1 Samuel

1 Samuel 15:1-9

Samuel reminded Saul that God has set him as king and that he should heed the words of God.  Saul was then instructed by God to attack the Amalekites and destroy them.  He wasn't to spare any men, women, children or animals.  The term 'utterly destroy' means to devote to God; to do so meant completely destroying it.  The Amalekites were the first to attack the Israelites when they entered the promise land (Exodus 17; see vs 14 for prophecy of Amalekite destruction).  God had also promised in Genesis and Deuteronomy that the Amalekites would be utterly wiped out; Num 24 20; Deut 25:17-19. 

While this sounds like a harsh judgment to us, it reveals our ignorance of the situation.  If we think that these folks don't deserve this, we're no better than Saul and the people.  Do we have more insight than God?  For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God; we all in fact deserve to be utterly destroyed.  The Amalekites were a cruel and violent people.  They sacrificed their children to their gods; among other wicked things. 

To disobey God in this in likened to allowing our favorite sin to remain in our life.  Colossians 3:5-7 says:

⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

There is no 'almost' or 'mostly' obedient in this; we either are or aren't.  We often see fit to allow a little life in our most favorite sins.  Those sins we hold so dear we seem to show compassion for as if they were an old friend and we allow them to live.  We will once again breath life into those sins and they will come back and wreak havoc on our lives.  It's an Amalekite that will take credit for the death of Saul.

Saul wisely tells the Kenites to go away.  The judgment was not against them but only the Amalekites.  Getting in the way or being in the line of fire of God's wrath is not a good place to be.  It's good advice to clear out and let God do His work.

Does God still judge nations?  Our God is an unchanging God; there's no reason to think that He doesn't still judge nations.  This is particularly true of judging those who deal harshly with Israel.  It's a fascinating thing to see; it's not always right away and not always blatantly obvious, but God's judgments are true.

1 Samuel 15:10-15

Samuel is grieved to hear that Saul has turned his back on the Lord.  Saul even went so far to set up a monument for himself.  This shows how far he's come from the humble and insecure man he once was.  When Samuel shows up Saul announces that he did what he was supposed to do.  He was so good at deception he believed his own lies.  He was convinced he had done what the Lord instructed.  Even with the sound, sight and maybe smell of the animals, Saul said this.  Samuel points out the obvious and Saul responds that it was the people who spared the animals.  In his mind, he would be obedient was long as it was the people who did this thing. 

1 Samuel 15:16-23

Samuel had had enough of excuses and disobedience from Saul and silences him.  It's interesting that even in the call for silence that Saul feels compelled to speak, saying "speak on"; as if God's prophet needed permission to do so.  It shows us Saul's heart which is a quite a contrast to the humility we once witnessed from this man.  Samuel says as much noting that he was once small in his own eyes.  The implication is that he now thinks the opposite.  

Saul sticks with his deception again stating that he was obedient and had utterly destroyed them; only the people took some animals.  We know this isn't true because they show up again in 1 Samuel 27:8 and 30:1-2. 

Samuels word's were God's words and consistent throughout the bible, "to obey is better than sacrifice".  See also Psalm 40:6-8; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:11-17; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 12:7.   Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft!!  Stubbornness is like idolatry.  Witchcraft and idolatry may well have been some of the sin of the Amalekites.  Saul's sins were like anyone else's sin.  Saul is now rejected as king; even though it would be some time yet before God replaced him.

1 Samuel 15:24-35

Saul continues to place blame on others and refuses to acknowledge his sin.  Saul pleads with Samuel for forgiveness when He needed to take his repentance to the Lord.  The kingdom was torn away from Saul because of his sin.  Saul asked that Samuel would at least honor him in front of the people.  Saul is more concerned with his appearance before the people than before the Lord. 

Agag is brought to Samuel.  He came 'cautiously' the NKJ says.  This word means cheerfully.  It seems Agag was happy thinking the worst was over and that he was being spared.  But Samuel hacks him to death with a sword. 

Saul never did kill all the Amalekites.  Haman shows up the book of Esther 3:1 - he is an Amalekite, a descendent of Agag.

©2015 Doug Ford