1 Samuel 22:6-23 – Sin’s Destructive End
Don’t miss the profound tragic irony in Saul’s actions. In chapter 15 he failed to carry out the total destruction of Amalek, which was the just judgement of God. Now he commands the total destruction of one of God’s cities, an injustice of the highest proportion. The previous priestly city, Shiloh, had been destroyed by Philistines; this priestly city is destroyed by its own king. The sad truth is that Israel got what she wanted, and what Samuel warned against – a king like the nations. Saul is murderous, despotic, and tyrannical. Seeing threats everywhere, he is ordering pogroms and witch hunts, liquidating loyal servants (verse 12 and verse 15).
As the king ‘of their own choosing’, Saul was the king after their own heart, and after our own heart. The ‘have it your way’ king shows us what happens when we have it our way. He is the embodiment of the heart that rejects God’s ways and God’s rule. He is every one of us, apart from Christ. Saul shows us where sin ends up and where our way leads – death and destruction.
Perhaps you think, “I’m a long way off slaughtering entire towns.” I don’t deny that, but look at our sin drenched world: terror and destruction occur across the globe daily, most of it just doesn’t make our news broadcasts. Death and destruction are everywhere. Look, too, at where sin begins: it starts with small acts. Like the Jungle Doctor fable: cute little leopards become big leopards, and big leopards kill. The seed of every sin is in our heart – murder is just the full flowering of anger (Matthew 5:21-22). Ultimately all sin leads to our own destruction and death (Romans 5:12 and 6:23). You might be a long way off slaughtering whole towns, but all sin leads to death and destruction. See the horror of Nob and see the horror of your sin.
What started as a ‘small’ sin for Saul, just a little rejection of God’s Word, had brought him to the point of wiping out God’s ministers. It’s an attack on God himself, or as close as Saul can get anyway. Little sins end in death, destruction, and striking at God himself. Be destroying sin or it will destroy you.
Questions
- What sin do you need to pull out now before it flowers into something even more destructive?
Prayer Points
- “Deliver us from evil”
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.