“And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.” ~ I Samuel 15:20
REFERENCE:
Our key verse shows the second time Saul told Samuel that he had performed and obeyed the command of the Lord. In verse 13, it appears that Saul is unaware of the implications of his action, but from the above, there is a tone of intentionality. By repeating that he had obeyed God, gone on the mission, brought back Agag, and utterly destroyed the Amalekite, Saul moved from self-deception to hypocrisy. The bleating of sheep spoke of this.
While self-deception refers to deceiving oneself or believing a lie, often without conscious awareness, hypocrisy involves the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues, or qualities that one does not possess. It usually entails presenting oneself as morally or ethically upright while engaging in actions contradicting those beliefs. Hypocrisy involves a conscious awareness of the inconsistency between one’s actions and outward appearance.
Saul’s actions directly violated God’s orders, but he was hypocritical enough to inform Samuel that he had obeyed God’s orders. A hypocrite is about outward appearance; he lives to make an impression on people. He likes to present an image of who he is not. Saul put up the front of commitment and obedience to God but was rebellious and profane.
Oddly, the hypocrite finds a fine blend between two opposites and is comfortable with the paradox of his life. He claims spirituality but lacks the love of God, prays in tongues but is immoral, quotes scriptures but is nasty, operates spiritual gifts but is untrustworthy, and is a good man outside but cruel to his family. He knows this irony but would do nothing about it.
The bleating sheep are a reminder that there is hypocrisy in the camp. Do a quick assessment of yourself – are you the same person outside as you are when alone? Do you practice what you preach? Do you campaign against something you are guilty of? Saul claimed obedience but was a self-serving rebel who thought he could get away with bribing God, but God saw through it. God hates hypocrisy; He would rather you be a sinner than a hypocrite. Therefore, stop it!
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
I Timothy 5:8, II Timothy 3:12, and Revelation 3:1-2
PRAYER:
Lord, rid me of every form of hypocrisy. I refuse to be comfortable living a life that goes against my Christian conviction and faith. Let integrity characterize my life and conduct at all times and make me an epistle of Christlikeness for all men to read. Wherever my life is a display of hypocrisy, bring it to my attention and give me the courage to repent, in Jesus’ name.
