Sermon 53: 1 Samuel 15:12-19

12. And when Samuel had risen by night to go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel, and had set up an arch for himself in Gilgal. 13. And when Samuel had come to Saul, Saul said to him: Blessed are you of the Lord, I have fulfilled the word of the Lord. 14. And Samuel said: And what is this voice of flocks that resounds in my ears, and of herds which I hear? 15. And Saul said: They have brought them from Amalek: for the people spared the better sheep, and the herds, that they might be sacrificed to the Lord your God, but the rest we killed. 16. And Samuel said to Saul: Permit me, and I will tell you what the Lord has spoken to me at night. And he said to him, speak. 17. And Samuel said: Was it not when you were small in your own eyes that you became head in the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? 18. And the Lord sent you on the way, and said: Go and kill the sinners of Amalek, and fight against them, until their annihilation. 19. Why then have you not heard the voice of the Lord, but turned to plunder, and have done evil in the eyes of the Lord?

In yesterday's sermon we heard Samuel's lamentations and tears for Saul, after he had heard him rejected by the Lord: but now on the contrary he seems to have stripped off all humanity, and to breathe nothing but severity. For he comes to Saul to announce a horrible message, namely that he is no longer held by the Lord as the legitimate king: because he had carried out the matter according to his own judgment, not according to God's command. And since he had not admitted God as his master, neither in turn would he be held by the Lord as a servant. Indeed these things seem very inconsistent, that Samuel was in the greatest grief on account of love for Saul: and yet to be received by him in such a way that he seems a sworn enemy, whom he in no way spares. But thus we see the prophets accustomed to discharge their office. And although they embraced the people with the greatest love, nevertheless they used the highest severity in the administration of the duty committed to them. And indeed these things are very different. For he who has received commands from another's name to be carried to another, ought to take care to discharge his duty faithfully, and beyond the will of him by whom he was sent he should say or do nothing. But this concerns above all the heralds of the divine word, who, even if their business is with parents and intimate friends, must yet be bent by none of their flatteries, nor must they remit anything of divine severity: but rather must use the harshest threats and reproofs against the wicked and criminal, and especially against those who have grown hardened in stubbornness: lest by their leniency or silence they drag them to death. Therefore it is the office of true pastors and faithful servants of God, to whom in the church the care of teaching has been committed, to be vehemently affected and grieved seeing the people committed to them rushing into destruction, and to plead their cause before God, and to solicit by prayers for the salvation of the people as far as they can. And nevertheless to remit nothing from the parts of their office, nor to be terrified by any threats of men, nor by external appearance: but to be led by vehement zeal for the glory of God: and to denounce his judgments to those sinning, and severely to rebuke them. For this is indeed the only way to rescue them from the dangers into which they cast themselves, indeed from ultimate destruction: when on the contrary if any leniency is granted, and indulgence shown to those who have provoked God's wrath against themselves, that indulgence is like a sword handed into the hands of a madman to cut his own throat, or one rescued from the waters is plunged in deeper, and submerged into the deepest abyss of the underworld. For we know that this is the only way to obtain pardon from God for sins, that sinners be so seriously affected by the sense of sins, that, renouncing themselves, they may be more and more cast down before his majesty. But how shall this happen, unless they are roused from that lethargy in which they sit by nature? But if they are warmed as it were by pillows placed beneath them, and persuaded that things are well with them, indeed it is just as if they were taught to rise up against God and wage war against him, and were armed against him. But they ought finally to be slain by their own sword. Therefore it is necessary that all those to whom the preaching of the divine word has been committed, if they wish to discharge their office, should indeed be inclined toward humanity, and seek the salvation of all those who have been committed to them: and be gravely grieved when they do not see the progress and fruit of their doctrine as much as they had hoped, and as it would be fair for it to be brought back: and yet act severely against the obstinate, and be undaunted in proclaiming divine judgments, that they may openly manifest the authority of the doctrine entrusted to them by God. And such did Samuel show himself to be: announcing to King Saul the threats of the Lord, indeed his deposition and rejection. But at first sight Saul boasts before Samuel as one who has acted well and according to the Lord's command, just as men are accustomed to be puffed up about their works, and imagine in them I know not what perfection: just as that wise Solomon also says, that men's own works always seem right to them: and if they are made judges in their own case, they always seem to themselves worthy of the highest praise. Therefore he who has only saluted the worship of God from the threshold thinks himself most religious, and considers himself to have deserved well of God: who, if he has done some praiseworthy act, even if he is not free from vice, lifts himself up with glory and proclamation, with vices cast behind his back, and will marvelously proclaim his own virtue, and will leap over the bounds of modesty. Thus Saul behaves in this place. And indeed he could truly say that he had obeyed God: since he had girded himself for the journey, and had enlisted soldiers with marvelous speed, and had proscribed the Amalekites, and had conducted himself bravely in this war; in all these things, I say, Saul could truly proclaim that he had been obedient to God. But yet contrary to God's command he reserved the king: in which there was first a grave sin against him. Then besides he had done a certain plundering of the best sheep and oxen, alleging indeed a specious cause that they should be sacrificed to God: but, granted that his mind was simple and right, and inclined toward the worship of God, yet he had sinned against God's command. But, as we touched on before, foul greed was being covered by the specious name of offerings and sacrifices. And thus men are accustomed to turn themselves into various forms, and to depart from the right way, calling God as it were as their partner, and admitting him into a share of the plunder. Yet granting that Saul reserved these animals for sacrifices and thanksgivings only out of love and zeal for divine worship: nevertheless his intention was foolish, and the excuse which he had fabricated for himself was in no way to be tolerated. From this we learn that we must strive with all the greater care and zeal in the contrary direction, and since we are so inclined to violate God's commands, we must weigh our deeds with precision, lest anything be done rashly and against them be sinned. Therefore when we have had a right disposition to serve God, and have rightly weighed ourselves according to the divine standard, whether any corruption has crept in, it is certain, provided we do not deceive ourselves, that we shall always find something worthy of reproof, and that the affection has not been such and so whole as God requires of us. Therefore we have indeed great occasion for humbling ourselves before God, and for giving him thanks, when he has bestowed on us right zeal for his worship: but in the meantime it must be acknowledged that God does not lack material for condemning us, if he wishes to look at the imperfection of our works. Therefore away with the dream of merits, which the papists imagine, who think to deserve God from God by their works, and consequence on the basis of their works, to obtain a reward. Whereas on the contrary, if we diligently weigh our works without disguise and dissimulation, we shall find them stained and corrupted with many spots and vices. Therefore far from us be that empty boast of Saul: I have done what the Lord commanded: but rather let us say: I willed indeed to do what the Lord commanded, but the closer I seemed to myself to have reached the goal, the further I was from it, because I recognized that there was so much iniquity in me: just as Paul himself professes the same about himself, and indeed at the time when he so bravely exercised himself in the office of apostleship: I do not, he says, do the good that I would; for I see in my flesh always some residual weakness. Paul therefore testifies that he is not running as the reason of his office demanded, that he does not do the good that he would: but the evil that he hates. I confess indeed that God receives our works and holds them as pleasing, although stunted and imperfect: but out of mere generosity. Therefore even though we are not conscious to ourselves of any sin, and do not perceive in what matter we have sinned, yet it must be concluded that we have indeed willed, but yet have not fulfilled nor accomplished what God requires of us.

