The following article was distributed to the national Apostolic Church this week.
Enough! Be quiet! Wait a minute! Stop.
Would it be fair for me to say that not many people will know the context of the above exclamations or sharp words of rebuke?
But I dare say that the average self-respecting Christian will be familiar with the statement “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Listed below are the fuller context of these words of rebuke which come from 1 Samuel 15:16.
“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. (New International Version)
“Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul said. (Good News Translation)
“Be quiet!” Samuel said. “I’ll tell you what the LORD told me last night.” Saul told him, “Speak. (International Standard Version)
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” Saul said to him, “Tell me.” (NET Bible)
Do these words sound strange and rather harsh to anyone in this day and age?
With so many versions of the Bible now available I was quite fascinated to read the various translations of the encounter between Samuel and King Saul.
The thing is that these various translations have somehow stuck in my mind in a forceful way.
Be quiet! Even now there is something to it.
Anyone who reads the full context of this narrative will realise these were no flippant words of disrespect but rather the expression of the displeasure of God who chose Saul to be king over His people Israel.
Something of real cataclysmic and seismic proportions had taken place in the dealings of God with Israel and more devastatingly between God and King Saul and this was not lost on the prophet Samuel. Not when he had spent all night agonising before the Lord over the matter.
Listen to the passages preceding this word of rebuke from 1 Samuel 15:10 – 16
The word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
Are you still wondering where I am coming from and where I am going?
This is an encounter between the two leaders of Israel at that point in time. I have no desire to enter into any kind of argument as to who was who but for the sake of simplicity please kindly permit me to describe the encounter as being between Samuel, the spiritual leader and King Saul, the governmental leader of Israel.
What fascinates me is the intensity of what can only be described as a sharp word of rebuke from Samuel proceeding out of a sense of exasperation, incredulity or the utter brain damaging explanation that King Saul had just spewed out.
Do I hear someone violently shaking their heads and saying “Abraham, this is Old Testament stuff”?
Rather interesting but not unexpected in these days of “new light and off the wall revelation”
Others would ask if this is prescriptive or descriptive. Let us just agree that it is a narrative.
I am inclined to quote 2 Timothy 3:16 which says “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;” New American Standard Bible
Please allow me to ask a simple question. Is there still a place for rebuke in our interpersonal relationships?
Perhaps a public rebuke because of a very public act of disobedience that was regarded as being equal to the sin of divination and witchcraft?
What is your point, Abraham, in “Enough! Be quiet! Wait a minute! Stop”
Well, since you asked.
When was the last time you encountered something you considered so abhorrently inexcusable In Christendom? Perhaps within your sphere of ministry?
Were you angry like Samuel?
Perhaps you chose the pathway of silence. Silence out of fear of offending or the silence of acquiescence?
Or perhaps you chose the pathway of the sage. You philosophised. You just shrugged your shoulders and wondered what the world was coming to?
More probably you heeded the words of Jesus “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3 (English Standard Version)
Please understand this. I am not advocating you going around rebuking every person for some perceived error. It could be very dangerous for your physical welfare. And no, I am not a coward. Just offering sound advice.
Coming back to our subject, somehow I think Samuel was very disappointed with King Saul.
Perhaps his hopes in the new leader of Israel had been dashed. Samuel had such a high regard for the laws and commandments of God. Do you remember this testimony regarding the young Samuel? “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.” 1 Samuel 3:19 English Standard Version.
But rather sadly the same could not be said of physically impressive specimen of a man called Saul.
I see the shattered dreams, hopes and aspirations of Samuel. O the heartache and frustrations of leadership.
This had nothing to do with the fact that power had moved from Samuel to Saul. Rather, I think that Samuel had spiritual responsibility for Israel and for King Saul and was absolutely devastated at the sin of King Saul.
Samuel took no pleasure in the rejection of Saul. On the contrary. Just listen to this: Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” 1 Samuel 16:1 New King James Version
The man who publicly rebuked the King was the man who loved him enough to mourn for him until the Lord called a halt to the mourning period.
And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. (1 Samuel 15:35 New King James Version)
What a tragic end to a relationship that began with revelations and prophecies, with pomp and ceremony before the tribes of Israel.
As I conclude this short article, let me say that the man who said “Enough! Be quiet! Wait a minute! Stop” was a man who loved enough to pray and a man who loved enough to mourn.
Lest I forget, he was one who had heard from God. It was not a suspicion, it was not a conviction, and it was not a thought. It was a word from the Lord that was verified by subsequent events.
What margins of error or laxity did King Saul allow himself in the matter of the Amalek Mission? Perhaps he had failed to understand the history of God, Israel and Amalek?
When will we learn to say enough, be quiet, wait a minute or stop when we hear excuses being given for downright disobedience and blame being shifted to others? Hopefully we are not guilty of the same sins. Sin?
Friends, let me finish on a positive note with a prayer. May it be said of us as was said of David “And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’” (Acts 13:22 – English Standard Version)
Ps. Abraham Sackey
