He Has Rejected You

“You are a God who delights in sending mercy. Send mercy now.”

Samuel squeezed shut his eyes as he prayed. “Send mercy on me. Save your people. It’s my fault. It’s my sin.” He heaved for breath. “I saw what happened with the priest who trained me. How he didn’t discipline his sons. How that led to their death. I should have known. But then what did I do? My sons.” The old prophet shook his head. “My sons are good for nothing now. And then in mercy you gave me Saul. You gave our nation Saul. A good young man. Ready to be a humble king.”

The sun rose in the distance, peeking over the hills. The light washed over Samuel.

“Lord God, have mercy on me. Have mercy on your people. Saul has turned from you. But please. Please. Send him another chance. Give him another opportunity.”

And God answered the prayer of his prophet.

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So Samuel went to speak to Saul. “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people. So listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“It’s time to punish the Amelekites for what they’ve done as ancient enemies of my people. Go. Attack them. Destroy everything. Do not spare anything or anyone.”

Saul nodded. “It will be done.”

And Samuel left him. He went back to his home.

And he prayed. Oh, he prayed.

“Lord, give him strength. Let him do this thing. Turn him back to you.” Sweat poured down his face as he prayed for the king that had been like a son to him. His one chance to leave behind something good for the people he had served his whole life.

The sun rose. Samuel prayed.
The sun set. Samuel prayed.
Another day, and Samuel pleaded with the Lord.

At dusk, the Word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”

Samuel cried out to the Lord all night long.

At dawn he set out to see the king. He found the king setting up a monument in his own honor. The king spotted Samuel a long ways off and dashed to him. A grin lit his face. “The Lord bless you! I’ve carried out the Lord’s instructions!”

Samuel glanced around. “I hear sheep. Why do I hear sheep? And cattle?”

The king huffed a laugh and shrugged. “The soldiers brought them. To sacrifice to your Lord! The rest we destroyed.”

The prophet’s face darkened. Saul had said ‘your Lord,’ not ‘my Lord.’ Samuel raised his hand. “Stop.”

The king fell silent.

“Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

There was no smile on the king’s face now. “Tell me.”

“You were so small in your own eyes.” Samuel remembered the man who hid in the baggage because he was so scared of being made king. The one who had been so faithful. The one who wanted to do everything right. Pressure built behind his eyes. “You were so small, and you became king, didn’t you? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission. Destroy everything of the Amelekites. Wipe them out. And what have you done? Why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

“I did.” Saul’s voice had become steel. “I did obey the Lord. I destroyed them. I brought back their king. The soldiers brought back animals to sacrifice to your God.”

And now tears threatened to spill from Samuel’s eyes. He shook his head. “Does the Lord delight in offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying his voice? Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…”

Samuel licked his lips. He didn’t want to say this. He didn’t want to bring this judgment, this earned judgment, on this man. He opened his mouth, and the words tumbled out.

“He has rejected you as king.”

This story is based on I Samuel 15:1-23