Saving the best and second best of the flesh and the old man is not a good and passable path for Jesus' followers!
We are all in danger of deceiving ourselves as King Saul did in the deepest sense.
In many ways, one can say that the people of the world bask in the glow of the fact that Norway has adopted and accepted many ungodly and partly blasphemous laws.
Then seen in relation to God's word and God's commandments.
At the same time, the faithful are no better.
When they imagine and believe because things are generally accepted by other "evangelical" believers, then it is accepted and allowed.
But it is not.
It is only what agrees with God's word that is God's good and right will.
Everything outside God's word is not in accordance with God's good and perfect will.
Today's Free Church of Norway is like King Saul, who saves the best and second best of booty. But what is out on the periphery of sin and immorality is, by and large, warned against. This is not according to God's word.
Here Saul receives the sentence from Samuel
1 Sam. 15. 1. Samuel said to Saul: It was me the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people, over Israel; so now sound the word of the Lord! 2 Thus says the Lord God of hosts: I will visit Amalek for what he did to Israel, that he stood in his way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go forth and smite Amalek, and smite all that is his; do not spare him, but kill both man and woman, both child and suckling, both ox and sheep, both camel and donkey. 4 Then Saul called the people to arms and mustered them in Tela'im; there were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 When Saul came to the city of the Amalekites, he laid an ambush in the valley. 6 And Saul said to the Kenites: Go away, separate yourselves from the Amalekites and go down, so that I will not destroy you with them! For you did good to all the children of Israel when they came up from Egypt. Then the Kenites parted ways with the Amalekites. 7 Saul struck the Amalekites and pursued them from Havilah to near Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag, the king of Amalek, captive alive, and he smote all the people with bans, and slew them with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best and second best of the flocks and herds and lambs - all that looked good - and would not ban them; but all cattle that were mean and wretched, they banished. 10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, and it read thus: 11 I regret that I have made Saul king; for he has turned away from me and has not kept my words. Then Samuel's anger was kindled, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 The next morning Samuel got up early to meet Saul; then someone came and said to Samuel: Saul has come to Carmel, and there he has erected a monument; then he turned and went down to Gilgal. 13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him: Blessed be you of the Lord! I have followed the word of the Lord. 14 But Samuel said: Then what kind of lowing of cattle is this that sounds in my ears, and what kind of roaring of cattle I hear? 15 Saul answered: They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the flock and of the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but we have banned the rest. 16 Then Samuel said to Saul: Wait, and I will tell you what the Lord has spoken to me tonight! He said to him: Speak! 17 Samuel said: When you were small in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you away and said: Go and smite these sinners, the Amalekites, with bans and war against them until you make an end of them! 19 Why then did you not obey the Lord's words, but threw yourself upon the captives and did what was evil in the Lord's eyes? 20 Then Saul said to Samuel: I have obeyed the word of the Lord and have gone the way the Lord sent me; I have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, here and struck Amalek with ban. 21 But the people took from the captured cattle and sheep, the best of the forbidden, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal. 22 Then Samuel said: Surely the Lord has as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the Lord's words? No, obedience is better than sacrifice, obedience better than the fat of rams; 23 for obstinacy is no better than the sin of sorcery, and defiance is like idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you, so you will not be king
Then Moses built an altar and called it: "The Lord is my banner." Then he said: "A hand is stretched out from the Lord's throne! The Lord will fight against Amalek from generation to generation" 2 M 17,16.
On their way from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, Canaan, the Israelites camped at Rephidim. In 2 M 17, 9 ff it is said that Amalek came and fought against Israel. Moses asked Joshua to select a crew to fight against Amalek. Joshua did as Moses had asked and fought against Amalek. The next day Moses went with the staff of God in his hand and ascended to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his hand up, Israel had the upper hand, but when he let his hand drop, Amalek got the upper hand.
When Moses' hands became heavy, Aaron and Hur took a stone and placed it under him. Mosses sat on it and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side. Thus his hands remained still until the sun went down. At the same time Joshua struck Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
The Lord commanded Moses to write this down in a book. It was also to be imprinted in Josva's ears. For the Lord would completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from all over the earth.
Here King Saul was given a golden opportunity to carry out God's clear will, as Amalek was God's enemy. At the same time, in New Testament terminology
It is a picture of the flesh. Which is something that God opposes to us humans.
Crazy. 5. 16 Therefore I say: Live according to the things of the spirit, so that you will not satisfy the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These stand against each other, so that no one will do as he pleases.
But Saul's task was the following:
“Go now and smite Amalek, and smite all that is his; do not spare him, but kill both man and woman, both child and suckling, both ox and sheep, both camel and donkey."
It says that Saul did not do this. On the contrary, the scripture says:
"Saul struck down the Amalekites and pursued them from Havilah to near Shur, which is on the east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of Amalek captive alive, and he smote all the people with bans, and slew them with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best and second best of the flocks and herds and the lambs - all that looked good - and would not ban them; but all cattle that were mean and wretched, they banished."
Think, this looked very spiritual. They spared what was good, but what was bad. It was killed, just as God had said.
Unfortunately, this is also the case today among believers.
They warn against Pink Competence and Pride. All of which is of course against scripture.
But remarriage and carnal works inwardly among the faithful are "spared!"
This is not in accordance with scripture and God's will.
We read about what the Apostle Paul did when he preached.
Ap.jj 20. 27 For I have held nothing back, but have declared the whole purpose of God to you.
1930 translation:
Ap.jj 20. 27 for I held nothing back, but preached to you the whole counsel of God.
This is exactly what Christianity in Norway and the Western world is like.
Where one among the evangelical Christians jumps over everything that is unpleasant for the believers. While the unsaved are to be spared, and that at once!
What an enormous hypocrisy!
The judgment against King Saul was very harsh, there was not much value in saving the best and second best. On the contrary, the sentence became all the more severe.
We read about Jesus, who said much the same thing.
Matt. 5. 19 Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and who teaches others to do the same, shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps my commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
We see the same thing again and again. That the standard that God has given for his children is being overlooked. But as a "competence" for this. Attacks another with tremendous strength. This is hypocrisy, and that is exactly what the Pharisees and Saul did.
Pink competence and remarriage among believers.
Pride movement and sin among the faithful.
It is not "wrong" to attack what is extreme.
But it is like "sparing" the believers from sin that is against his will and word.
This confrontation against sin among believers is under great pressure today!
Many - not so few. They are like a quick writer's stylus in speaking against what the children of the world do about sin. But when they come to believers – their sin.
Are they dumb as oysters, This is a serious self-deception we see today!
Final comment:
What we see today is true. Is nothing else than what King Saul did. By not following the Lord's word as it is. To the point, the debts are also made within the congregation.
Psalm 119. 4 You have given your commandments so that one will keep them carefully.
I am more and more convinced that we are living in the end times where the church in Laodicea is unfortunately the church of the seven epistles.
It is the spiritual condition that makes itself more and more apparent.
Joh. Rev. 3. 14 "To the messenger of the church in Laodicea you shall write: (This says he who is Amen, the faithful and true witness - the beginning of God's creation).
16 Therefore, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth!
17 For you say: I am rich, I have in abundance, and I need nothing. Because you don't see that you are poor, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
18 I will advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire, and a white robe so that you may be clothed so that you will not expose the shame of your nakedness, and salve for your eyes so that you may see.
19 Whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Therefore, be eager and repent!
20 For, look! — I stand in front of the door and knock. And if anyone hears my voice and opens the door for me, I will go in to have m and have a meal with him, and he with me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has ears - listen to what the spirit says in the congregation!"
