How to mend a blunted conscience (1 Sam 15:10-16)

Some time ago now I heard of a married Christian man who left his wife and moved in with another woman yet claimed that he had never known the Lord to be so close to him. I remember feeling puzzled and confused. How could God be near to someone who went so blatantly against what Scripture says is right? Was there something else in the story that I did not know? Why did this man feel no guilt? Saul in our passage seems equally oblivious to any wrongdoing. As he greets Samuel, there is bold confidence in his words asserting that he had been obedient to God’s command (1 Sam 15:13). Could Saul have misinterpreted Samuel’s earlier instructions?

It is hard to see how he could have done so as they are abundantly clear (1 Sam 15:3). Moreover, there are two other indicators that the fault lies with Saul. First, God’s estimate that he has failed to carry out His command is unequivocal (1 Sam 15:11). The One who sees not only the external actions but also our motivation and heart condemns him, and this is surely the ultimate verdict. Secondly, Saul goes off to set up a monument for himself at Carmel (1 Sam 15:12),[1] which speaks of a man satisfied with his own accomplishments rather than giving glory to God. It aligns with the king’s earlier action of numbering his troops (1 Sam 15:4), which was focused on human resources. As he only counted with his own strength before, so now he only sees his own achievement.

Despite what Samuel knows of God’s verdict, it is significant that Saul is given a chance to respond when confronted with his wrongdoing (1 Sam 15:14). In fact, he is going to have several opportunities to do so in the conversation that follows. God wants repentance and renewal; he does not delight in condemnation and judgement (Ezek 18:23). He is also a God who responds to human action: those who repent can hope for mercy as David’s admission of sin after his adultery shows (2 Sam 12:13). Sadly, Saul’s reaction is a pious explanation rather than contrition (1 Sam 15:15). This, again, is not an isolated incident, a one-off, but a pattern already visible in his first disobedience where he justified not waiting for Samuel by the devout-sounding excuse that he did not want to go into battle without offering a sacrifice (1 Sam 13:12). Yet, these seemingly sincere religious reasons are in stark contrast to the absence of trust in the Lord and the lack of heartfelt devotion to God. The former is demonstrated in Saul’s focus on human strength, the latter in the way he generally speaks about the Lord, but not to Him and is either too impatient or oblivious of the need to ask God for guidance (1 Sam 14:18-19, 36).

Saul’s lack of awareness regarding his sin then may be because he simply does not have a genuine relationship with the Lord and considers his own religious concerns of a higher priority than God’s command. Alternatively, he might have justified himself so often that his conscience has become blunted in the process. Nevertheless, all is not lost because God calls sinners into relationship and He wants to restore. For that reason, Samuel is not told simply to pronounce judgment but first to confront and provide the opportunity for repentance. For us too, even if we have resisted the Holy Spirit convicting us before, while God speaks we have the option to take His prompting to heart and acknowledge our sin. It is also important that whether we ‘feel’ guilty or not, we acknowledge what God considers right and wrong as revealed in His Word. May we respond when we hear His voice (Ps 95:7-9).

[1] The Carmel mentioned here is not the famous one where Elijah’s showdown happened in the north, but in the hill country of Judah in the south (Josh 15:1, 55).

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