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  BECAUSE THOU OBEYEST NOT THE VOICE
  by F.B. Meyer
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking forgiveness for
both positive transgressions and negative omissions, lest they weigh
heavily on the conscience in times of death and judgment.

Topics: "Forgiveness", "Obedience"
Scripture References: 1 Samuel 15:23, Matthew 25:26-30, Luke 10:31-32, Hebrews 8:12, James 4:17

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DESCRIPTION
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F.B. Meyer emphasizes the consequences of Saul's disobedience to God's
voice, illustrating how unforgiven sin can haunt an individual,
particularly in moments of crisis. He reflects on Saul's failure to
execute God's command against Amalek, which ultimately led to his
downfall, highlighting that God's mercy was still available to him had
he sought it. Meyer contrasts Saul's situation with the assurance of the
new covenant, where God promises to forget our sins when we repent. He
warns that sins of omission can weigh heavily on our consciences, just
as much as active transgressions, and stresses the importance of seeking
forgiveness for both. The sermon serves as a reminder of the need for
humility and repentance in the face of our failures.

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CONTENT
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Because thou obeyest not the voice

of the Lord, therefore . . . 1 Sam. xxviii. 18.

THUS unforgiven sin comes back to a man. We cannot explain the mysteries
that lie around this incident; but it is clear that in that supreme hour
of Saul's fate, that early sin, which had never been confessed and put
away, came surging back on the mind and heart of the
terror‑stricken monarch. "Because thou obeyedst not the voice of
the Lord, and didst not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore
hath the Lord done this thing unto thee This day. Moreover the Lord will
deliver Israel also with thee into the hands of the Philistines" (R.V.).
But Saul did not realize that even then the gates of God's love stood
open to him, if only he would pass through them by humble penitence and
faith. If instead of applying to the witch, he had sought God's mercy,
light would have burst on his darkened path, and he had never perished
by his own hand on Mount Gilboa.

In strong contrast with this, let us put the assurance of the new
covenant: "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." When God
forgives, He blots out from the book of his remembrance. The sin is gone
as a pebble in the ocean; as a cloud in the blue of a summer's sky.

Saul's was a sin of omission. The question was not what evil he had
done, but the good be had failed to do. Let us remember that we need
pardon for the sad lapses and failures of our lives, equally as for the
positive transgressions. And if such things are not forgiven, they will
lie heavy on our consciences when the shadows of death begin to gather
around us. The New Testament especially judges those who knew and did
not do ‑‑ the slothful servant, the virgin without the oil,
the priest that passed by on the other side.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/fb-meyer/because-thou-obeyest-not-the-voice/
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