1 Samuel

Chapter Introduction

In this chapter we might find that two wrongs don’t make a right when Saul doubles down on his rash vow by trying to kill his son.  Saul’s partial obedience comes into full view.  He becomes fully aware that partial obedience is disobedience. 

1 Samuel 15:1-3

Samuel reminded Saul that God has set him as king and that he should heed the words of God.  While he had already been rejected, he still would reign for some time, and it should be done in obedience.  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.  This meant they were devoted to God and the Lord called for their complete destructioin. 

The Amalekites were the first to attack the Israelites when they entered the promise land (Exodus 17:14 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 deserve to be utterly destroyed.  The Amalekites were a cruel and violent people.  They sacrificed their children to their gods among other wicked things. 

The first use and establishment of the idea is from Exodus 22:20 in the giving of the moral law. 

He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed. (Exodus 22:20)

It is reinforced in Leviticus.

No person under the ban, who may become doomed to destruction among men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.  (Leviticus 27:29)

The IVP explains cherem this way:

The best analogy for us to understand ḥerem is to think in terms of radiation. A nuclear explosion would destroy many things and irradiate much more. The abhorrence and caution with which we would respond to that which has been irradiated is similar to what is expected of the Israelites regarding things under the ban. If radiation were personified, one could understand that once something was given over to it, it was irredeemable. It was this condition that Saul exposed himself to by not following the instructions for the ban. Although peoples outside the land were exempt from this, God had singled out the Amalekites for destruction because of their acts against God’s people (15:2).

Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000).

The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament

(electronic ed., 1 Sa 15:3). InterVarsity Press.

The FSB explains it this way:

Violation of the first commandment receives the most severe penalty. The Hebrew verb used here, charam, refers to the act of setting someone or something apart as the sacred and exclusive property of a deity. This act frequently entails the destruction of the person or thing devoted to the deity. Destruction ensured the exclusive dedication to Yahweh.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R.,

Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).

Faithlife Study Bible (Ex 22:20). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

In another place the FSB explains there is no good English equivalent for this concept.  This is why translations of the term vary: under the ban, devoted to destruction, completely destroy, totally destroy, doomed, annihilate, and confiscated.  No one was to ever profit from what was solely devoted to God.  Achan found this out.  The law said no one could seel anything devoted to God.

1 Samuel 15:4-9

Saul gathered his troops as directed.  Telaim is an unknown location but thought to be near Ziph about 30 miles south of Hebron in the Negev.  There were ten divisions of men from Judah and two hundred from the rest of Israel.  The thousands should be considered divisions.  Each tribal division may vary in size based don the tribes population.  This term later becaame standardized to mean a thousand men. 

Saul staged his army near the city of Amalek. The Kenites had shown kindness to Israel and were linked to the tribe of Moses’ father-in-law.  They had a nonagressive relationship with Israel.  Jael, a Kenite who showed kindness to Israel, eliminated one of Israel’s enemies in the time of the judges.  Saul invited them to separate themselves from the Amalites.  Maybe the lesson for us is to stay out of the way of God’s work.

Saul attacked the Amalikites along the road from Havilah to Shur.  He took King Agag alive and utterly destoyed all the people.  Agag was spared along with the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good.  The despised and worthless were destroyed. 

How is this different from Achan?  God laid claim to all of the Amalekites and chose to destoyr them.  This is taking for their own profit what belonged to God.  To disobey God in this in likened to allowing our favorite sin to remain in our life.  Colossians 3:5-7 says:

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  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 our favortie sins to survive.  We show compassion to some sin as if it were an old friend.  Those sins will come back and wreak havoc on our lives. 

Saul selectively obeyed God, using his own logic and reason.  It’s an Amalekite that would take credit for the death of Saul.

Does God still judge nations?  Our God is an unchanging God.  There’s no reason to think that He doesn’t.  This is particularly true of 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

The word from the Lord to Samuel was His regret that He made Saul king bcause he turned away from following God and didn’t do as commanded.  This may be showing us that Saul was a king like the other nations had.  The idea of God regretting or repenting of his action of setting Saul up is troublesome for us.  The idea may be more of God’s sorrow over the change of disposition – Saul drove the change.  Even though he knew it was coming, it brought sorrrow to God.

Samuel reflects the heart of God in weeping all night.  Samuel rose early and wen to Saul.  Samuel spoke of Saul setting up a monument to commemorate his victory.  This shows how far he came from the humble and insecure man he once was.  Samuel depicts Saul as having moved on as though the job was done. 

