The Lord Looks at the Heart

Saul’s Disobedience and Excuses in 1 Samuel 15

There is a great contrast in the response of God to Saul's sin versus David's. The Lord looks at the heart and knows the truth behind our words. In 1 Samuel 15, we read about Saul's disobedience to a direct command of the Lord. Saul had been told to destroy, utterly and completely, all of the Amalekites including even their livestock. Nothing was to be left alive.

Instead, Saul decided to bring back the King of the Amalekites alive and the best of the livestock. The prophet Samuel asks Saul why he did not obey the Lord? Saul's first answer is to lie. He tells Samuel that he did obey the Lord. In verse 21 Saul says,

"The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” (NIV)

Notice carefully what Saul says, the animals were kept alive so they could be sacrificed to the Lord YOUR God. Not our God, not my God, but YOUR God. This is a hint at the heart of Saul. When Saul hears that God has rejected him as king of Israel, only then does he declare that he repents of his sin.

Rebellion and Pride: Saul’s Downward Spiral

Time passes and Saul, knowing that his kingship has been taken from him by God Himself and given to David, fearing David, tries to hunt him down and kill him. Instead of agreeing with the will of God and admitting his failure he seeks to destroy the one whom God has anointed as king in his place.

David Confronted: The Weight of Sin and Judgment

In 2 Samuel chapter 12, we read about the prophet Nathan confronting David over his sin of adultery and murder. Nathan tells David that warfare will never leave David's house because of these sins. In addition, the Lord would require the death of David and Bathsheba's child born out of this adulterous union.

Upon hearing all of this David's first response is to, as we would say, "own his sin". Instead of trying to lie about what he did he like Saul, he immediately confessed his sin. The price for his sin was heavy, the consequences were not removed, but Nathan tells David that the Lord has taken away his sin. He was forgiven.

Why David Was Called a Man After God's Own Heart

In 1 Samuel 13: 14, God says that David is a man "after God's own heart." In the Psalms we see what kind of heart David really had. He had absolute faith that God was in control of his life, he loved God's laws, he was thankful to God and he displayed true repentance when he failed and sinned against God. In Acts 13:22, we are told that David would do everything God wanted him to do. David didn't just admit his sin, but he also showed real heartfelt repentance for it.

When God looks at our own hearts, what does He see? Does he see true remorse and true repentance like David, or does he see us making excuses for our sin and only asking for forgiveness when we see it will cost us something, like Saul? Both men ultimately confessed their sin but only one man had his heart in the right place. Above all, God wants our hearts.

The Lord Looks at the Heart: What Does God See in Us?

"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7(b) (NIV)

Let our prayer be the same as David's in Psalm 139: 23-24, that God would search him and know him. David asked God to know his anxieties and see if there was anything wicked in him. Most importantly, David sought God to lead him in an everlasting way. To this we should say, AMEN!