A Balanced View of God’s Love. Part [12] 12/07/2025 (Morning thought)

1st Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

In this instance, Saul did some of what The Lord had commanded, him, but he used his own discretion as it pertained to other things that he thought needed some adjustment. In other words, Saul modified the will of God to align with what he thought was right. On this particular point, some persons believe that their own personal opinions, have more weight than God’s revealed will, especially if their preferences may seem to be something productive of good.

God’s love does not ask persons to determine what is good or not, nor does it excuse a disregard of His law on the basis that it seems to be wrong, or out of step with popular opinion. As we read, consider the apparently “good” reasons that Saul gives for doing contrary to what God required….. 20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

1st Samuel 15:10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, 11 It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night…. In our day the love of God is often misinterpreted to mean that it’s okay to insert personal preferences or opinions into His revealed will, once there is a good reason for doing so. It is called good disobedience.

1st Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

A Balanced View of God’s Love. Part [11] 12/07/2025 (Evening thought)

Genesis 4:6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if you don’t well, sin lieth at the door….

The issue of partial obedience also surfaced in the life of Moses at one time, where he did everything that God told him to do, except one. On account of remonstrances from his wife, he decided against the requirement of circumcision and God couldn’t move forward with him, unless the issue that he knew of was addressed and corrected…. Exodus 4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.

When God stopped Moses in his tracks, it was the love principle at work, preventing him from going to do battle against satanic forces, while violating one express command of God. If The Lord had let things slide, that would have been the end of Moses as he entered satan’s turf…. Exodus 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

Exodus 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Again, the issue of partial obedience reared its head when Saul partially fulfilled the mandate given him by God, and just as it was with Cain and Moses, The Lord could not and did not accept it. The command was as simple and straightforward as it gets, because the Amalekites and everything that pertained to them were to be utterly destroyed with no exceptions.

1st Samuel 15:2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!