Lesson 7: Obedience 87
Guide Bible Study
- Brief ly recount the events described in Exodus 17:14–16. Help
members understand that the Amalekites had resisted the Israelites
efforts to obey God’s instructions to go into the Promised Land.
God had promised that the Amalekites would be punished for their
disobedience. - Read 1 Samuel 15:1–3 to the class. Note that God was keeping the
promise he had made to his people and was using Israel’s new king,
Saul, to accomplish his purpose. Utilize the information in the
Bible Comments of this Teaching Guide to help members under-
stand God’s instructions to destroy the Amalekites. - Direct members to read 1 Samuel 15:7–9 to discover how Saul car-
ried out God’s instructions. Ask, Did Saul do what God had told
him to do? Point out that all was going well until verse 9. At that
point, Saul decided he knew how to deal with the Amalekites better
than God did, so he spared the spoils and the king. - Call on a member to read aloud verses 10–11. Ask, How did God
respond to Saul’s disobedience? Discuss. How does he respond to our
disobedience? - Instruct members to read verse 13 to discover how Saul greeted
Samuel. Be sure to emphasize Saul’s claim to have “carried out the
Lord’s instructions.” Ask, Was this true? Why or why not? - Refer to the section “The Futility of Disobedience” in the Study
Guide to summarize the ensuing conversation between Samuel and
Saul (verses 14–21). Help members understand that Saul’s protesta-
tions that he had brought the spoils of the Amalekites to offer as
a sacrifice did not compensate for his disobedience. Read aloud
verses 22–23. - Ask, What was the result of Saul’s disobedience? Was the result
immediate? Help members understand that sin always has conse-
quences, but sometimes those consequences are delayed. Refer to
“The Consequences of Disobedience” in the Study Guide for addi-
tional information.