There follows Samuel's reply, in these words: And what is this voice of flocks that resounds in my ears, and of herds, which I hear? The sense of these words is: even if you have sacrificed the choice oxen, cows, calves, and lambs to God, you have not therefore fulfilled God's commands. From which it appears that Samuel's speech was concise, as is customary for those who are placed in the greatest straits of mind. For if anyone is dealing with an impudent man, he will not demonstrate his impudence with many words: but will briefly convict him: because by brevity, concise speech is more vehement. So Samuel at the moment, although he addresses a king: for he does not complain individually about the king of Amalek being saved by him, not the rich flocks of rams and oxen and cows, not finally the rich spoils taken from the enemy: but with a single word he holds Saul bound, and forces him to the truth, even though he was not at all confessing and acknowledging his offense. For he immediately begins his reply with hypocrisy, and says that the people had reserved those flocks as victims and burnt offerings for God: but he dissembles that he himself was among their number, when nevertheless nothing here was done without his permission. But thus those who do not wish to submit themselves to reason at the very beginning are accustomed to seek hiding places and escapes lest they be caught. And accordingly we retain the nature of our first parent and follow in his footsteps, who first tried to hide his shame with leaves, then to throw the blame on the wife whom he had received from God: and the woman in turn upon the serpent, by whom she complains she was deceived and tricked. Thus each is accustomed to throw his sins onto another, nor can he confess himself guilty spontaneously. So now Saul: who indeed certainly wished to lead these spoils in triumph, that first the king might be displayed, then the sheep would follow, then the oxen, cows, and the rest, besides the fact that all the best furniture had been carried off. Therefore he was especially guilty before God of this sin. But he threw all the blame onto the people, as those guilty of some crime are accustomed to throw the blame now on this person, now on that one, promising themselves impunity by this means. Therefore great caution must be applied here, that thinking seriously about our sins, we may voluntarily undergo condemnation, throwing the blame on no one. For it is certain that as long as we look elsewhere, so long shall we seek vain escapes by which to deceive the eyes of God the judge. But what fruit, I ask, will there be in the end? For whatever escapes we may have sought, we shall never escape God's judgment: and although we have tried to throw the blame now on this one, now on that one, it will help nothing, since they are about to suffer the punishments for their sins, and each must suffer the punishments for himself. Therefore, intending seriously to think about our sins, let us dismiss those who are not entangled in the same sins with us, or whom we have not used as advisors for doing evil, since otherwise we should be more and more entangled in lies, and bring greater confusion upon ourselves before God. Let each one therefore properly weigh his sin, and acknowledging the fault, let him humbly beg pardon. And these things must be applied by us as doctrine from the example of Saul, in whom as in a mirror it is allowed to contemplate the malice and fiction of our nature, who, accused by Samuel, tried to throw all the blame on the people, that he might free himself from the charge.

Next indeed Samuel commands attention to himself, with these words: Permit me, and I will tell you what the Lord has spoken to me at night. Was it not when you were small in your own eyes that you became head in the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? As if to say: When you were still a private person, you esteemed yourself as little, nor indeed did you have an occasion for being lifted up, since you were a rustic and country man: why then, raised by the Lord to be king, did you not obey his commands? For I sent you to destroy the Amalekites in one annihilation, why then have you reserved the king, who first ought to have been put to death by you? Why also, turning to plunder, have you reserved the choicest cattle, which by the order of interdict God wished to be destroyed by you? Did you thus show yourself obedient and submissive to God? Conspicuous in these things is the courage and magnanimity of the prophet, sharply pressing Saul, and showing his vain excuse, as those who wish to free themselves from all blame, or at least to make it less, are accustomed to seek empty escapes: to whom yet we must in no way yield, but they must be gravely refuted. And they indeed, I confess, will complain that the greatest injustice is being done to them, unless their excuse is admitted: but they err in heaven and earth. For unless they were rebuked, they would be retained in stupor and lethargy: indeed they would be rendered more inclined to vices without any shame: and would never think of seeking pardon from the Lord for their offenses: but hoping for perpetual impunity, they would loose the reins to every evil. Therefore if it should happen that we slip in many things, and are reproved for them, we must take the greatest care lest ...we should not seek vain excuses and evasions by which we hope to cover our faults; but rather we should await in silence, like defendants, the determination of our case. Nor ought we to bear this harshly or resentfully, since it greatly conduces to our salvation. Moreover, all who undertake to reprove their neighbors for their sins must take up these hatreds and similar conflicts, inasmuch as men are given to lying and vanity, and are so dull that they seem to wish to set up certain barriers against God, so that their sins might be hidden. But whoever intends to reprove another sinning against God's commandments must steel his mind, lest he yield to the resistant one, but rather press on with all his might to uncover and rebuke sins, and to teach that those who would deceive God, whose word is immutable, are greatly mistaken; and that those who dare to answer back against it are exceedingly impudent, since it serves their benefit and advantage when it teaches sinners to humble themselves under the mighty hand of the Lord and submit themselves to his protection. This doctrine is indeed necessary to be drawn from this passage, where Samuel thus addressed Saul: 'Let me go, and I will declare to you.' From these words it further appears that men neither can nor ought to impede God when he speaks and most freely reproves them. And furthermore, even though they may have contended with God, the sentence will nevertheless be pronounced against them. This is evident from the examples of our first parents Adam and Eve, which I cited above: who indeed tried with all their might to hide themselves, but employed only fig leaves; then each cast the blame upon the other, but with futile effort. Did the Lord's sentence against them become any less severe on that account? Indeed the man, casting all blame upon his wife, attempted to withdraw himself from punishment, pleading that he had been deceived by the woman. But he was nonetheless condemned by God. The woman accused the serpent as the author of the sin, but even unwillingly she had to be condemned by the Lord. Therefore it behooved them, looking only at their own rebellion by which they had fallen away from the Lord, to offer no excuse. Saul imitates them in this response. For although he put forward something great and specious so that he could not be condemned, the prophet nevertheless pressed on more sharply and removed the pretense, so that Saul not only gained nothing by objecting, but rather made his case worse by hardening himself against God.

