STUBBORNNESS AND SURRENDERING

15 Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel:
now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

2 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.

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.

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand
footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy
you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So
the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge
of the sword.

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.

10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

11 It 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.

12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to
Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the
commandment of the Lord.

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the
oxen which I hear?

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the
sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he
said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes
of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and
fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil
in the sight of the Lord?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which
the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been
utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast
rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and
thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,
and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

Intro: Would you condone idolatry? Have you ever known anyone to casually admit to idolatry? What
if you were talking to a friend who is a Christian one day about character flaws and he said something
like, “Well, I know I’ve got a problem with idolatry” or “I’ve been an idolater since I was a kid; I guess
that’s just part of my make-up”? There’s no indication from your friend that any change is
forthcoming, just an admission that “this is how I am.” Wouldn’t this disturb you?

• Would you tell your friend that idolaters have no inheritance in heaven? Ephesians 5:5 “5 For this ye
know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Would you tell him that while idolaters cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, that some of the Corinthian saints had been idolaters – 9 Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some
of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
• Would you tell your friend that other Christians should not associate with him until he repents? 1
Corinthians 5:11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a
brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such
an one no not to eat..”

• Would you tell your friend to flee idolatry? 1 Corinthians 10:14 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from
idolatry.”

While you may never have had a friend casually admit to idolatry and treat it with a cavalier attitude, you
probably have had friends admit to and be accepting of a sin that is just a bad. Maybe you’ve admitted to
it yourself. The sin of stubbornness!

I) The sin of Saul (1 Samuel 15)

A. It is as bad as iniquity and idolatry. (15:23)

NOTE: I am stubborn = I am an idolater.

1. Does stubbornness know it’s stubborn? At a particular moment in time, a person may not seem to
know they’re being stubborn, even though they admit they have a problem with it. But in their heart
they know. It’s iniquity!

2. What is iniquity?

a. In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I
said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

b. In this one verse, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” are all mentioned. Basically, the three words
communicate the same idea: evil and lawlessness, as defined by God (see1 John 3:4).

c. The word trespass is also often found in Scripture to describe sin.

d. These words are synonymous, but carry different connotations when it comes the EXTREMENESS of
the sin.

• Trespass = crossing the boundary, often without knowing it.

• Transgression = going beyond or going over, often refers to sinning with volition or knowing that you’ve
sinned
• Iniquity = willingly sinning; planning sin, premeditation, self-willed sin.

3. God says stubbornness is iniquity, the most offensive and heinous of sins. Therefore, a stubborn
person really does know he’s sinning but pretends he isn’t so he can feel self-justified and look good in
the eyes of others.

B) In Saul’s case, stubbornness involved following his own interpretation of God’s command as if it were
correct, pride in his accomplishment, and arguing with one in spiritual authority (Samuel) that he had
done right!
1) Despite God’s clear command, Saul chose to do otherwise (15:3, 7, 9)

2) He is proud of his accomplishment

(a) He sets up a monument for himself! (15:12)

(b) He claims to have done God’s will (15:13)

3) He argues with Samuel, the judge of Israel and the prophet of God (cf.1 Samuel 7:6, 15)

(a) He shifts blame (15:15)

(b) He justifies his action as an avenue of sacrificing to God (15:15) (although God had not asked
Him to do this).

(c) Even after it is pointed out by Samuel exactly where he missed it in obeying God, he still
insists that he obeyed God! (15:16-20)

DEVILS AND STUBBORNNESS

Jesus said to him, “Come out of him (That’s right.), you unclean spirit.” Now look, the devil had him a
good home church, so he didn’t want to leave that country. It was a good hang-out. He liked to hang-out
around there. So he had him a good home place, settled down. So he just didn’t want to leave the place.
And that’s the way with devils: whenever they once get settled down amongst a bunch of people, they
don’t want to leave. That’s right. Oh, they’re stubborn, say, “Now, I don’t believe in no such thing as
Divine healing. I don’t believe in that kind of stuff.” Sure not, that’s a devil making you do that. 89 No, he
didn’t want to leave. He said, “We’ll…” Said, “he didn’t want to leave,” said… And then Jesus said, “Come
out of him.” 90 Well, he said, “Now, if I must come out, let me go over there in that bunch of hogs.” My,
and so they went over and got in a bunch of hogs. And look, there was two thousand devils in one man.
Think of it, two thousand devils in one man.
54-0720A - The Maniac Of Gadara
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org

II) Stubbornness today.

A) According to 2 Timothy 3:4 in the perilous times of the last days men will be “traitors, headstrong,
haughty”

1) Headstrong means “determined to have one's own way; willful; stubborn; obstinate”
(Dictionary.com)

B) Stubbornness involves

1) A determination to walk in your self-determined way. Psalms 81:11-13 "But My people would
not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. (12) So I gave them over to their own stubborn
heart, To walk in their own counsels. (13) "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk
in My ways!

