1 Samuel 15: Saul rejected

Outline

• Saul’s obedience
• Saul’s rejection
• Saul’s repentance

Introduction

Let me begin with a question. Why does chapter 14 end with a summary of Saul’s reign and then the story of Saul continue? If you were a literary critic this sort of thing would really get on your nerves, what is the purpose in this structure? Because Saul’s story has come to an end and the focus is moving off from him to David. Saul is no longer the central character to the plot but merely background for the rise of David. This chapter this comes in order to show the moment when Saul’s drives the last nail in the coffin. This is all about Saul’s rejection which paves the way for David. We will look then at Saul’s obedience in v1-9; Saul’s rejection in 10-23; and his repentance in 24-35.

Once again our topic is Saul’s false religion and God’s rejection of it. When we think of bad people we often think of criminals and not religious people. The trouble is when the bible thinks of bad people, it is often the case that the worst are religious. It was the Pharisees who killed Christ. Think on the sermon on the Mount, we see the sermon talks about two ways, two fruit trees, and two foundations that we build on. as you go back through the sermon you will notice that it is not a contrast between criminals and religious people but two different types of religious people that are contrasted. Two types of people who pray, fast, give to the poor and obey the ten commandments, the difference lies in those who do it right and those who practice false religion. Saul falls into this second category, and we will note his false religious obedience and repentance.