Doing What You Know To Do

Doing What You Know To Do

I Samuel 15:1-3.  Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "ADONAI sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Isra'el. Now listen to what ADONAI has to say. 2 Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack 'Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

King Sha'ul was commanded by God to Attack the Amalek's whom scripture records as ancient Israel's arch enemy.  The Amalekites were vicious adversaries and need to be dealt with.  God directs Saul to attack them and completely destroy them and ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS!  This is done by God to protect Israel fall falling into the idol worship that they were engaged in.  Remember, you could take Israel out of Egypt but not Egypt out of Israel.  A generation would perish in the wildness to rid the camp of Egyptian culture and religion.  Saul leads Israel in a victorious attack but doesn't comply with God's explicit instructions:

I Samuel 15:8-14.  He took Agag the king of 'Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword. 9 However, Sha'ul and the people spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, and even the second best, also the lambs, and everything that was good - they weren't inclined to destroy these things. But everything that was worthless or weak they completely destroyed. 10 Then the word of ADONAI came to Sh'mu'el: 11 "I regret setting up Sha'ul as king, because he has turned back from following me and hasn't obeyed my orders. "This made Sh'mu'el very sad, so that he cried to ADONAI all night. 12 Sh'mu'el got up early in the morning to meet Sha'ul; however, Sh'mu'el was told, "Sha'ul came to Karmel to set up a monument for himself there, but now he has left and is on his way down to Gilgal." 13 Sh'mu'el went to Sha'ul; Sha'ul said to him, "May ADONAI bless you! I have done what ADONAI ordered." 14 But Sh'mu'el answered, "If so, why do I hear sheep bleating and cows mooing?"

Sha'ul and Samuel clash over Saul's insubordination because this isn't a new behavior for Sha'ul, this is Sha'ul's second offense.  In Samuel 13:8-14 Saul didn't wait for Samuel as he was told, instead he sacrificed to God which was out of order costing him his legacy! The throne would not stay in his lineage.  God removed the monarchy or Kingship from Sha'ul's descendants.  This incident in I Samuel 15 will cost Saul personally, now he will lose both the throne and his life as God regrets ever making Saul king.  Even though at the onset of this battle Samuel stressed the need to comply with God's directions and orders.  After Samuel confronts him Sha'ul tries to shift the blame upon his troops rather than take responsibility and repent:

I Samuel 15:20-23.  Sha'ul said to Sh'mu'el, "I did too pay attention to what ADONAI said, and I carried out the mission on which ADONAI sent me. I brought back Agag the king of 'Amalek, and I completely destroyed 'Amalek. 21 But the people took some of the spoil, the best of the sheep and cattle set aside for destruction, to sacrifice to ADONAI your God in Gilgal." 22 Sh'mu'el said, "Does ADONAI take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying what ADONAI says? Surely obeying is better than sacrifice, and heeding orders than the fat of rams. 23 "For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery, stubbornness like the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of ADONAI, he too has rejected you as king."

I consistently teach and speak on the importance of obedience to the commands of God.  This is applicable too and does relate directly to God's word but that's not where I want to go with this.  The key here is that Saul knew what God wanted Him to do and he chose not to do so.  Saul was insubordinate.  Insubordination is the refusal to obey orders, it's disobedience to authority.
 
IT IS NEVER A MINOR THING TO KNOW GOD'S WILL AND NOT DO IT!

God calls this sin!  In fact, it is the definition of the term sin.  Sin is the direct disobedience to the know will of God.  Saul did exactly what we do today! He began reasoning, rationalizing, and procrastinating.  Exactly what believers do today!  Does this sound familiar:

"I'm just not ready yet", "I'll do it later", I can't afford to do that", "It wouldn't make a difference anyway", "I don't know how", "I don't know what to say", "I don't have the training", "Someone else will do it" to name just a few of our excuses.  I've shared this before, I've had people tell me   "Rabbi, I know what you are saying is truth because it's in the bible, but I'm not going to do it!"  That is exactly what Saul did.  It is a deadly attitude.  All of this rationalizing and procrastinating in God's eyes is disobedience.
 
James 4:17.  So then, anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it is committing a sin.

We tend to deceive ourselves into believing that good thoughts or good intentions equal obedience and compliance with God's commands and instructions.  That is a lie of HaSatan.  An intention without the corresponding action is sin.  You have heard me say this probable a thousand times so right now will be one thousand and one times:  God does not deal with you. How many times has God directly given you a command or directive and you reacted by rationalizing and procrastinating through prayer, fasting, and confirmation rather than doing what HE told you to do?
 
When you encounter God and He gives you a directive it's not enough that you right it down in your prayer journal or that you share it with me or someone else who is also a believer.  You must act on it!

For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord God of Israel, when He speaks to you, He is not asking you to think about it, form a decision, or take a family or congregational vote on the matter.  This is where so many believers fall short and come into sin.  Deciding to obey is not the same as obeying.  Yeshua shared the following parable about this subject

Matthew 21:28-31.
"But give me your opinion: a man had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 He answered, `I don't want to'; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to his other son and said the same thing. This one answered, `I will, sir'; but he didn't go. 31 Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they replied. "That's right!" Yeshua said to them. "I tell you that the tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you!