2) A conviction that our assessments and judgments are invariably right.

(a) Job 12:2 "No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you!”

(b) Romans 12:16b “Do not be wise in your own opinion.”

(c) 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have
knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (2) And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he
knows nothing yet as he ought to know.”

3) Being unwilling to change. Isaiah 48:4 “Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your
neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze”

13 And, but Jehoshaphat was a—a righteous man, a good man. He had had some good bringing
up and a lot of examples, as we’ve had today. He seen his father, Asa, how that when Asa served the
Lord, then God was with him; but when Asa failed to serve the Lord and got stubborn, then God
departed from him.
14 No matter how well the Lord loves us, and how well you love the Lord, when you depart from
serving and worshipping the Lord, then just remember, you can look for trouble to start in. Because God
told David one time, “Thou art a man after My Own heart.” And then when David did wrong, David had
to reap for what he sowed. And we…He’s never told us that we were after His Own heart, so we’ll surely
have to reap what we sow.
15 But during this time, Asa got a disease in his feet, and he died with it, because he did not ask
the Lord for Divine healing; he just went to the doctors alone. He wouldn’t ask the Lord; he was too
stubborn. And he just got to a place where he’d begin to listen to some modernistic views and didn’t
believe, maybe, or didn’t believe the Lord healed, so he didn’t consult the Lord nothing about. He
thought, “Well, my doctor can’t help me; there’s no need of asking anybody else.” So the Bible said he
slept. He was taken to the tombs of his father…his fathers, and there he rested.
16 And now, Jehoshaphat his son, raising up to take his place, had a good background to look
upon, to see that when a man will walk for God and walk with God, God will walk with the man. But
when that same individual turns his back from God, then God just lets him shift for himself. And we find
out it—it’s very sad thing when we have to shift for ourself.
17 I never try to trust my own wisdom, ’cause I have none. I’m so glad that I do not. If I had
some, maybe I would try to trust in it. But the Lord just seen fit that I didn’t have any, so I just have to
trust in Him. And I believe it would be good if we all just tried that awhile, don’t you think? Just don’t
take our own ideas about thing, but rest solemnly upon THUS SAITH THE LORD. Don’t try to reason it,
’cause you can’t reason it. If you can reason it out and see just exactly how it’s going to be, it would not
be a act of faith anymore.
18 Faith is what you do not see; it’s what you believe, that you don’t…you do not see it, but
there’s Something inside of you, sees it. And that’s God that’s inside, sees His Own Word being made
manifest. But you couldn’t reason it. I just…There’s no way of doing it. God never can be reasoned,
because He’s beyond reason; He’s God. And we just take what He said about it and call it the truth.
56-1002A - Father, The Hour Has Come
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org
 (a) It is often excused or rationalized by claiming that a person must live according to his
convictions. When you approach a stubborn person about his need to change his doctrine, practice or
attitude, you’ll often hear something like this: “I can’t compromise my convictions!”

(b) Convictions can’t be compromised, but they may need to be changed!

(i) The Pharisees and Sadducees had convictions, but they needed to heed the rebukes
of Jesus and change!

(ii) Sydney Harris once said, “I am tired of hearing about men with the “courage of their convictions.”
Nero and Caligula and Attila and Hitler had the courage of their convictions—but not one had the
courage to examine his convictions or to change them, which is the true test of character.” -- Bits and
Pieces, Oct. 1991

(c) But to the stubborn person, changing his convictions is never considered as a viable option.

(i) It reminds me of a plaque I’ve seen in homes and novelty shops over the years: “O
Lord, grant that we may always be right, for thou knowest we will never change our minds.”

(d) Wisdom will cause one to be willing to listen and change.

(i) Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool [a stubborn fool, sk] is right in his own eyes, But he
who heeds counsel is wise.”

(ii) James 3:17, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

(iii) Proverbs 15:32 “He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who
heeds rebuke gets understanding.”

4) Thinking like a mule. (Psalm 32:8-9). Mules are stubborn because they think for themselves and they
will not put themselves in what they perceive to be danger or unnecessary stress. The stubbornness is
not giving in to the will of the owner.

(a) We are indeed stubborn, thinking that we know the right way.

(b) We are indeed stubborn in that we can’t acknowledge that God’s ways are greater than our ways and
that somebody else might know more about God’s ways than we do!

(c) We resist because we feel that we know what is best for us.

(d) We resist because we are concerned that what God has for us isn’t what we really want or need.

(e) But mainly we resist because we think that what we know is all there is to know. That others don’t
have any insights that would help us see truth more clearly and change.
(f) And so, because we believe we are so in tune with truth, and our version of reality is the only one that
matters, we will listen to ourselves before anyone else.

STUBBORN OR SURRENDER?