Moreover, here it must be observed that Samuel reproaches Saul for not having killed those whom God had commanded. In this matter, God's sentence might seem too severe, as was said before. For why should men be destroyed with such savagery and cruelty, without mercy? And furthermore, how did he delay the punishment of a single sin, even for those born several centuries before those who were being led to slaughter? Indeed, at first glance this severity of God would seem too extraordinary. But on the contrary, we must observe that God's judgments, when they are hidden from us, must be adored by us with the utmost reverence and silence, and we must take the greatest care not to speak against them. For our audacity will always be confounded, and we shall accomplish nothing by scrutinizing with our curiosity what we ought rather to adore; but we shall rather bring the greatest confusion upon ourselves. In short, to embrace the whole matter briefly, let this axiom stand firm: that God, even though he acts severely, is nevertheless always most just and most equitable; and if the reason for his judgments does not appear to us on account of the stupidity innate in us, we must nevertheless determine without contention that they are most equitable, and that all things are established with equity and righteousness. Meanwhile, let us recall this doctrine for our use: that it is not ours to speak against God and to inquire into his judgments as if we were greater than he, lest this happen to our greatest peril. What befell that wretched Ahab is well known: after receiving commands from God about exterminating the Syrians, he nevertheless voluntarily made peace with Ben-hadad, content to make peace with his enemies. But a prophet sent to him by the Lord revealed God's impending judgment upon him for his disobedience, and added a sign by which that wretched Ahab might fear God's judgments as if already placed before his eyes. Therefore the prophet, having voluntarily received a wound in his face by God's command, came to the king and delivered God's message: 'Since,' he said, 'you were commanded to kill the king of Syria and preferred to keep him alive and make peace with him rather than obey God, just as you see me wounded, so know that you and your people will be wounded by the one whom you released.' But why did that prophet voluntarily receive a wound upon himself? Why did he present himself in this appearance to the king? Namely, to show that God's commands must be obeyed without any contradiction. And therefore, since God had commanded that blasphemous king of Syria, Ben-hadad, to be killed, vengeance ought to have been carried out upon him, and he ought to have been put to death by God's command. Since these things were not carried out by King Ahab according to God's will, the damage would recoil upon him as well. This example agrees with the one we are now discussing. For God calls the Amalekites sinners. Not indeed because those who lived at that time had been injurious and cruel to the Israelites, or because they had tried to hinder them on the journey and exclude them from possession of the land that God had given them — for those people had not been born when that occurred. But nevertheless God wills to avenge in those who then lived the ingratitude of the fathers, just as God also threatens to avenge contempt of himself upon the third and fourth generation of the wicked. In this matter, however, he was a most just and equitable judge. For who, I ask, from that great multitude will maintain his innocence before God? Since therefore it is certain that all, from the greatest to the least, ...are guilty before God, there remains no ground for questioning why God willed to destroy all the Amalekites at once by a single annihilation, born many centuries after the transgression of the fathers. Likewise there is no need to ask concerning the Canaanites why they suffered punishment four hundred years after they had troubled Abraham. For God holds in his hand the opportune timing: as appears throughout all of Scripture, which constantly repeats 'the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord,' to show that it is not within the power of men to confine his judgments within certain limits; but rather they ought to reverence and adore them, and patiently await his will. Therefore, when we hear that God commanded the Amalekites to be destroyed in one annihilation and calls them sinners, this single reason ought to stand in place of all, and men ought not to inquire further into those judgments of God — for it is more than diabolical arrogance when God has pronounced his irrevocable decree, for mortals to dare to pass their own sentence upon it. For what, I ask, do they gain? They say it is good to inquire into the causes for which anything befalls anyone. But shall mortals embrace heaven and earth with their hands, and transfer to themselves that inaccessible and incomprehensible light of God? Therefore we must learn sobriety and modesty, lest we inquire too curiously into things that are above us. Surely the sun is most pure and most brilliant — who then would not judge him mad who says it is dark because something makes it dim? Or because some people, casting their eyes upon the purest rays of the sun, are so affected that they cannot bear its sight, does that weakness therefore diminish and weaken its natural goodness? But if so great is the power of an insensible creature that it brings stupor to our eyes and strikes them with dimness, what do we think will happen if we wish to search out the inner chambers of God, so as to explore the reasons for his judgments which he willed to be hidden from us, and weigh them by the measure of our own judgment? Therefore let this one reason stand in place of all: that God, commanding sinners to be punished, holds within himself the causes of his judgments, into which it is unlawful to inquire and against which it is unlawful to speak. Today, however, although such special revelations are not given, by which God shows that this or that person is to be pursued by war or punished, we ought nevertheless to be content with that common rule — namely, that God has declared openly enough, both in the Decalogue and throughout his entire word, that sinners are to be punished and the wicked are to be removed from our midst, and that they are by no means to be spared; and we must recall to memory that sentence of Solomon: 'He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous — both are abominable before God.' Surely we will all confess that if someone innocent is punished, an excessively outrageous cruelty and savagery is committed; but we will not always consider it a sin if someone wicked and unbelieving is removed or justified. Yet, says Solomon, both are held guilty of the same crime. For elsewhere the Lord says through the prophet: 'Woe to the man who calls evil good, and good evil.' Surely the judgment of both is equal. For just as we ought to hate evil and those by whom it is committed, so also we ought to know that God will neither tolerate nor leave unpunished those who justify the wicked; and especially from those who are appointed to administer justice he will demand an account, if they have tolerated the wicked and perverted justice, nor will he allow the seat to which he raised them to be so defiled by injustice, even though men may dissemble; and that they should abuse the sword which he entrusted to them for restraining the wicked and protecting the good, and in this capacity wished them to act as his delegates.

