扫罗作领袖时，以色列民受苦。扫罗不服从神的命令，他又因打胜仗立纪念碑，藉此尊崇和提升自己超过神。
当撒母耳问扫罗：“你为何没有听从耶和华的命令？”时， 扫罗便撒谎，说他所作的完全都是为了神的缘故。当然，撒母耳早已知道扫罗作了什么事，这本来是扫罗悔悟的机会。
可是，扫罗却以荒谬的话来回应，他尝试以宗教作为借口来掩饰他的贪婪。扫罗声称他留下了最好的牛羊，是要把它们献给神，然而那是谎话。他更把责任推在别人身上，说是士兵百姓们留下上好的牛羊。
撒母耳便说：“你住口吧！”撒母耳告诉扫罗，他既厌弃耶和华的命令，现在耶和华也厌弃他作以色列民的王了。
今天，我们又怎样呢？我们是否在随己意过活？我们有没有高举自己和漠视神的话语？我们若犯了错，会不会用宗教借口来掩饰呢？我们做错事的时候，有没有把责任推在别人身上呢？
如果我们做了上述的事情，我们便需要悔改和祈求神的怜悯和恩典了。我们断然不想面对被神厌恶的痛苦。
父神啊，求你赐我们信心，坦白地承认我们的罪；主啊，求你以你的怜悯和恩典更新我们，好叫我们能忠心为你而活。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
撒母耳记上 15:10-23
10耶和华的话临到撒母耳说：
11“我立扫罗为王，我后悔了。因为他转去不跟从我，不遵守我的命令。”撒母耳便甚忧愁，终夜哀求耶和华。
12撒母耳清早起来，迎接扫罗。有人告诉撒母耳说：“扫罗到了迦密，在那里立了纪念碑，又转身下到吉甲。”
13撒母耳到了扫罗那里，扫罗对他说：“愿耶和华赐福于你！耶和华的命令我已遵守了。”
14撒母耳说：“我耳中听见有羊叫、牛鸣，是从哪里来的呢？”
15扫罗说：“这是百姓从亚玛力人那里带来的，因为他们爱惜上好的牛羊，要献于耶和华你的神。其余的我们都灭尽了。”
16撒母耳对扫罗说：“你住口吧！等我将耶和华昨夜向我所说的话告诉你。”扫罗说：“请讲。”
17撒母耳对扫罗说：“从前你虽然以自己为小，岂不是被立为以色列支派的元首吗？耶和华膏你做以色列的王。
18耶和华差遣你，吩咐你说：‘你去击打那些犯罪的亚玛力人，将他们灭绝净尽。’
19你为何没有听从耶和华的命令，急忙掳掠财物，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事呢？”
20扫罗对撒母耳说：“我实在听从了耶和华的命令，行了耶和华所差遣我行的路，擒了亚玛力王亚甲来，灭尽了亚玛力人。
21百姓却在所当灭的物中取了最好的牛羊，要在吉甲献于耶和华你的神。”
22撒母耳说：“耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂如喜悦人听从他的话呢？听命胜于献祭，顺从胜于公羊的脂油。
23悖逆的罪与行邪术的罪相等，顽梗的罪与拜虚神和偶像的罪相同。你既厌弃耶和华的命令，耶和华也厌弃你做王。”
"Samuel replied . . . 'Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.'" - 1 Samuel 15:22-23
The people of Israel suffered while Saul was their leader. Saul did not obey God's commands. Saul also set up a monument to honor himself for his victory in a war, raising himself above God.
When Samuel asked Saul, "Why did you not obey the Lord?" Saul lied, saying that everything he did was for God. Of course, Samuel already knew what Saul had done, and this was an opportunity to repent.
But Saul's answer was ridiculous. He tried to cover up his greed with religious excuses. Saul claimed that he had saved out the best sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice them to God. But that was a lie. He also shifted blame to others, saying it was the soldiers who had saved out the best sheep and cattle.
So Samuel said, "Enough!" And he told Saul that because he had rejected the word of the Lord, God had now rejected him as king over Israel.
How about us today? Do we live our lives as we please? Do we lift ourselves up and ignore God's words? Do we make up religious excuses when we have done wrong? Do we blame others for our wrongdoing?
If we do these things, we need to repent and appeal to God for his mercy and grace. We do not want to face the suffering of being rejected by God.
Father God, give us the faith to honestly confess our sins. In your mercy and grace, Lord, restore us to live faithfully for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
