Quotes About Obedience

And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

I thought, ëNow the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.í So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

But if they say, ëCome on up,í then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands.”

And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath.

Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ëEach man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.í” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD.

And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until dawn, leaving no man alive!” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied. But the priest said, “We must consult God here.”

“Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?”

Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.í”

Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.

And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,

“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.

Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”

When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORDís instructions.”

But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”