Jesus is the True North (1 Samuel 15:1-23)

Which Way is North?
1 Samuel 15:22-23

INTRODUCTION:
All of us have probably been lost at one time or another. [Tell about getting lost in Budapest, Hungary on our way to Rothenburg, Germany for a missionary retreat.]

Now, if I asked you to go north from here, would you be able to do it? How about everyone point the direction you think is north. Do you know where north is from here? How can you know? You look at a compass.

If you get lost when you are in the woods, you can use a compass to help you find your way. A compass, as you know, operates on the scientific basis that the core of the earth sends out a magnetic signal. We are able to line up an arrow based on that magnetic signal so that our arrow always points north.

Yet, you may not know that there is a “magnetic” north and a “true” north. “Magnetic” north is what we normally think about as “north.” It is the direction a needle points as it lines up with the magnetic field from the core of the earth. But, that magnetic field changes depending on your position of the earth and it changes over time. So we also have “true” north, which is the direction along a north-south direction [meridian] that moves toward the geographic north.

Here’s the rub - the difference between “true” north and “magnetic” north can be as much as 7 degrees (called “disinclination”). That’s not much if you walking out the door. But if you are driving 200 miles south, a 7 degree difference can make all the difference.

The message of our VBS this year is that Jesus is the “true” north. He is the only one who can direct us to heaven. We must follow Him and His word, closely, in order to arrive at the true north, which we’ll define as heaven for the purposes of our lesson.

Did you also know that another magnet, underneath a compass, can disturb the magnetic field? There are matters which can disturb our understanding of Jesus as the “true” north as well.

Some items that “mess up” our spiritual compass: Our own opinions, for example: “Fools always think their own way is best, but wise people listen to what others tell them.” (Prov. 12:15). Our feelings, likes and dislikes: “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Even the teachings and doctrines of men can sound like they are “north” but if they are not lined up with the teaching and doctrine of Jesus Christ, they are not the “true” north: “You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he spoke for God about you: ‘These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules’” (Matt. 15:7-9).

We studied “worship” two Sundays ago and one thing we tried to emphasize is that worship, as in all of life, must be to the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:31. Many people want to worship God and they believe that worship directs them “north,” into the presence of God. Let us examine someone, however, who offered worship to God, but since it wasn’t in accordance with God’s will - the “true” north - it was rejected. That man is King Saul (1 Samuel 15).

The Command:
Samuel points out that he anointed Saul as king over Israel under the guidance of God Himself – 15:1 - “One day Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now listen to his message.”
Therefore, he should not hesitate to obey this next command – 15:2-3: “Destroy all” - Man, woman, infant, nursing child; ox, sheep, camel, donkey - “The Lord All-Powerful says: ‘When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from going to Canaan. I saw what the Amalekites did. 3 Now go fight against the Amalekites. You must completely destroy the Amalekites and everything that belongs to them. Don’t let anything live; you must kill all the men and women and all of their children and little babies. You must kill all of their cattle and sheep and all of their camels and donkeys.’”
Partial obedience:
Saul separates the Kenites from the Amalekites – 15:6, 7. These were members of Moses’ father-in-law and had helped Israel during their wilderness travels. - “He said to the Kenites, “Go away! Leave the Amalekites. Then I won’t destroy you with the Amalekites. You showed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.” So the Kenites left the Amalekites. Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them and chased them all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.”
Disobedience:
Saul attacked but – 15:8 - “Agag was the king of the Amalekites. Saul captured Agag alive. Saul let Agag live, but he killed all the men in Agag’s army.”
It is reemphasized – 15:9 - “Saul and the Israelite soldiers felt bad about destroying everything. So they let Agag live. They also kept the fat cattle, the best sheep, and the lambs. They kept everything that was worth keeping. They didn’t want to destroy those things. They destroyed only what was not worth keeping.”
God was sorry that things worked out the way they did – 15:10-11 - “Then Samuel received this message from the Lord: 11 “Saul has stopped following me, so I am sorry that I made him king. He is not doing what I tell him.” Samuel became angry and cried to the Lord all night.”
Saul thinks highly of himself – 15:12 - “Samuel got up early the next morning and went to meet Saul. But the people told Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel. He went there to set up a stone monument to honor himself. Then he left there and went down to Gilgal.” So Samuel went to Saul. Saul had just offered the first part of the things he took from the Amalekites as a burnt offering to the Lord.”
Notice Saul’s presumption – 15:13 - “When Samuel came near to Saul, Saul greeted him and said, “The Lord bless you! I have obeyed the Lord’s commands.”
If he had obeyed God, then why were there animals alive? – 15:14 - “But Samuel said, “Then what is that sound I hear? Why do I hear sheep and cattle?”
The end justifies the means! (in Saul’s mind) – 15:15 - “Saul said, “The soldiers took them from the Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to burn as sacrifices to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else.”
Sincerity is necessary: Joshua 24:14 - “Then Joshua said to the people, “Now you have heard the Lord’s words. So you must respect the Lord and sincerely serve him…”
1 Corinthians 5:8 - [perhaps speaking of the Lord’s Supper] - “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”; 2 Corinthians 11:3 - “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
1 Timothy 1:5 - “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Sincerity directs us north…
But sincerity itself is not sufficient… (it’s not “true” north)
Samuel reminds Saul of the past – 15:17 - “Samuel said, “In the past you didn’t think that you were important, but the Lord chose you to be the king. So you became the leader of the tribes of Israel.”
Now, God had sent Saul on a mission – 15:18 - “The Lord sent you on a special mission. He said, ‘Go and destroy all the Amalekites. They are evil people. Destroy them all! Fight them until they are completely finished.’”
But Saul disobeyed – 15:19 - “So why didn’t you listen to the Lord? You did what the Lord said is wrong because you wanted to keep what you took in battle.”
Saul hasn’t learned yet that obedience is
Doing what God says do,
The way God says do it,
For the reason God says do it.
15:20-21 - “Saul said, “But I did obey the Lord! I went where the Lord sent me. I destroyed all the Amalekites. I brought back only one—their king Agag. 21 And the soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
But sincerity is not sufficient – 15:22-23 - “But Samuel answered, “Which pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obeying his commands? It is better to obey the Lord than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to him than to offer the fat from rams. 23 Refusing to obey is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Being stubborn and doing what you want is like the sin of worshiping idols. You refused to obey the Lord’s command, so he now refuses to accept you as king.”

Biblical obedience (yes, even worship) is
Doing WHAT God says to do
The WAY God says to do it
For the REASON God says to do it.

That is faith.
That is trust.
That is humility.
That is godliness.

CONCLUSION
So, as we study during our week of VBS, we’re going to look at Jesus Christ - the true north. There are a lot of “messengers” who are trying to point us “north.” Lots of spiritual charlatans who are vying for our hearts. But, Jesus is the only “true” north.

Monday, we’ll study the prophecy of Jesus, the true north, a prophecy actually given through a pagan prophet (Numbers 24:17).
Tuesday, we’ll study the wise men - more non-Jews - who were seeking the one born King of the Jews as they followed the star (Matt. 2).
Wednesday, we’ll look at an example of one man preaching that true north - Philip and the Ethiopian treasurer (Acts 8).
Thursday, we look at a New Testament example - somewhat similar to King Saul - of a man who thought he was following the “true” north until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).

Take home message: Let us be careful to follow Jesus and His word - for He alone is the “true” north to direct us to heaven.