1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15:1

3. Saul’s Incomplete Obedience (Chap. 15)15:1-3 Saul was on a downward slide and accelerating as he neared the bottom. No matter what he was given to do, he came short of complete obedience. In this chapter he was commanded by God to destroy the Amalekitesthe nation that had mercilessly ambushed the Hebrew stragglers when they had left Egypt . . . on the way to Canaan (Deu_25:17-19). The order was very clear; everything that breathed was to be destroyed; it was devoted to God. God’s longsuffering had put up with the people of Amalek for years, but His word against them had not changed (Exo_17:14-16; Num_24:20). They were to be blotted out as punishment for their sin. 15:4-12 Saul gathered an army and marched south to a city of Amalek. Before attacking, he warned the Kenites to escape because these nomadic Midianites had shown kindness to . . . Israel during the Exodus. This action showed that Saul was not just interested in carnage; rather, he was executing the vengeance of the Lord on a wicked people. He thoroughly defeated the Amalekites and put everything to the sword except the king and the best of the spoil. (A remnant, probably living elsewhere, also survivedsee 1Sa_30:1-6; 2Sa_8:12; 1Ch_4:43.) Miles away, the LORD informed Samuel of Saul’s disobedience. This greatly disturbed Samuel and drove him to spend the night in prayer. By morning it was clear what he must do. 15:13-35 On the way to Gilgal, Saul stopped and built a monument, celebrating his victory. But Samuel saw things differently and challenged Saul for disobeying. Saul was never short of excuses, but the noise of his failure reached the prophet’s ears and left Saul’s excuses hanging in midair. Rejected! Saul had heard that before (1Sa_13:14). It came again with stunning force. Saul was constantly redefining the Lord’s commands, doing what seemed best to him rather than what God said was best. He made a show of repentance and pleaded with Samuel not to abandon him. He even tore the prophet’s robe when he tried to leave. This too was a sign that the kingdom would be torn . . . from Saul and given . . . to another man. After accompanying Saul to worship the LORD, Samuel called for Agag to be brought forth. Thinking that he might be spared, Agag came to him cautiously saying, “Surely the bitterness of death is past” (v. 32). Samuel then hacked him in pieces with the sword. The aged judge carried a burden the rest of his life because of Saul’s failure. In one sense even God regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. We should memorize verse 22. It is one of the classics in the Word of God. Obedience first, last, and always. It is the watchword of those who would serve and please the Lord. Erdmann comments: In the following words: To obey is better than sacrifice, the thought takes a new turn: apart from what alone is well-pleasing to God, only an obedient disposition of mind is in itself something good, the offering, without such a disposition, is not a good thing, has no moral value. . . . So disobedience and the thence-resulting rebellion and defiant self-dependence is similar in essence to, stands on the same moral plane with the outward wickedness of witchcraft, that is, “divination in the service of anti-godly demonic powers” (Keil), and of idolatry. Verses 29 and 35 seem to be contradictory. The first says that God does not change His mind or relent, while the second says that He regretted making Saul king. Verse 29 describes God in His essential character. He is unchanging and unchangeable, the immutable One. Verse 35 means that a change in Saul’s conduct required a corresponding change in God’s plans and purposes for him. To be consistent with His attributes, God must bless obedience and punish disobedience.