What Caused the 40?

Read

Read 1 Samuel 15:10–12, 17–19, 22–23 slowly.

1 Samuel 15:10–12

10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 11 “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.”

12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul.

1 Samuel 15:17–19

17 Samuel said, “The Lord anointed you king over Israel 18 and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites.’

19 So why didn’t you obey the Lord?”

1 Samuel 15:22–23

22 Then Samuel said: “Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”

As you read, notice what led to this moment. Saul had been king for many years. At one point, he was chosen, anointed, and positioned by God, but over time something began to shift. Pride began to replace humility, and dependence on God slowly turned into reliance on himself.

What we see in this moment is not confusion—it is disobedience.

God gave a clear instruction, and Saul chose not to fully obey. Sit with that before moving on.

Reflect

Saul’s failure didn’t begin in 1 Samuel 15; this moment is the result of something that had been building over time. Two major moments of self-reliance and defiance led to this point, where Saul no longer followed God fully but instead followed what made sense to him. He didn’t outright reject God—he just didn’t fully obey Him.

Samuel confronts him with a direct question: “Why didn’t you obey the Lord?” and then makes it clear, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul thought he could justify his actions and that partial obedience could still be acceptable if it looked spiritual on the outside, but God wasn’t after his performance—He wanted his obedience.

This is where it connects to us. Defiance doesn’t always look obvious or loud. Sometimes it shows up in subtle ways—adjusting what God said, delaying what God said, or doing part of what God said while holding on to what we want.

Saul’s 40 didn’t begin with a giant standing in front of him.

It began with defiance within him.

Sit with that for a moment.

Respond

Where in your life have you seen this pattern—not outright rejection of God, but partial obedience?

Is there something God has clearly said, through His Word or conviction, that you’ve adjusted, delayed, or justified?

What would full obedience look like in that area?

Take time to write honestly.

Pray

Lord, You see the areas of my life where I have not fully obeyed You, not just the obvious moments but the subtle ones where I’ve chosen my way over Yours. Help me to recognize those places clearly, give me humility to admit them, and courage to change. Teach me that obedience matters more than anything I try to offer in its place. Amen.

Prepare for Day 2

Tomorrow we will look at what happens next: what unfolds after defiance, and how it begins to shape the season that follows.