds betrayed him.
Thus betrayed, he tried to shift the
blame upon the people ". 15). This
IL always the way. 1t matters not
what the crime may be, some excuse
can be made for 1t. He then played
the hypocrite by trying to make It
pass as an act Of devotion to God ".
15). He should have known TINT things
gained by disObedience to God are an
abomInation to him. Offerings to God
OF ill.ROtten gains can never atone for
sins Of disobedience and neglect. Saul
tried to Justify himself by pleading
that he was keeping the spirit Of the
commandment. while not literally car.
rying out its requirements. He has
many successors today who do not be-
lieve In the literal Interpretation and
practice Of Gods Word.
8. Samuel rehearses before Saul
Gods dealing with him wv. 1929.
Samuel met this hypocrisy by bring.
ing him to squarely face his sin. God
II more concerned In having his sub.
3ects render obedience unto his com.
mandments than he IL for them to Of
fer unto him sacrifices. Such an act
when the heart 10 In rebellion IL a.
hateful to God ~ withcraft and idola.
try.
w. The Judgment upon Saul wv. 70
85).
For the presumptuous offering Of
sacrifice the dynasty passed from
saul's house. and for this act Of na.
grant disobediencs the kingdom Il rent
from him. II 10 taken from Saul and
given to his neighbor. who 10 better
than he. he confessed his sin and
begged Samuel to still honor him b.
fore the elders Of the people. This
further shows his sslf.centered life.
His honor was more to him than the
glory Of God. Samuel f0rsO0k him
and left him alone to suffer In dis
grace. He refused to punish the Anal.
skite I'll Sam. 1:10). Unless We stay
our enemies they will slay ~. Judg.
msnt shall come sooner or later upon
those who sin. for "the wages OF sin
IL death. but the gift Of God ID eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord"
from. Q :23).
Great osedA
We oil want to do some great thing
TO do what prophets. saints. heroes.
and martyrs have done. But the small