But enough about these things. Let us proceed to Saul's excuses, and hear him employing the customary arts of those who refuse to yield. We have already exposed his hypocrisy, when he cast upon the people the blame that belonged to himself. For Samuel knew that he himself was guilty of that which he accused the people. Nevertheless he calls upon the people as his advocate, in which he shows himself remarkably vain and deceitful, thinking God to be like an infant while he tries so to disguise the deed as though God will perceive nothing in it. But he betrays himself as even more shameless, and conceals his hypocrisy, when he says: 'I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.' For thus he charges the prophet with lying. Yet he had preserved the king of the Amalekites, he had reserved the flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and had taken the spoils. But the prophet sufficiently showed that he brought nothing of his own — that he was only God's messenger, delivering the commands that he had received by revelation the previous night. Saul therefore rose up not only against the prophet with arrogance, but against God himself, as though charging him with falsehood. Behold to what madness men come when they have become hardened in sins and flee from God's tribunal. For they turn themselves into every shape and confuse truth with falsehood through long detours. Nor indeed, I say, do they openly declare war against God, nor do they suddenly leap against him petulantly; but when for a time they produce vain excuses, they pour forth their poison and hurl the venom that lay hidden within, so that they dare even to provoke God himself. And indeed they pretend to worship him with many ceremonies, but they refuse to endure a judge if he hastens to exact punishments; nay rather, they would cast him down from his throne. In no other way did Saul conduct himself here toward the prophet. Nor should this seem surprising, since daily experience teaches us, alas, too well that this is the nature of men. For those who for a time pretended to be very religious, if they have fallen ...and are accused of some vice, they will try to excuse themselves by a thousand arts — not indeed as though they would rise up against God, but to deceive men if they can. But if they are pressed more sharply, so that all excuse is taken from them and the pretense removed, then they reveal their hidden poison, and as if seized by fury they are provoked against God himself, and fill everything with complaints of this sort: 'Will nothing then be tolerated? Did not God himself command that we should bear with one another? Why then are we pressed by such terrible divine vengeance set before us? Is this the way to bring men to God, and not rather to drive them to despair? We are weak, and what man is, no one is ignorant. Indeed, if God were to look upon men's deeds according to the severity of his justice, we would all be condemned to eternal death. But God is not so cruel as he is portrayed by these people.' But truly it ought to come into their minds, when they employ the words of the Son of God by which God's clemency is commended, that God tolerates the weak — those who, struck by God's judgments and contrite of heart, fear his threats — and he himself lifts them up; but on the contrary, he casts down those who exalt themselves and lift their heads on high, so that those rising up against God are overthrown with greater destruction and shattered. For God is an exceedingly hard rock, before whose sight the very mountains melt like snow. Therefore, although men may conspire against him with all their strength, what else will they be in his sight but a drop of water against a great fire? Therefore those who, reproved for their sins, complain of excessive severity, rather than acknowledging their sins and casting themselves down more and more before God and begging for pardon — what else do they do than harden themselves against God, and openly declare that they are bound by no religion, and even unwillingly pass sentence against themselves, since what they think is hidden from men is open and exposed to God? For this reason Saul's example must be all the more carefully observed, because we are by nature more inclined to this vice, until God himself renews us by his Holy Spirit. But above all, we must be most careful not to make God as it were our equal; but rather we must strive to be humbled more and more before him, our judge, and to condemn ourselves, so that we may more easily obtain grace from him; and we should know that whatever refuges we have sought will be so many pits into which we will plunge headlong. Therefore, if we are admonished to return to a better way and begin to foam out our poison, it is certain that destruction will rebound upon ourselves. Let us therefore fear and flee from such great destruction; and let us be so cast down before God's majesty that we may obtain mercy, which will always be ready, provided we beg for pardon with sincere repentance and trust. Moreover, if it happens that those who conduct themselves so stubbornly are among those who bear great zeal, let us not be offended by this or troubled, knowing that from all ages this has been the nature of men, and that it happens by God's just judgment that those who refuse willingly to confess their sins bring a heavier judgment upon themselves.

These then were Saul's vain evasions: that this was the people's fault, not his own; then, as if reproaching Samuel for a certain ignorance because he would not consider the people's piety, he says: 'Those things were reserved for sacrifices,' as if to say: 'Do you then, Samuel, take offense at sacrifices reserved for God?' In short, Saul seems here to accuse the prophet of ignorance and foolishness, as if he were impeding the people's devotion and turning them away from giving thanks to God, and diminishing his glory. But that pretense was vain, as we will hear the prophet next declaring in God's name that obedience is more pleasing to God than sacrifices. Thus the prophet refuted Saul's frivolous excuses. Should God be subjected to men and depend upon their will? And so he cut off all occasion for excuses, both the people's and Saul's. For Saul had received an express command about utterly exterminating the Amalekites and all their possessions, so that he should spare absolutely nothing, but just as the fathers of old had destroyed that city of Jericho according to the formula of the ban, so he should conduct himself against the enemy. And just as God had once commanded that city to be devastated with fire and sword so that nothing should remain of it, so he established a severe example against the one from the Israelites who had transgressed. For he who had taken a cloak from the accursed things and hidden it was compelled to give an account of his deed, and furthermore God showed his wrath against the entire people until the things stolen were restored and burned with fire, and the one guilty of the theft, together with his family, was punished with a terrible death. The same was therefore the case with the Amalekites, against whom we saw above that sentence had already been passed four hundred years before they were destroyed. Therefore God willed that the decree he had made so many centuries before be fulfilled at this time by Saul, and the Amalekites be utterly destroyed. But if anyone here asks whether the beasts had offended God, we answer that there is no place here for such questions; and that those against whom sentence was passed by the Lord had offended enough — before whose judgments the mouth of all must be stopped, and from whose will alone all must depend. Nevertheless it is certain that Saul was boldly lying when he offered the pretext of sacrifices to be offered to God. For he had reserved not only the fattest livestock from the flocks and herds, but also every best and most precious article of property. Saul therefore was led by a certain zeal of piety, but mixed with avarice, as hypocrites are accustomed to be. But these things are of no weight before God, so that he was rightly reproved by the Lord: because our works are not pleasing and acceptable except insofar as they are measured by his commandments.

