Long before King Saul's time, the Amalekites ambushed Israel, and with God's help, the Israelites prevailed. In response, He declared that He would blot out the remembrance of Amalek and later commanded Saul to utterly destroy them, sparing nothing. Initially, Saul obeyed, attacking the Amalekites across a vast region. However, he and the people spared Agag, the king, and the best of the livestock, refusing to fully destroy them as commanded. This act of disobedience led to God rejecting Saul as king over Israel, eventually giving the throne to David. Saul attempted to justify his disobedience by claiming the spared livestock were for sacrifice to honor God, but this excuse was rebuffed. His rebellion was deemed as grave as witchcraft, and his stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry. Disobedience to God's commands was not merely a failure to comply but an act of open opposition, placing Saul on the wrong side of right and wrong, akin to taking up arms against God. Such rebellion, comparable in magnitude to sorcery, leads a person away from God and, without repentance, aligns them with demonic forces. This act of rebellion was not Saul's first, though it was perhaps the most severe. His words and actions revealed a lack of personal devotion to God, as he referred to Him as Samuel's God and blamed the people for the failure to obey, evading his responsibility as leader. His requests for pardon and worship lacked genuine contrition, appearing as mere political theater. God, knowing Saul's heart had long been turning away from Him, saw this compromise as the final straw. Saul's rebellion had hardened into permanent character, leading to God's final decision to tear the kingdom from him and give it to another, for He does not relent in His judgment.

Disobedience stands in stark contrast to belief, as highlighted by Peter in I Peter 2:7, where He declares that to those who believe, He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This sharp distinction reveals that disbelief is synonymous with disobedience, implying that those who disbelieve are inherently disobedient. The Greek word "apeitheo," meaning not to believe or to disbelieve, further underscores this connection, as it implies disobedience. In various translations, such as in Romans 2:8 and 10:21, this term is rendered as "do not obey" and "disobedience," while in Romans 11:31 and 15:31, it appears as "not believed" and "them that do not believe," showing the interchangeable nature of disbelief and disobedience. Similarly, in Hebrews 3:18, the phrase is translated as "to them that believed not" in one version and "to those who did not obey" in another, reinforcing that these concepts are one and the same. Thus, disobedience serves as a clear indicator of a lack of true belief, revealing the absence of the faith that leads to obedience.

Disobedience, as exemplified by Pharaoh in Exodus 5, stems from an irreverence and ignorance of God, fostering prideful resistance to His will. Pharaoh's declaration of not knowing the Lord reveals the root of disobedience among the unconverted, who fail to recognize or seek Him due to a lack of understanding. This irreverence promotes a stubborn refusal to submit, contrasting with the humility and submission shown by Moses and Aaron, who knew God and obeyed despite fear and difficulty. Disobedience also manifests in the murmuring of the Israelites in the wilderness, as seen in Exodus 15 and 16, where their complaints against God erased the memory of His mighty acts, like parting the Red Sea, showing a lack of trust in His ability to provide. Such griping reflects a failure to resign to His sovereignty, often driven by human nature's pride, ignorance, or weakness of the flesh, which hinders humble submission to His will. Even when God's will is known, stubbornness or momentary desires can lead to a refusal to obey, preventing the full acceptance of His authority. In contrast, recognizing His supreme leadership demands that His Word become the sole standard, moving beyond selective obedience to a whole-hearted submission, even in moments of personal struggle or resistance.