Fabric Torn by Sin
Fabric Torn by Sin
Words of Faith 10-8-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 15:24-35
[24] Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. [25] Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." [26] But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!" [27] As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. [28] Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you. [29] He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." [30] Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God." [31] So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. [32] Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." [33] But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal. [34] Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. [35] Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Saul had allowed the kingship of Israel to slip right out of his hands. He had everything going for him, but pride and arrogance were his downfalls. He finally confessed to Samuel that he had sinned.
Why had Saul sinned? He was more afraid of the people than he was in fear or reverence to the Lord. This is the greatest risk for leaders-- to fear man's opinions rather than the Lord God's opinion.
In repentance, Saul begged for the chance to start over, find forgiveness, and worship with Samuel once again. Saul finally convinced Samuel to come and worship with him, but the consequences of sin were not changeable.
The image of the torn cloak told the story. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel used the image to describe the damage Saul had done by his rebellion and disregard for the Word of God to him-- "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you."
Repentance is a powerful act that changes the direction of life. Forgiveness is a powerful force in restoring relationships. But there are times when the damage of sin is not repairable. This was one. Saul would be able to restore a worshipping relationship with the Lord, but the damage he had done to the leadership of Israel could not be repaired. He would soon no longer be king. The kingdom of David was now just about to dawn. "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."
Samuel went to worship with Saul. Samuel carried out the execution of Agag, the captive leader of the Amalekites, but all this was too little, too late. After that, until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again. What had begun with most grand hopes and aspirations had ended in great grief because of Saul's disobedience. Samuel mourned for Saul and the brokenness of life. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
We often preach and teach that there is no sin that cannot be forgiven and made right with the Lord through repentance and sacrifice. Especially in light of the sacrifice of Jesus, is there any sin that cannot be covered by the blood of Jesus and His grace? Certainly not. We often quote that as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12).
But in Saul's life, we also learn that there is a point at which repeated, habitual, defiant rebellion against the Lord results in fabric tears that are not repairable. There are times when sins are forgiven, but the consequences of those sins carry on. God will bring beauty out of ashes, but some things will never be the same as they were before. So it was for Saul.
There are times when repeated defiance against God results in a torn fabric that cannot be repaired even though there is forgiveness and healing with scars. Marriages actually do get irreparably broken. Vows of marriage and ministry are sometimes betrayed such that even with forgiveness, there cannot be a restoration.
So where is the hope in this passage? Our hope is in the fact that God did not give up. God did not give up on Israel. God did not abandon Saul even though he was now disqualified from serving as king. Saul continued to worship, but there would be another king in the future. The truth is that we can sometimes mess up our lives so much that things will never be the same and will never be what they might have been, but God does not abandon us.
We will see something similar in King David's life. David was a man after God's own heart who also sinned terribly. David was forgiven and restored through sincere, immediate repentance, but he would not be allowed to build the Temple because of the blood on his hands. Some things are not repairable, but David was definitely restored.
How about you? Are you in rebellion? It is vital that you repent before the damage is done and tears occur that cannot be repaired. Do you feel that there is no hope for the future? There is always hope for the future. God has not given up on you.
Father God, help me put the past behind me. Help me walk in the light of Your forgiveness and grace, empowered by that grace to change and find healing. Give me the grace to accept the damage that cannot be repaired. Give me hope for the future You have planned for me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.
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