...nor should we profane the sacred name of God. Far be it that we should take it in vain; but rather with all purity and integrity let us take it up when the need arises, so that it may not be mixed with our vices and corruptions. Let us now pass on to Samuel's words, and weigh that excellent sentence which he brought forth against Saul. And so Samuel, dealing briefly with Saul, as it befits God to speak with authority among men, in order to meet all their frivolous excuses, addresses him, though he offered many and quite specious pretexts, with these words: 'Does the Lord desire holocausts and sacrifices, and not rather that the voice of the Lord be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices, and to hearken is more than to offer the fat of rams.'

12. Samuel rose early in the morning to go to Saul, but he was told that Saul had gone to Carmel and had set up a monument for himself, then gone down to Gilgal. 13. When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him: Blessed are you of the Lord. I have carried out the command of the Lord. 14. Samuel replied: Then what is this sound of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear? 15. Saul answered: They brought them from Amalek. The people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we destroyed. 16. Samuel said to Saul: Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night. Saul answered: Speak. 17. Samuel said: When you were small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18. The Lord sent you on a mission and said: Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated. 19. Why then did you not obey the Lord? Why did you rush to the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?

In the previous sermon we heard Samuel's grief and tears for Saul after learning that God had rejected him. But now Samuel seems to have set aside all tenderness and to be breathing nothing but severity. He comes to Saul to deliver a terrible message: that the Lord no longer recognizes him as the legitimate king, because he carried out the matter according to his own judgment rather than God's command. Since Saul had not admitted God as his master, the Lord would no longer acknowledge Saul as His servant. This may seem contradictory — Samuel was in the deepest grief over love for Saul, and yet he comes to him now like a sworn enemy, sparing him nothing. But this is how the prophets customarily discharged their office. Though they embraced the people with the deepest love, they still applied the greatest severity in carrying out the duty entrusted to them. These two things are quite different from each other. A messenger who has been sent in someone else's name must be careful to faithfully deliver his message — and say or do nothing beyond what the one who sent him intended. This applies above all to those who preach God's Word. Even when dealing with parents or close friends, they must not be swayed by flattery or soften God's severity in any degree. Against the wicked and hardened — especially those who have grown stubborn in their sin — they must use the sharpest warnings and rebukes. Leniency or silence in such cases only drags them toward death. It is therefore the duty of true pastors and faithful servants of God — to whom the care of teaching in the church has been entrusted — to be genuinely moved and grieved when they see those in their charge rushing toward destruction. They must plead for the people before God and seek their salvation through prayer with all their strength. And yet they must hold nothing back from their office. They must not be intimidated by threats or swayed by outward appearances, but must be moved by burning zeal for God's glory — denouncing His judgments against sinners and rebuking them without softening. This is indeed the only way to rescue people from the danger they have brought on themselves — from ultimate destruction. If instead leniency is granted and the one who has provoked God's wrath is indulged, that indulgence is like putting a sword in the hands of a madman to cut his own throat. It is like pulling someone out of the water only to throw them in deeper, until they sink to the very bottom. We know that the only way for sinners to obtain pardon from God is to be so gripped by the weight of their sins that, renouncing themselves, they are cast down more and more before His majesty. But how will that happen unless they are roused from the numbness in which they naturally sit? If they are instead cushioned and comforted and persuaded that everything is fine, it is as if they are being trained to rise up against God and make war on Him — and are being armed against Him. In the end they will be destroyed by their own sword. Therefore everyone entrusted with preaching God's Word must — if they wish to fulfill their calling — be genuinely inclined toward compassion and truly desire the salvation of all those in their care. They must grieve deeply when they see less fruit and progress from their ministry than they had hoped. Yet they must act with firmness toward the obstinate and fearlessly proclaim God's judgments, openly demonstrating the authority of the Word God has entrusted to them. This is exactly what Samuel showed himself to be — announcing to King Saul the Lord's threats, even his deposition and rejection. But at first Saul boasts before Samuel as one who has done everything right and obeyed the Lord's command. This is how people so commonly behave — they inflate their own works with imaginary perfection. As wise Solomon also says, people's own deeds always seem right to them. When judging their own case, they always appear to themselves worthy of the highest praise. The person who has barely touched the surface of true worship thinks himself deeply religious and imagines he has done great service to God. If he has done something praiseworthy — even while not being free from vice — he lifts himself up with self-congratulation, shoves his failings behind his back, and extravagantly celebrates his own virtue. This is how Saul behaves here. And in some ways Saul could truly say he had obeyed. He had prepared himself for the journey, enrolled soldiers with remarkable speed, carried out the campaign against the Amalekites, and conducted himself bravely throughout. In all of those things, Saul could genuinely claim to have been obedient. But contrary to God's command, he spared the king — and in this he sinned gravely against God. Then on top of that, he took the best sheep and cattle — offering the plausible excuse that they were to be sacrificed to God. Even granting that his heart was sincere and truly inclined toward divine worship, he had still sinned against God's command. But as we noted earlier, shameful greed was being dressed up in the respectable name of offerings and sacrifices. This is how people twist themselves into various shapes and stray from the right path — bringing God in as a kind of partner and giving Him a share of their plunder. Even granting that Saul kept those animals purely for sacrifices and thanksgiving out of love for God — his intention was still foolish, and the excuse he had fabricated for himself was entirely unacceptable. From this we learn that we must strive all the more carefully in the opposite direction. Since we are so prone to violate God's commands, we must weigh our deeds with precision so that nothing is done rashly against them. Whenever we think we have had a right desire to serve God, and we honestly examine ourselves against God's standard to see if any corruption has crept in — we can be sure, provided we do not deceive ourselves, that we will always find something worthy of reproof. Our heart was not as whole and as pure as God requires. We therefore have great reason to humble ourselves before God and thank Him when He has given us genuine zeal for His worship. But at the same time we must acknowledge that God would not lack grounds to condemn us, if He chose to look at the imperfection of our works. Away, then, with the dream of merits that the papists imagine — thinking they can earn God's favor through their works and deserve a reward on the basis of them. On the contrary, if we honestly examine our works without disguise or self-deception, we will find them stained and marred by many flaws and failures. Let us be far from Saul's empty boast: 'I have done what the Lord commanded.' Rather let us say: 'I wanted to do what the Lord commanded — but the closer I seemed to reach the goal, the further I was from it, because I saw how much iniquity was still in me.' Paul himself confessed the same thing at the very time he was vigorously carrying out his apostolic ministry: 'I do not do the good I want to do; for I see in my flesh a persistent weakness.' Paul testifies that he was not running the race the way his calling demanded — that he did not do the good he wanted, but the evil he hated. I acknowledge that God receives our works and counts them as acceptable even when they are imperfect and incomplete — but He does so out of pure generosity. Therefore even when we are not conscious of any particular sin and cannot identify where we have gone wrong, we must still conclude this: we have indeed willed to do what God requires, but we have not fulfilled it or accomplished it as He demands.

