1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? Let our subject be the danger of self deception and half-heartedness in the religious life. We shall not have to do with people wholly irreligious and immoral, with those we commonly term sinners; but with a kind of semi-religious, or professedly religious people — people always hovering about the kingdom of God, but who never truly and heartily enters into it; one part of whose life seems alway to contradict and undo another. I. THE MASTER EVIL — WANT OF WHOLE-HEARTED SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL AND COMMANDMENT OF GOD. This it was which ran through, vitiated, and spoiled the whole life and course of the unhappy king, Saul. No more ill-fated, unhappy, unprofitable enigma to himself, to God, and to the world, than a man who has never more than half a mind or heart to anything. Such a man can serve neither world well and truly, for he dare not give himself up wholly to the present, and be cannot give himself up to the world to come, the kingdom of God. He knows and believes both too much and too little. This description applies to many professing Christians. They have too little gospel in them to make them blessed in the Lord; and enough perhaps to make them ashamed and miserable in the day of visitation — the still small voice only heard at intervals, but the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen generally gross and loud enough to close their ears to the music of heaven and eternity. II. HEREIN IS DISPLAYED LAMENTABLE WEAKNESS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE. There was a fatal weakness of soul and character about Saul, which showed itself at every great crisis, and at length brought his days to an end in calamity, disgrace, despair. He was not a man to be kept true to his avowed faith and principles, was too easily turned aside; he put his hand to the plough, and yet looked back; he reminds us of those in the gospels who said, "Lord, I will follow Thee, BUT." III. THE DECEIVING LOVE OF SELF, SELF INTEREST, COVETOUS DESIRES, VAIN AMBITIONS, BENDER US INSENSIBLE TO THE SOVEREIGN CLAIMS OF GOD AND TRUTH. It is so easy, while professing to give ourselves to God and His holy service, to seek and serve ourselves meanwhile, and keep in view low earthly ends — even to fight against prevalent forms of error and evil more for the sake of our own advancement and advantage than from pure loyalty to the cause of truth and righteousness. We may win the spoils of the enemy, and in so doing spare Agag the king, take the master-evil home into our own hearts and households, seek our own reputation and interest and not the glory of God. IV. WE HAVE HERE ALSO A MELANCHOLY EXAMPLE OF SPARING SINS AND EVILS THAT SHOULD BE SLAIN, SHELTERING AND HARBOURING THEM UNDER FALSE PRETENCES, BY UNWORTHY PLEAS AND EXCUSES. The mark of a true man and Christian to allow no known sin, least of all favourite, profitable, accustomed, pleasant sins. V. HOW SHORT AND EASY THE STAGE BETWEEN THIS EVIL PARTIALITY, THIS INDULGED INSINCERITY AT GIVEN POINTS, AND A BLINDING HYPOCRISY THROUGHOUT THE MAN. VI. IT IS A VAIN THING TO THROW THE BLAME ON OTHERS, TO ALLEGE PUBLIC OPINION AND CUSTOM IN SELF-JUSTIFICATION AND DEFENCE, WHEN WE ARE DISOBEYING THE PLAINLY EXPRESSED WILL AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. We cut ourselves off, in this way, from all true kingship, not in Israel only, as Saul; but is a greater, holier, ever during kingdom, the kingdom of God. (Watson Smith.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? |
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