1 Samuel Chapter 15
Samuel spoke to Saul, saying, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (v1-5)
Saul gathered the people together, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. He came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. He said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, they utterly destroyed. (v6-9)
Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” It grieved Samuel and he cried out to the LORD all night. So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself, and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” (v10-13)
But Samuel said, “What then is this the bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” Saul said to Samuel, “Speak on.” So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” (v14-19)
Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” (v20-21)
Samuel said, “Has 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 heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” (v22-23)
Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.” But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” (v24-26)
And as Samuel turned around to go way, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, who is better than you. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent. (v27-29)
Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honour me now please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God. So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.” (v30-32).
Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me. So Agag came to him cautiously. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (v33)
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. (v34-35)
COMMENTARY
1. The LORD through Samuel reminded Saul that it was He who anointed him to be king over Israel. Therefore Saul was to heed the voice of the words of the LORD to go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and not spare them, whether man or woman, infant and nursing child, sheep and oxen, camel and donkey. For Amalek had ambushed Israel on the way when the multitude of Israelites came up from Egypt. (Deut. 25:17-19).
2. Saul told the Kenites to depart and separate themselves from the Amalekites lest they should be destroyed with Amalek when Saul attacked them. For the Kenites showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt (v6).
3. Saul attacked the Amalekites but permitted the people to spare Agag king of Amalek and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings the lambs and all that was good. They were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, they utterly destroyed (v7-9).
Later, when Samuel came and rebuked him for having not obeyed the commandment of the LORD in sparing Agag and the best of the sheep and oxen, Saul replied that he had carried out the LORD’s command to attack Amalek, take Agag the king, and utterly destroy the sheep and oxen and the Amalekites. He said it was the people of Israel who spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD (v.12-15).
The words of Saul to Samuel when he referred to God was ‘The Lord your God’, as if the LORD was Samuel’s God but not his (v15, 21). In sparing Agag and not utterly destroying the Amalekites and their sheep and oxen, Saul disobeyed the LORD. Also he pushed the responsibility to the people. That was the sin of rebellion and stubbornness which is equivalent to the sin of witchcraft and of idolatry. Thus the LORD rejected Saul from being king. (v20-23)
4. Saul seemingly was remorseful and said that he had sinned, that he had transgressed the commandment of the LORD and the words of Samuel because he feared the people and obeyed their voice. He asked Samuel to pardon his sin and return with him that he may worship the LORD.
But Samuel would not return with Saul, for the LORD had rejected Saul from being king over Israel because Saul rejected the word of the LORD. Saul said that he had sinned yet he wanted Samuel to honour him before the elders of his people and before Israel, and return with him.
As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, who is better than you.” (v24-29)
Saul did not repent sincerely from the heart but desired Samuel to honour him and return with him that he may worship the LORD. That was false humility, self-deceit and hypocrisy (Jer.17:9-10; Col. 2:18; Matt. 23:14; 27-28).
5. Samuel hacked Agag the king of the Amalekites in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal, because by Agag’s sword many women were made childless so would his mother be childless. Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to Gibeah. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel (v33-35).
Teachings
1. Utterly destroy the Amalekites and Agag the king. Amalek was a descendant of Esau (Gen. 36:12). He symbolized the desires of the flesh. (Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red pottage). The Amalekites were the enemies of Israel for generations. The flesh works against the Spirit all the days of our life. Hence we ought to rely on the Holy Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom.8:5-6, 13; Gal. 5: 24).
2. Obedience to the LORD God is better than sacrifice (I Sam. 15:22-23). Cain’s sacrifice was not respected by the LORD because his deeds were evil (Gen. 4:5-7; I Jn. 3:12).
3. Disobedience to the voice of the words of the LORD is a sin of rebellion as grave as the sin of witchcraft and idolatry. It is punishable by death (Exod. 32:30-35; Num. 16:31-35).
4. Be truly remorseful over our sins. With true humility, seek forgiveness from God and pardon from those against whom we have transgressed (Ps. 51:17, 32:5; Matt.5:23-24).
5. Samuel executed Agag hacking him to pieces. Be faithful to the LORD God to reject all wickedness and every evil and put on true righteousness and holiness (Col.3:8-10, 12-15; Eph. 4:24). Never give place for evil desire and lust to be in our hearts (Col.5:3-5). Be ruthless toward sins, lust and evil desires especially to Satan and his ‘angels’.
6. Samuel separated from Saul and went to Gibeah. He went no more to see him until the day of his death. Nevertheless he mourned over Saul. Believers ought to be consecrated and not be in the company of the corrupt. Apostle Paul quoted the words of God in his 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (II Cor. 6:17-18).
Nor should we be in fellowship with the rebellious who do not obey the word nor keep the commandments of God. Paul urged the brethren to note those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which they had learnt, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom. 16:17-18).