Samuel's reply follows: 'Then what is this sound of sheep I hear, and the lowing of cattle?' The meaning is clear: even if you have sacrificed the best oxen, cows, calves, and lambs to God, you have still not fulfilled His commands. Notice that Samuel's speech is brief — as is typical of those who are at the end of their patience and have no more time for evasions. When dealing with a shameless person, a long argument only gives them more room to maneuver. A brief, direct charge hits harder and leaves less room to escape. So Samuel says nothing here about each individual offense — not about the king of Amalek being spared, not about the flocks of rams and oxen and cows, not about the rich spoils taken from the enemy. With a single pointed question he pins Saul down and forces him toward the truth, even though Saul is nowhere near confessing his offense. Saul immediately responds with hypocrisy, saying that the people had saved the flocks as sacrifices and burnt offerings for God — while cleverly removing himself from that 'people,' even though nothing was done without his authorization. This is the pattern of those who refuse to face the truth: from the very beginning they search for loopholes and hiding places so they will not be caught. In doing so we simply repeat the pattern of our first parent, who first tried to cover his shame with leaves, then blamed the wife God had given him. And the woman in turn blamed the serpent that had deceived her. Everyone is inclined to push their sins onto someone else. No one confesses guilt voluntarily. So with Saul: he had certainly intended to lead these spoils in triumph — first displaying the captive king, then following with the sheep, then the oxen and cows, along with all the best furnishings that had been carried off. He was therefore especially guilty before God of this sin. Yet he threw all the blame onto the people — just as guilty people typically push blame onto one person and then another, hoping to escape punishment that way. We must exercise great care here. We must think seriously about our own sins and voluntarily accept condemnation — blaming no one else. As long as we keep looking elsewhere, we will keep reaching for empty excuses to hide ourselves from God the judge. But what will come of it in the end? However many escape routes we try, we will never escape God's judgment. However much we shift blame onto others, it will do us no good — each person must answer for their own sins and suffer the consequences themselves. So let us, when seriously examining our sins, set aside those who had no part in them, or whom we did not use as advisors in committing them — for otherwise we only entangle ourselves further in lies and bring greater confusion on ourselves before God. Let each person honestly weigh their own sin, acknowledge the fault, and humbly ask for pardon. All of this is the lesson we must draw from Saul's example. In him, as in a mirror, we can see the deceitfulness and evasiveness of our own nature — for when confronted by Samuel, he tried to push all the blame onto the people in order to free himself from the charge.

Samuel next demands Saul's attention with these words: 'Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.' 'When you were small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel?' The meaning is this: When you were still a private citizen, you thought little of yourself — and rightly so, since you were an ordinary man from the country. Why then, after the Lord raised you to be king, did you not obey His commands? 'I sent you to wipe out the Amalekites completely. Why did you spare the king, who above all should have been put to death? And why did you turn to plunder and keep the best cattle — the very things God's interdict required you to destroy? Is this how you showed yourself obedient and submissive to God?' Samuel's courage and boldness are remarkable here — he presses Saul hard and exposes his empty excuse for what it is. People who want to escape blame entirely, or at least reduce it, always resort to hollow evasions. We must not yield to them — they must be firmly confronted. They will certainly complain that a great injustice is being done to them if their excuse is not accepted. But they are completely wrong. If they are not rebuked, they remain in a stupor and lethargy. They grow more shameless in their vices and never think of seeking pardon from the Lord for their offenses. Hoping for permanent impunity, they give themselves free rein for every kind of evil. Therefore whenever we slip and are confronted about it, we must be most careful not to reach for empty excuses and evasions hoping to cover our faults. Instead we must wait quietly, like defendants, for the verdict on our case. We must not resent this or take it harshly — for it greatly serves our salvation. Furthermore, all who undertake to confront their neighbors about sin must expect these hostilities and similar conflicts. People are so given to lying and self-deception, so stubborn, that they seem to want to build walls around their sins to keep them hidden. Whoever intends to confront another's sin against God's commands must steel themselves not to yield to resistance — but press on with all their strength to expose and rebuke the sin. They must make clear that those who think they can deceive God, whose Word is unchangeable, are gravely mistaken. Those who dare to talk back against it are exceedingly impudent — especially since the rebuke is entirely for their own benefit, teaching sinners to humble themselves under the mighty hand of the Lord and place themselves under His protection. This is the doctrine to be drawn from this passage, where Samuel says: 'Let me speak, and I will tell you.' These words also make clear that no one can or should prevent God when He speaks and reproves them. And even if they argue back, the sentence will still be pronounced against them. This is clear from the examples of Adam and Eve that I mentioned above. They tried with all their might to hide themselves — but only had fig leaves to work with. Each then cast blame on the other — to no avail. Did God's sentence against them become any less severe because of that? The man cast all blame on his wife and tried to escape punishment by claiming he had been deceived by her. But God still condemned him. The woman accused the serpent as the one responsible for the sin — but she too was condemned by the Lord, whether she liked it or not. What they should have done was look only at their own rebellion by which they had fallen away from the Lord, and offered no excuse. Saul follows the same pattern. He put forward a plausible and impressive defense — but the prophet pressed on even harder and stripped away the pretense. By resisting, Saul not only gained nothing — he made his case worse by hardening himself against God.

