NOTES for Sa1 15:22-23
Very distinctive approach of Saul to his relationship with God. He wants God's participation in his affairs, and not his participation in the affairs of God. Saul intends "to neutralize" with sacrifices God's possible dissatisfaction for his disobedience. A simple model on the whole: I give Him the fat of rams, He gives me what I want! We call this type of relationships theurgy, and the prophet Samuel is completely right, when he compares them with the witchcraft and the idolatry.
Does this concern us? We don’t indeed bring sacrifices. And we don’t practice the witchcraft, we don’t go to fortunetellers, we don’t worship idols. Yes, but the same logic acts in us, when we put candles in the church or read extracts of the Holy Scriptures, believing after that God will fulfill what we want from Him, instead of trying how to fulfill what He wants from us. Theurgy "is hidden" very profoundly in us, in our subconscience, and without a connection with Christ, without acceptance of the Holy Spirit, we cannot clean it from there.