The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-09-08

Moral failure is the direct result
of disobedience to God. This fol-
lows from the fact that the moral
order established in the universe
was established by God. He, then,
is the One who knows the right way.
"God is always right, and when we
are against God, we are always
wrong. To walk a road leading
away from God is to travel straight
to ruin, and this is what Saul did"
(Wilbur M. Smith,.
The story of SauIs choice as king,
his personal qualifications for lead
ership and his ultimate disgrace and
death, is one that should give pause
to every young man or woman who
has been afflicted with present-day
ideas that brilliance of mind, quick
ness of wit, and apparent worldly
success, apart from obedient SUBJ
mission to God, are satisfactory
ends in themselves. There is a
way that seemeth right unto man,
but the end thereof are the ways of
death" prov. 1929.
1. "There Is None Like Him" 30:
21-25).
Saul was chosen of God to be
IsraeTs first king. God Himself
had been their king, but they in
their willful unbelief wanted to be
like neighboring nations, And the
choice of both God and the people
fell on Saul, for there was 'none
like him among all the people"
Never has a man been privileged
to enter more auspiciously upon
high office. Physically he was we'll
equipped, head and shoulders above
the people Q0:23). Mentally he
was fitted for leadership. He was
humble (9:2D. He was spiritually
right (10:6-9). He had a tolerant
and kindly spirit GLIB. He was
a successful military leader Och. 1D.
For two years all went well, but
then came the crisis which proved
that all was not as it should be,
when Saul presumptuously took the
place of Samuel as priest and made
an offering (13:9-13). This was later
followed by his disobedience in spar
ing Agag.
ii. "TO Obey Is Better Than Sac
rifice" Q5:2O-23).
God had commanded that there
must be utter destruction of the
Amalekites and their possessions
something like the burning of dis
ease-infested house-a wiping out of
a king and people who we're con-
demned of God. We may not fully
understand this act of God, but if we
know Him we will not doubt that it
was in accordance with His infinite
wisdom and love.
Saul chose to disobey, later con-
tending that it was done because of
the people, that sheep and oxen had
been spared for a sacrifice to the
Lord. Samuel cuts through his n.y.
pocrisy and declares that God wants
obedience rather than sacrifice. This
is lesson that many who profess
to follow the Lord have not learned.
"All the sacrifices and ceremo-
MES of religion are to aid and pro-
mote obedience, not to be a substi-
tute for it. Disobedience can never
be made virtue, even though at
tended by thousands of sacrifices"
(Stanley). The church or the indi-
vidual who denies or disregards the
teaching of Gods Word and at
tempts to make up for it by sacri-
fees and ceremonies declares to the
world that there has been a depar-
ture from true faith in God Obe-
dience is virtue all too rare.
III. "The Battle Went Sore Against
Saup (31;3-6).
This quotation from verse re-
lates to particular battle, but it
may well be applied to the entire
battle of SauPs life. Having once
begun the downward path of pre-
sumption and disobedience, the de-
scent became rapid.
The man to whom God had given
a new heart and upon whom He had
poured out His Spirit fell to such a
low state that we find him in Sam
uel % consulting a witch, a spirits
tic medium, seeking opportunity to
speak with Samuel, who had already
gone to his reward.
= Spiritism is an evil current in our
day, and therefore it may be well
to point out that while mediums do
seem to have the power to simu-
late the dead, they bring this about
through familiar spirits q Sam. %:
y, that is through communication
with evil spirits. The dead do not
actually return, but they are repre-
sented by demonic agents. When the
witch of Endor called on her fanil-
lar spirit, God interviewed and actu-
ally brought Samuel from the dead
to the great surprise of the witch.
No Christian should ever have any,
thing to do with Spiritisn. If he
does he indicates that his spiritual
life is at very low ebb and that he
is in real soul-danger.
The death of Saul writes a tragic
end to a promising life, destroyed
not so much by outside influences
as by the moral decay within. The
wise man said that as a man "think-
eth in his heart so is he" prov.
23:O. 1t may not show today or