We must also observe here that Samuel rebukes Saul for not killing those God had commanded him to kill. As we noted before, God's sentence in this matter might seem too severe. Why should people be destroyed with such complete mercilessness? And how could God hold those responsible for a sin committed several centuries before they were born? At first glance, this severity seems extraordinary. But we must keep firmly in mind that when God's judgments are hidden from us, we must adore them with the utmost reverence and silence, and take the greatest care not to speak against them. Our presumption will always be put to shame. We accomplish nothing by probing with our curiosity what we ought instead to worship. We only bring great confusion upon ourselves. To put the whole matter briefly, let this principle stand firm: God, even when He acts with severity, is always perfectly just and equitable. If the reason for His judgments is not apparent to us — because of the dullness in our nature — we must still conclude without argument that they are most equitable and that all things are established with justice and righteousness. And let us apply this teaching personally: it is not our place to speak against God or interrogate His judgments as if we were greater than He — lest this bring the greatest harm upon us. The sad case of Ahab is well known. After receiving God's command to destroy the Syrians, Ahab chose instead to make peace with Ben-hadad, deciding on his own to spare his enemy. But a prophet sent by the Lord came to announce God's impending judgment upon him for this disobedience — and gave Ahab a physical sign so that he might feel the weight of God's judgment as though it were already before his eyes. The prophet, by God's command, voluntarily received a wound on his face, came to the king, and delivered God's message: 'Since you were commanded to kill the king of Syria and instead chose to spare him and make peace — just as you see me wounded, know that you and your people will be wounded by the one you released.' But why did the prophet voluntarily receive a wound and present himself in that condition to the king? To show that God's commands must be obeyed without any argument. God had commanded that blasphemous King Ben-hadad of Syria to be killed. Judgment should have been carried out — he should have been put to death by God's command. Since Ahab did not carry it out according to God's will, the damage would come back on him. This example directly parallels the one before us. God calls the Amalekites 'sinners.' Not because those alive in Saul's day had personally been cruel to the Israelites or had tried to block them on their journey — those people had not yet been born when that happened. But God willed to avenge in them the ingratitude of their fathers, just as He also threatened to avenge contempt of Himself to the third and fourth generation of the wicked. And in this He was a perfectly just and equitable judge. Who among that entire multitude could maintain their innocence before God? Since it is certain that all — from the greatest to the least — stand guilty before Him, there is no basis for questioning why God willed to destroy all the Amalekites at once, generations after the transgression of their fathers. Likewise, there is no need to ask why the Canaanites suffered punishment four hundred years after they had oppressed Abraham. God holds the timing in His own hand. Scripture constantly repeats 'the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord' to show that it is not within human power to confine God's judgments within set limits. We must rather revere and adore them, and wait patiently for His will. When we hear that God commanded the Amalekites to be destroyed in one stroke and called them sinners — that single reason ought to stand in place of all others. People should not dig further into God's judgments, for it is worse than diabolical arrogance when God has pronounced His irrevocable decree and mortals dare to pass their own sentence upon it. What do they gain by it? They say it is reasonable to ask why things happen as they do. But can mortals reach out and grasp the heavens and earth with their hands? Can they claim for themselves that inaccessible and incomprehensible light of God? We must learn sobriety and restraint — we must not pry too curiously into things that are above us. The sun is the purest and most brilliant of visible things. Who would not call that person mad who says it is dark simply because something has dimmed their eyes? And if some people, looking directly into the sun's rays, find themselves unable to bear the sight — does that weakness somehow diminish the sun's natural brilliance? If even a created thing has such power that it overwhelms our eyes, what will happen if we try to probe the deep chambers of God — seeking out the reasons for His judgments that He willed to remain hidden from us, weighing them by the measure of our own understanding? Let this one reason stand in place of all: that God commands sinners to be punished, and holds within Himself the reasons for His judgments — reasons it is not lawful to investigate or speak against. Today, however, even though such special revelations are no longer given — telling us that this or that person is to be attacked or punished — we must be content with the general rule that God has declared plainly enough, both in the Decalogue and throughout His Word: sinners are to be punished, the wicked are to be removed from among the people, and they are not to be spared. We must keep in mind Solomon's word: 'He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous — both are abominable to God.' We would all agree that punishing an innocent person is outrageous cruelty. But we do not always see it as a sin when a wicked and unbelieving person goes free or is justified. Yet Solomon says both are equally guilty before God. The Lord also says through the prophet: 'Woe to the man who calls evil good, and good evil.' The judgment falls equally on both. Just as we ought to hate evil and those who commit it, we must also know that God will neither tolerate nor leave unpunished those who justify the wicked. He will especially call to account those appointed to administer justice, if they have let the wicked go and perverted justice. He will not allow the office to which He raised them to be so defiled by injustice — even if men look away. Those who abuse the sword He entrusted to them for restraining evil and protecting the good will answer to Him, for He wished them to act in that office as His own representatives.

