Serving and Hearing (1 Samuel 15)

On reading: 1 Sam 15

As a Christians, we tend to think about the dichotomy about serving God and hearing God's Word.
I want to share what I got after I read 1 Samuel 15. The context was taken when Saul thought that he is wise enough to chose his will, when God ask Saul (through Samuel) to destroy all the living beings in Amalek.

Saul thought that he can chose not to obey God's word, and tend to convince God that Saul's option were better than God's.

So do us. We often think that our plan is better than God's everlasting will. The word use to "clean up the Amalekites" in Hebrew is "Haram". The word "Haram" is so familiar in my context living in Indonesia (the world most populous Moslem country in the world). "Haram" means filth, impure, profane.

So many definition of "haram" nowadays. But I'd like to introduce you a Christian point of view of haram. "Haram" is when we try to trim God's divine judgment to us. But as a "smartass" Christians, we'd almost never confess our sin, and try to cover ourselves with "serving".

As the climax of our sinful nature, we may be sound like this: "I served God! I didn't do sin! I don't give what He want, but I give Him what he needs!"

We serve God, and almost always cut of God's word. So much compromises in our life to not obey God's divine judgment to us. We need to re-think what should we do and how should we live, according to His word, without compromise.

Soli Deo Gloria