A Monument of Dishonor
Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says. I will punish the Amalekites for what they did when they waylaid them as they came out of Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them.
Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys”…
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites...He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and the lambs - everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions. Samuel was angry and he cried out to the LORD all that night."
Early the next morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”
Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys”…
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites...He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and the lambs - everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions. Samuel was angry and he cried out to the LORD all that night."
Early the next morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”
I Samuel 15:1-12
When pride sets in we become blinded to the reality of our situation. Pride causes us to behave in a very self-absorbing manner. We see and care about nothing but ourselves. Putting ourselves on a pedestal becomes our all consuming goal. But the sad thing is that while we are busily honoring ourselves with monuments on earth, Heaven is busily dishonoring and disapproving of us!
That was the situation with Saul. He had failed to carry out the full instructions God gave him concerning the Amalekites. God had a purpose for instructing that the Amalekites should be wiped out. It was a justified divine retribution for the way they attacked the Israelites in their moment of weakness. Saul was selective in his obedience and yet he felt so good that he went off to celebrate by building a monument in honor of himself. Saul dishonored God through disobedience but impervious to the happenings in heaven, he was celebrating himself on earth.
Could it be that there are moments in our lives when our selfish motives lead us to blatantly ignore full obedience to God and yet set up monuments in our own honor? Could those crowns of honor on earth be crowns of dishonor in the eyes of Heaven?
May the Spirit of God make us sensitive to the happenings in heaven. May we be so focused on pleasing our heavenly Father that we shall treasure the honor of heaven over any earthly monument. A monument of honor on earth is a monument of dishonor if it is not set up with the approval of heaven.
That was the situation with Saul. He had failed to carry out the full instructions God gave him concerning the Amalekites. God had a purpose for instructing that the Amalekites should be wiped out. It was a justified divine retribution for the way they attacked the Israelites in their moment of weakness. Saul was selective in his obedience and yet he felt so good that he went off to celebrate by building a monument in honor of himself. Saul dishonored God through disobedience but impervious to the happenings in heaven, he was celebrating himself on earth.
Could it be that there are moments in our lives when our selfish motives lead us to blatantly ignore full obedience to God and yet set up monuments in our own honor? Could those crowns of honor on earth be crowns of dishonor in the eyes of Heaven?
May the Spirit of God make us sensitive to the happenings in heaven. May we be so focused on pleasing our heavenly Father that we shall treasure the honor of heaven over any earthly monument. A monument of honor on earth is a monument of dishonor if it is not set up with the approval of heaven.