Enough on those matters. Let us look at Saul's excuses and hear him using the typical tactics of those who refuse to yield. We have already exposed his hypocrisy — he cast the blame that was his own onto the people. Samuel knew that Saul himself was guilty of the very things he blamed on others. Yet Saul calls on the people as his defense, revealing himself to be remarkably deluded and dishonest — as if he thought God were like a child, and that by disguising his actions he could hide what God sees perfectly well. He then shows himself even more shameless when he says, 'I have fulfilled the word of the Lord' — which amounts to calling the prophet a liar. He had spared the king of the Amalekites. He had kept the flocks and herds. He had taken the spoils. But the prophet made clear that he brought nothing of his own — he was only God's messenger, delivering the commands he had received by revelation the previous night. So Saul was not rising up against the prophet alone in his arrogance — he was rising up against God Himself, as if accusing God of falsehood. This is what people come to when they have hardened themselves in sin and run from God's judgment. They twist themselves into every shape, blurring truth and falsehood through endless detours. They do not openly declare war against God all at once — they do not suddenly and boldly leap against Him. Instead they spend time producing hollow excuses, and in the process pour out the poison that was lurking within, until they dare at last to openly provoke God Himself. They may make a great show of worshipping Him with many ceremonies, but they will not tolerate a judge who moves to enforce punishment. They would rather pull Him down from His throne. This is precisely how Saul conducted himself toward the prophet. And we should not be surprised — daily experience, sadly, confirms that this is the nature of people. Those who for a time made a show of great religious devotion — if they fall and are confronted about some sin — will try by a thousand strategies to excuse themselves. They do not necessarily mean to rise up against God openly, but to deceive others if they can. But if they are pressed harder, until all excuses are stripped away and the pretense is removed, then they reveal the poison within. Seized by a kind of fury, they turn against God Himself and fill everything with complaints like these: 'Will nothing at all be tolerated? Did not God Himself command that we bear with one another? Why then are we confronted with such terrible divine judgment? Is this really how you bring people to God — or is it how you drive them to despair? We are weak, and everyone knows what it is to be human. If God were to judge our deeds by the full strictness of His justice, we would all be condemned to eternal death. But God is not as cruel as these people make Him out to be.' But they should reflect on this when they invoke the Son of God's words about God's gentleness: God does bear with the weak — with those who are struck by His judgments, contrite of heart, and who fear His warnings — and He Himself lifts them up. But on the other side, He casts down those who exalt themselves and hold their heads high. Those who rise up against God are overthrown with all the greater destruction and shattered. For God is an immovable rock, before whose presence the very mountains melt like snow. Even if all people conspired against Him with all their strength, what would they be in His sight but a drop of water against a great fire? When people who are confronted about their sins respond by complaining about excessive severity — instead of acknowledging their sins and casting themselves down before God in prayer for pardon — what are they doing but hardening themselves against God? They are openly declaring that they have no real religion. And they are unknowingly passing sentence against themselves, since what they think is hidden from others lies open and exposed before God. This is why Saul's example must be observed all the more carefully — because we are by nature inclined toward this same vice, until God Himself renews us by His Holy Spirit. Above all, we must be most careful never to treat God as our equal. We must strive instead to be humbled more and more before Him, our judge, and to condemn ourselves — so that we may more readily obtain grace from Him. We must know that whatever hiding places we run to will become pits we fall headlong into. If we are warned to return to a better path and instead begin to pour out our poison, that destruction will come back on us. Let us therefore fear and flee this terrible danger. Let us be so humbled before God's majesty that we receive mercy — mercy that is always ready, provided we ask for pardon with sincere repentance and trust. And if we find that those who conduct themselves with this kind of stubbornness are among those who seem to carry great zeal, let us not be offended or troubled. From every age this has been the nature of people, and it happens by God's just judgment that those who refuse to confess their sins willingly only bring a heavier judgment upon themselves.

These, then, were Saul's hollow evasions: first, that the fault lay with the people, not himself. Then, as if rebuking Samuel for ignorance, he says: 'These things were reserved for sacrifices' — as if saying: 'Are you really offended, Samuel, at animals set apart for God?' In short, Saul appears to accuse the prophet of ignorance and foolishness — as though Samuel were obstructing the people's devotion, turning them away from giving thanks to God, and diminishing God's own glory. But that pretense was empty, as we will shortly hear the prophet declare in God's name: obedience is more pleasing to God than sacrifices. In this way the prophet refuted Saul's hollow excuses. Should God be subject to men and dependent on their will? Samuel cut off every avenue of excuse — both the people's and Saul's. Saul had received an explicit command to destroy the Amalekites and everything belonging to them — to spare absolutely nothing. Just as the fathers of old had destroyed Jericho under the law of the ban, so Saul was to conduct himself against the enemy. Just as God had once commanded Jericho to be laid waste by fire and sword so that nothing would remain, He also established a severe example against any Israelite who violated that command. The man who had hidden a garment from the forbidden things was forced to give account — and God showed His anger against the entire people until the stolen goods were recovered and burned with fire, and the one guilty of the theft, along with his family, was put to death. The same principle applied to the Amalekites, against whom, as we saw earlier, sentence had already been pronounced four hundred years before their destruction. God willed that the decree made so many centuries before be fulfilled in Saul's time, and the Amalekites completely destroyed. If anyone asks whether the animals had offended God, the answer is that such questions have no standing here. Those against whom the Lord pronounced sentence had given Him enough cause — and before His judgments every mouth must be shut, and all must depend on His will alone. What is certain is that Saul was boldly lying when he used the pretext of sacrifices to God. He had kept not only the fattest animals from the flocks and herds, but also every fine and precious article of property. Saul was moved by some zeal for devotion — but it was mixed with greed, as is typical of hypocrites. None of this carries any weight before God, and so he was rightly reproved by the Lord. Our works are not pleasing and acceptable to God except insofar as they are measured by His commands.

We must not profane God's holy name. Far be it from us to take it in vain. Rather, let us call upon it with all purity and sincerity when the need arises — so that it is not mixed with our vices and corruption. Let us now turn to Samuel's words and weigh that excellent declaration he brought forth against Saul. Samuel, dealing plainly with Saul — as God always speaks with authority — cut through all his hollow pretexts with these words: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'