Daniel 4:1-37

Introduction:

Who here has to learn everything the hard way? When it comes to being obedient to God are you
stubborn? Just as Jacob wrestled with God, we find that God will let us wrestle with Him; but He can stop
the wrestling match anytime He wants to.

Daniel 4 is focused on the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride, his fall, and his repentance.

Daniel 4:1-3

The king then told his dream, Daniel interpreted the dream, and then the dream came true.

Daniel 4:4-33

Stubborn

The king was told what was going to happen. He realized that he was very powerful man and became
extremely prideful. He was like a strong tree that could not be harmed, so he thought.

Now the underlying theme here is important. Remember that King Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged
to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that their God was the greatest of all gods because God
had rescued them; but he had never acknowledged that Jehovah God was the only true God. The king
was looking for a god that would be his “errand-boy”.

God is patient with us; but God does get our attention. This is an important message not only to
Christians; but to our nation. You may think you are powerful, rich, etc…; but pride goes before the fall.

Revelation 3:14-18

Christians, you may be stubborn, but God will “line you out”. It would be so much easier if you would
just be obedient the first time.

Hebrews 12:4-11

King Nebuchadnezzar went from the most powerful man to eating grass like a cow. What a change. God
can remove those things that keep you from Him.

Daniel 4:34-36

Surrender
As soon as his time of punishment was over, he surrendered to God. He was convinced that God was the
only God. Notice that after he surrendered to God that all of the focus on himself was gone and when he
focused on God he began to praise and worship him.

Conclusion:

Daniel 4:37

1. The key to this passage is in this verse: God is perfect and righteous, and you can choose to follow Him
and enjoy your fellowship with God or you can walk in pride and be humbled by God.

2. King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony is one of failure in self and success through God.

3. Are you going to keep being stubborn or are you going to surrender to God?

17 Now, wouldn’t you all like to have a real Bible church? A real Bible church where all the spiritual gifts
were set in order, everything making manifest just exactly the way it should be. Wouldn’t that be
wonderful? Now, you’re going to have to sacrifice, not money. You’re going to have to sacrifice what?
Some of your own ideas. You’re going to have to sacrifice some time in prayer. You’re going to have to
sacrifice your…maybe a stubborn will, to break down in humility. See? You’re going to have…The whole
Christian move is sacrificial. “He that will follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow
Me daily.” Is that right? How often do you have to sacrifice? Every day. Paul said, “He died daily; every
day, he died.”
54-0516 - Questions And Answers (Law Having A Shadow)
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org

Hebrews 4:7 "TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

EXAMPLES OF SPEAKING AGAINST GOD’S SERVANTS

Do Not Speak Against God’s Servants: He maybe in the servant while you ridicule him

1. Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married and
the anger of the Lord was kindled against them. Miriam became leprous, as white as snow.

Num 12:1-2: And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman
whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, ‘has the LORD
indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken also by us?’ And the LORD heard it.

For speaking against God’s servant Moses, God called Miriam and Aaron out to meet them.
 Num 12:4-5: And the LORD spoke suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam,
‘Come out you three unto the tabernacle of the congregation’. And they three came out.

And God said,

‘If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and
will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the
similitude of the LORD shall he behold: why then were you not afraid to speak against my
servant Moses?’ (Num 12:6-8)

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them

Num 12:9: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

Miriam became leprous

Num 12:10: And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became
leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

2. Korah against Moses

Korah gathered some children of Israel against Moses

Num 16:1-2: Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and
Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose
up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the
assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown.

And they said to Moses

‘You take too much upon you, seeing the entire congregation is holy, every one of them, and the
LORD is among them: why then do you exalt yourself above the congregation of the LORD?’
(Num 16:3)

‘Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to
kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? Moreover you have
not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and
vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up’ (Num 16:13-14)

And God said to Moses

Num 16:21-24: Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in
a moment. Speak unto the congregation saying,’ Get away from about the tabernacle of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram’.

For speaking against Moses, God’s anger was kindled against Korah and his company and the earth
opened its mouth and swallowed them up into the pit.
Num 16:31-33: And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground
split apart under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and
all the men with Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into
the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

And all Israel feared God and feared speaking against His servant Moses

Num 16:34: And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, ‘Lest the
earth swallow us up also’.

3. Children of Israel speaking against Moses

The children of Israel spoke against God and against Moses

Num 21:5: And the people spoke against God and against Moses; ‘Why have you brought us up out of
Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes
this worthless bread’.

And God’s anger was kindled against them. He sent fiery serpents to bit them and many of the
children of Israel died.

Num 21:6: And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much
people of Israel died.

4. Youths speaking against Elisha

Youths mocked Elisha. Mocking is speaking against.

2 Kings 2:23: And he went up from there unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came
youths out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, ‘Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead’.

Two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the youths

2 Kings 2:24: And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And
there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and mauled forty and two of the youths.