We see how delided Saul was.  He sincerely believed God would be pleased with his half-hearted obedience and devotion.  Even with the sound, sight and maybe smell of the animals nearby. 

Samuel pointed out the obvious failure of keeping charem.  Saul responded by shifting blame to the people who spared the animals.  In his mind, he could still claim obedience even if the people failed. 

1 Samuel 15:16-23

Samuel had had enough of excuses and disobedience from Saul and silenced 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.  

Samuel levels the charge against Saul.  Saul held fast to his deception, claiming obedience to God’s command.  We know didn’t slaughter all the Amaliktes because they show up again in 1 Samuel 27:8 and 30:1-2.  In addition, Saul said it was the people who took the plunder.  This time he acknowledged it was supposed to have been destroyed.  But, they took the animals for sacrifce.

1. He was a leader when he was litle in his own eyes.
2. A leader can’t be successful while his people fail.  “I’m a good king, it’s the people that are the problem!”
3. Sacrifce, good instention, and human reasoning is no substitute for obedience.

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!  The word rebellion carries the idea of pressing the case, continuing to justify and make excuses.  Samuel compared this to divination, the seeking of inside knowledge otherwise not available.  Divination would provide answers to what would please a deity.  Saul knew all along what it took.

Stubbornness is like idolatry.  Stubbornness was to refuse the authority and wisdom of God.  Saul had replaced God with a god of his own understanding.  He apprently didn’t agree with the slaughter.  He reasoned there was a better use for the animals. 

Witchcraft and idolatry may well have been some of the sin of the Amalekites.  Saul’s sins were like anyone else’s sin.  Saul was now fully rejected as king, even though it would be some time before God replaced him.

1 Samuel 15:24-29

When he could no longer blame others, Saul confessed.  Sin is the act of violating the law.  To transgress is if the failure to act in accordance to the law.  Saul confessed to have done both.  He feared the peole more than the Lord and obeyed their voice, seeking their approval.  Saul’s weakness was always fearing the wrong things.

Saul asked Samuel to pardon him and return with him to worship.  He needed to take his repentance to the Lord.  Samuel’s presence at his side was a sign to the army that God was still present and speaking to him.  If Samuel turned away and didn’t return with him, it would reflect badly on Saul. 

Samuel refused to go with him.  Saul’s rejection of God’s word has led to the Lord rejecting him.  The hem of Samuel’s garment would have identified him as a priest and prophet.  Grasping the hem was a gesture of supplicateion and submission.  This act was Saul’s plea for mercy.  He was groveling at his feet.  The ripping of the hem was no accident, but a clear sign of the kingdom being ripped away from Saul.

Having the kingdom stripped away is one thing.  Announcing that it would be given to someone nearby that was better than him was adding insult to injury.  God is the Strenth of Israel that would not relent.  God would not change his mind. 

Note: The Lord who earlier repented of making Saul King is now presented as the God who would not change Him mind.   The earlier repentance is not changing His mind but sorrow over the results. 

1 Samuel 15:30-35

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 was still more concerned with his appearance before the people than before he Lord. 

Samuel may have returned because of Saul’s recognition of sin, but more likely to finish the business that the king did not.  He commanded them to bring Agag to him.  Agag “came cautiously.”  His statement may have meant one of two things:

1. The threat of death had passed because of Saul’s sin.  He thought he was being allowed to live.
2. He was resigned to his fate of death.

Samuel announced the Lord’s judgment against Agag before killing him.  He didn’t just stab him but hacked him to pieces.  This is the only place this word is used, though the style of execution was widely used against high ranking officials. 

Saul never did kill all the Amalekites.  This enemy came again against Israel and nearly wiped them out when evil Haman nearly had his way as detailed in the book of Esther. In 3:1, Haman is identified as an Agagite, a descendent of Agag, an Amalekite.

This was the last time Samuel went to Saul, though Samuel mourned over his failure.  The Lord regretted He made Saul king.  This is the same word used in v.11 of the Lord’s regret.  Saul’s disobedience brought the Lord to the painful decision of making a change.

The same word is usded in v.29 to say the Lord would not relent like a man.

The Big Idea

Saul had his final confrontation from Samuel.  The die was cast.  The narrative will now turn towards his replacement. 

©2004 Doug Ford; Further Study and Revision 2015, 2024