1 Samuel 15:1-35 CSB
Saul Rejected as King
15 Samuel told Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the LORD.
“...listen to the sound of the words of the LORD.”
2 This is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘I witnessed [LXX reads I will avenge] what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt.
‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel.’
Who are the Amalekites?
Exodus 17:14 CSB
14 The LORD then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”
16 The LORD will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 CSB
Revenge on the Amalekites
17 “Remember what the Amalekites did to you on the journey after you left Egypt. 18 They met you along the way and attacked all your stragglers from behind when you were tired and weary. They did not fear God. 19 When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.
“...blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.”
3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
Utter annihilation
Does this bother you?
Does this make you uncomfortable?
3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
4 Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi.
A ‘wadi’ refers to a dry river bed that’s only full during heavy rains.
6 He warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.
Who are the Kenites?
Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, was possibly a Kenite
7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt. 8 He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. 9 Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.
In VERSE 8: Saul captures King Agag & leaves him alive
Saul is solely responsible
The LORD is not pleased.
10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, 11 “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the LORD all night.
Do we get angry at our sin?
Does it keep us awake at night?
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul,
Samuel is RESOLVED.
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”
The LORD should be the one receiving the honor.
13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
Saul seems incapable of even ‘hearing the sound of the words of the LORD.’
14 Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”
Saul answers & immediately begins blame-shifting.
NOTICE the pronouns:
15 Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we destroyed.”
It was the troops that brought them.
It was the troops that spared them.
It was the troops that did all this to sacrifice to the LORD your God.
But we destroyed the rest.
16 “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” he [Saul] replied.
17 Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, haven’t you become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel 18 and then sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’ 19 So why didn’t you obey the LORD? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD’s sight?”
No such thing as half-hearted repentance.
No such thing as Half-hearted obedience.
In verse 20, Saul answers Samuel again.
Again, NOTICE the pronouns:
20 “But I did obey the LORD!” Saul answered [Samuel]. “I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
Saul’s reply:
I obeyed.
I went on the mission.
I brought back King Agag.
I completely destroyed the Amalekites.
Is this not what we do as well?
22 Then Samuel said:
Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
God just wants our obedience.
He’s the best king.
Samuel continues:
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.
Saul will no longer be the king of Israel.
Brutal judgment
“…to obey is better than sacrifice.”
24 Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words [Samuel]. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
26 Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
This is the climax of Chapter 15.
Yahweh finally & fully rejects Saul as king
We must compare/contrast both of Saul’s confessions.
Saul’s 1st confession:
24 Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words [Samuel]. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
Saul’s 2nd confession:
30 Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.”
What is Saul really after?
26 Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not [a] man who changes his mind.”
Yahweh has rejected Saul
He will not change his mind
30 Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.” 31 Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the LORD.
Saul is concerned with appearances.
Saul is only worried about the consequences of his sin.
32 Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek.”
Agag came to him trembling, for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.”
33 Samuel declared:
As your sword has made women childless,
so your mother will be childless among women.
Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
34 Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.
Samuel will step in & do what Saul should have done in the first place.