Samuel - Committed to Holiness

Read 1 Samuel 14-15
 
1 Samuel 15:22 What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
 
READING through these chapters it is difficult to see God’s harsh judgment once more. We saw this in Joshua as the LORD instructed Jericho’s destruction. And elsewhere God issues this harsh command to eliminate all people of particular nations. I don’t like reading that Saul’s army is to kill all the Amalekite men, women, children and every animal they own. The thing is, this is God’s judgment day against people who consistently reject him and his people. It is a sign of the end of time when Christ comes again. Still, we are tempted to say, “It’s wrong, Lord. Aren’t you a God of Life?”  
    Indeed he is. God’s focus on life is eternal. In his holy plan for eternal salvation, he could not allow the Amalekites’ sin to turn his people toward unbelief. He knew their sin threatened his people’s earthly and spiritual lives. He acted to judge this people group in order to sustain his own people to give you eternal life.
    If you think that is unfair, then consider that the truly fair thing for God to do is to destroy us all. We all are born enemies of God, subject to his wrath. Yes, we can thank God he doesn’t do what is fair. God is so committed to your life he unfairly sent his own holy Son to a cross to make you holy, too.
    Do you understand this incredible, sacrificial act God has done?
 
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.