1 Samuel 15:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."

NIV: For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."

NASB: For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.'

CSB: For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.

NLT: Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.'

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.

NKJV: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Saul has excused his disobedience to God's command by blaming the people. He claims "they" retained the spoil and said they were going to sacrifice it to the Lord (1 Samuel 15:2–3, 15, 20–21). Samuel explained to Saul that God desires obedience, not sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). We can't make better choices than God, and we can't bribe Him to excuse resisting Him. Samuel goes on to highlight the seriousness of Saul's sin.

It's not clear if Saul and the people originally intended to sacrifice the spoils at Gilgal, or if they first planned to keep the animals for themselves. Given that Saul set up a monument to himself (1 Samuel 15:12) and that the command from God about total destruction had been so clear (1 Samuel 15:3), the intent to use the animals for worship is extremely questionable. Even if it had been honest, Saul's disobedience was rebellion against the direct command of the Lord. Samuel now says that rebellion is just as bad in God's eyes as the sin of divination.

Divination is an attempt to persuade spiritual beings to reveal otherwise unknowable truths by offering them gifts. This often involved meals, money or specific rituals involving animal parts. The same basic motive is behind mediums and necromancy: to learn what God has chosen not to reveal. Divination was clearly understood to be evil, and God forbid the Israelites from having anything to do with it (Deuteronomy 18:10; Ezekiel 13:23). Even today, those practices indicate a rejection of God's authority, and naivety about spiritual dangers (Ephesians 6:12).

Even so, Samuel's statement that disobeying God is as evil as practicing divination is almost shocking. He adds that presumption or arrogance is as evil as participating in idol worship. Saul had arrogantly presumed he could manipulate the Lord into giving His favor if he offered enough sacrifices. Or, that he could improve on the plans which God made, as if the Lord were just another house spirit to be appeased with rituals.

Finally, Samuel declares the Lord's decision to reject Saul as king. In response to earlier disobedience, the Lord had already declared that Saul's family line would not occupy the throne of Israel (1 Samuel 13:14). Now God rejects Saul himself. Saul had rejected God's word, and thus God would reject him as king. Saul's disobedience was egregious, and the consequences were severe.

First Samuel 15:10–23 records God's response to Saul's partial obedience regarding the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). The Lord tells Samuel that Saul's acts—which amount to rejecting God's commands—will result in the end of Saul's rule. When Samuel confronts Saul, the king makes excuses and claims he intended to sacrifice the condemned animals to the Lord. Samuel responds with a poetic statement about how God wants obedience, not arrogant attempts to improve on His commands.

First Samuel 14 ended with a summary of Saul's reign; chapter 15 describes God's rejection of Saul as king. First Samuel 13 had already indicated that Saul's household would not retain the kingdom due to Saul's disobedience (1 Samuel 13:8–14); here Saul himself is rejected. The Lord commands Saul to fulfill His longstanding judgment against the Amalekites. Saul and his army defeat Amalek, but Saul disobeys God by sparing the king and the best animals. Saul eventually admits that he has sinned, but Samuel says God will not change His mind about rejecting Saul as king. From a heavenly perspective, Saul is rejected; but from an earthly perspective, he would continue his rule for another fifteen to twenty years.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.