This is a topic that is often taught on within the Messianic Community regarding Torah, living a biblical lifestyle, regardless if your Jewish or Gentile, and of course the sensitive topics of dietary commands, tithing, celebrating the feasts, and even keeping Shabbat.  This is actually another form of rationalizing and procrastinating but done on a more corporate level called formalized religion which relates to both Judaism and Christianity.  But what I'm talking about right now, goes way beyond the fundamental tenants of trust and worship, what I'm talking about spills over into our daily lives.
 
It's married people who claim to be followers of God while involved in inappropriate immoral behavior. Single believers going to night clubs or dance clubs that we all know are hook up places for casual sex.  Its every addiction that God said to know off and your still engaged in.  It's watching inappropriate things on TV or streaming.  It's those who say they call upon the name of the Lord and celebrate Halloween or Easter.....It's those who call upon the name of the Lord and follow horoscopes and have their palms read, it’s those who call upon the name of the Lord and speak to the dead (necromancing) which is very popular on TV these days, even those who do the necromancing will proclaim that they are believers and worship the God of Israel.  It's those who call upon the name of the Lord and won't help a neighbor or even a stranger in trouble and in need of assistance.  It's those who call upon the name of the Lord and live together in sin vice getting married.  It's those who call upon the name of the Lord and seek to reconcile with God through their own works-Saul tried that when he sacrificed instead of waiting for Samuel.  Great intentions but insubordinate.

Loudly proclaiming the necessity of obedience doesn't equate to obedience.  Making a public commitment to obey isn't the same as actually obeying!

Luke 6:46-49.  "Why do you call me, `Lord! Lord!' but not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me, hears my words and acts on them -- I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like someone building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the torrent beat against that house but couldn't shake it, because it was constructed well. 49 And whoever hears my words but doesn't act on them is like someone who built his house on the ground without any foundation. As soon as the river struck it, it collapsed and that house became a horrendous wreck!"

It's shocking, even puzzling how many who call upon the name of the Lord attempt to lead a Godly lifestyle but don't or won't read their bible.  Remember, it's not strict unthinking compliance to what your Rabbi, Pastor, denomination, Yeshiva, or Seminary says that is obedience.  Its adherence to what God says.  This does not take away from submitting to authority as Romans 13 and Hebrews 13 states.  I'm talking about subordination and obedience to God's word vice some theology, Catechism, Doxology, or Talmudic belief system.

Deuteronomy 32:47. For this is not a trivial matter for you; on the contrary, it is your life! Through it you will live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to possess."

Moshe described the end result of rationalizing and procrastination: God’s word and commands are trivialized.  You've heard it all: "What's the big deal?", "You're Judaizing", "God is about love and grace....you can do whatever you want because Torah (obedience) is done away with and you're saved by grace".  That is all lies from the pits of hell.  God says this is not trivial matter, in fact it's YOUR LIFE! Think about Moses’ audience as he makes this statement.  This group that's about to enter into the promise land watched their parents and elders die in the wilderness because "they knew what to do and wouldn't do it".  Even our beloved Moses didn’t enter into the promise land because he knew what to do in a situation and wouldn't do it!  God told him in

Numbers 20:8-12.  "Take the staff, assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; and before their eyes, tell the rock to produce its water. You will bring them water out of the rock and thus enable the community and their livestock to drink." 9 Moshe took the staff from the presence of ADONAI, as he had ordered him. 10 But after Moshe and Aharon had assembled the community in front of the rock, he said to them, "Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water from this rock?" 11 Then Moshe raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his staff. Water flowed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "Because you did not trust in me, so as to cause me to be regarded as holy by the people of Isra'el, you will not bring this community into the land I have given them."

Ahhh, there is an underlying current or theme in all of these biblical examples, a lack of trusting God which is a fundamental reason why many of us do not submit to God. Moses was angry and took matters into his own hands instead of trusting God.  Saul sacrificed to God instead of waiting for Samuel in I Samuel 13 because he was getting anxious and didn't trust God.
 
It's a known point here within this ministry which deals with this very subject.  I've had individuals who’ve come to me and said: “The Lord told them to attend Congregation Zion’s Sake” yet after several months I don’t see them!  I've had individuals come to me whom God has spoken to and share that God gave them an idea or ministry, but they want me to do it.  I'm already walking out what God told me to do.  If God tells you to do something or gives you an idea He wants you to do it.  If He wanted me to do it, He would have given me the dream or vision.  I'll help and assist you in biblical anyway I can, but I won’t do it for you!  Adonai gave us a daily reminder to recite to remind us:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9.  "Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one]; 5 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. 6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9 and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates.

God gave us a constant, daily reminder that it was not by our own doing that we are victorious, but by His hand and that we are to Love, fear, and serve Him and Him alone,  No other God's are to be in receipt of our obedience and submission.  If we do so, things will go well for us!
 
James 4:17. So then, anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it is committing a sin.

Our reverence for God and His word is revealed not by what we say but by what we do like Abraham's immediate compliance with God's instructions which was awarded to him as righteousness.  To disobey God is to reject life, to obey God is to experience the fullness and blessings of all that God offers.

Here is the key: Only obedience to God's commands satisfies God's desire for obedience.

Blessings, Rabbi Eric S Carlson

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