Consequences of obedience
Christian Religious Studies SS2 Second Term
Week 2
Topic: Consequences of obedience
Performance objectives
Pupils should be able to:
- Discuss the result disobedience of Saul’s disobedience
- Recognize that sinful disobedience always bring sorrow
- Discuss how the consequences of disobedience may or may not be immediate
- Recognize the consequences of disobedience
Content
A. Saul’s disobedience (1sam. 15:1-19)
Soon after the appointment of Saul as the King of Israel, God through Samuel gave him an assignment. He actually carried out the assignment, but not according to instruction and this made him to be removed as the King of Israel. God through Samuel spoke to Saul thus:
“I will punish what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass” (1 Samuel 15:3)
Saul organized his soldiers and went after the Amalekites and defeated them, but, rather than destroy everything as he was instructed, he took the best of things and destroyed worthless things, Above all, he spared Agag and brought him home. This was Saul’s major disobedience and God regretted making him king. When Samuel confronted him on the issue, he lied to Samuel. He said he carried out the instructions of the Lord. He did not know that the Lord had already revealed to Samuel all he had done. When Samuel questioned him on “the bleating of the sheep and lowering of the oxen”, Saul claimed that it was the people that brought those things for sacrifice to the Lord. This was the case of gross indiscipline and lack of repentance. Saul knew he had disobeyed God and rather than admit his fault, he consistently shifted blame on the people.
B. Consequences of Saul’s disobedience:
Saul’s disobedience caused him the kingdom.
Rejection as king: Samuel announced his rejection as the King of Israel, Samuel said to Saul: “For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel”.
Spirit of God left him: As a result of disobedience, the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Whenever this torment started he could only be relieved when he listened to music. It was because of this that David joined Saul’s service as he was very skillful in playing Lyre.
He and his sons died the same day: The worst came during a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. Saul and his three sons – Jonathan, Malchishua, and Abinadab died. The Philistines cut off his head, stripped off his amour and put it in the temple of Ashtaroth, and fastened his body to the wall of Bethsham. When the men of Jabeshgilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, they went and took his body and that of his sons and burnt them and buried their bones under Tamarisk and fasted for seven days.
C. Others who suffered for their disobedience:
The sons of Eli: God destroyed Eli and his sons for not repenting from their sins and this affected their unborn generation.
Samuel’s sons: Joel and Abijah, did not follow the way of the God. They took bribes and perverted justice. Therefore they were rejected by the Israelites to rule them.
Moral lessons
Disobedience and sins against God can lead to destruction like Saul, Eli, and Samuel’s sons.