Why was God displeased with Saul?

Answer 1

Saul killed everyone but Agag (the king) and the best of the animals. But still God was furious with Saul for not killing everything as he had been told to do. He said, "it repenteth me that I have set Saul up to be king." 1 Samuel 15:7-26

In 1 Samuel 12:14-15 Samuel explained that obedience was an important requirement of a King. This no doubt included obedience to specific commands or to previously given commands such as the requirements regarding who was to perform religious and ceremonial duties such as sacrifices. Saul was a King and not a priest so when he offered an offering he was in big trouble:

9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;12Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. Together with the occasion mentioned in the first answer, where Saul also was not obedient but chose his own path after having been given very clear instructions, it seems that Saul had a big problem with obedience. Neither the deliberate disobedience above, nor his failure to destroy the cruel Amalekites who had violently opposed Israel almost as soon as they came out of Egypt, were trifling matters and he was consequently rejected as King.

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.

Answer 2

God was displeased with Saul because he disobeyed His command by sparing the Amalekite king and taking the spoils of war against his instructions. Saul's actions showed a lack of faith and obedience towards God.

Answer 3

God commanded King Saul to do something (1 Samuel 15: 2-3). But King Saul did not do it completely (1 Samuel 15:9). Because of this "......God lose favor with King Saul" (1 Samuel 15:11).

1 Samuel 15:2 (KJV) 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.

15:3 >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.

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.

1 Samuel 15:11 (King James Version)11It repenteth 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.

The verse above clearly demonstrates that Saul lost favor with God, not the other way around. Saul made a deliberate choice (not just on this occasion either) to disobey and it was precisely for this disobedience that God held him accountable - it was after all God who gave him the command in the first place ( as mentioned above).

If we inquire further as to why Saul disobeyed God, it would seem that Saul had a problem with rebellion - he thought he could do it his way rather than God's.

Answer 4

To teach Israel a lesson for rejecting Jehovah as their true king - See 1+Samuel ch.8

Additionally, Saul was of the Tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe, so he would not be able to show favoritism to his kinsmen since Benjaminites were such a small minority that they could not physically defend him if he did so. (The other tribes would rebel.)

Answer 5

Saul started out as a good king and as a faithful servant to Almighty God, Jehovah. However, he presumptuously broke Jehovah's regulations in the Mosaic law and offered up a sacrifice which was only supposed to be done by one of the priests. This account is found in 1 Samuel 13:5-14.

The second offense involved Saul's disobedience to a direct command given to him by God. In 1 Samuel 15:1-35, the account is recorded and Samuel tells Saul that it was decided that he would lose the kingship in verses 26-28.

So by his disobedience, Saul lost his position as King of Israel.

Answer 6

Israelite kings were expected to be strong in maintaining their governance and preventing rebellion (Talmud, Yoma 22b). Rebellion was a matter in which they could act without consulting the Sanhedrin (Jewish court of Torah-scholars). Saul felt that David presented a threat, since he (David) had begun reigning over the tribe of Judah not long after Saul was crowned. It was an error on Saul's part, but in general he was eminently righteous (Talmud, Moed Katan 16b).

Answer 7

Saul disobeyed the Lord twice: first, when the prophet Samuel was late to make the burnt offering at Gilgal, Saul nervously made the offering himself. As soon as the offering had been made, Samuel arrived and told him he had disobeyed the Lord. The second time was when Samuel told him to kill and destroy the Amalekites, their king Agag and all animals belonging to them. Instead, Saul spared Agag and the best of the animals and made a monument to himself at Carmel. When Samuel returned, Saul claimed to have done everything right. Samuel confronted him with the truth and told him "the Lord has torn the kingdom...from you...and has given it to your neighbor..." God told Samuel He regretted making Saul king because he was not obedient and was insubordinate.

Answer 8

Israelite kings were expected to be strong in maintaining their governance and preventing rebellion (Talmud, Yoma 22b). Rebellion was a matter in which they could act without consulting the Sanhedrin (Jewish court of Torah-scholars). Saul felt that David presented a threat, since he (David) had begun reigning over the tribe of Judah not long after Saul was crowned. It was an error on Saul's part, but in general he was eminently righteous (Talmud, Moed Katan 16b).See also the Related Links.

Link: Why was Saul rejected?

Link: What were Saul's accomplishments?

Link: Why didn't David kill Saul?

Answer 9

God told saul to offer a sacrifice, God told him to wait for samuel(the prophet). the people were becoming restless and saul offered the sacrifice before samuel arrived.

Answer 10

because saul didnt obey god,he talked to a soothsayer and the dead,which is an abomanation to god.