1 Samuel 15 Saul’s Great Sin
This is not Saul’s first sin, nor the first time the Lord tells him that he will not keep the kingdom. Saul’s great sin was in not FULLY obeying the Lord.
I’m wondering if the mission that Saul is sent on is a test. One designed to see who he would listen to the most, God or man. When Samuel caught him offering unauthorized sacrifices, he was told that his kingdom would not endure. This will be confirmation of that decision.
Saul blames his failures on the people. He either didn’t have what it took to stand up to the people, or pleasing the Lord isn’t as important as pleasing the people. Let’s join the story and see where the Spirit takes us today.
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The battle with the Philistines is over; for now. There are sure to come other battles, but for now, Saul is enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet. Samuel, on the other hand, is getting a new assignment which will interrupt Saul’s peace and quiet.
“Samuel.”
“Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
“I want you to send Saul on a mission for me against Amalek. This people treated Israel shamefully when I brought them out of Egypt. Saul is to devote EVERYONE and EVERYTHING of theirs to destruction.”
“I will tell him Lord.” Samuel rises from where he has been kneeling and makes his way to Gibeah. Once he reaches Gibeah, he goes straight to Saul.
Saul welcomes Samuel gladly into his home. “Shalom Samuel. What brings you to me on this find day?”
“I have a word for you from the Lord.”
Saul is eager to hear what Samuel has to say. “Please share it with me.”
“The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:1-3)
Saul thinks back over the stories he has heard since his youth. He remembers the story of the Amalekites attacking Israel when they were newly liberated from Egypt. He remembers the story of how Moses’ arms had to be held up for him because whenever they fell, Amalek prevailed. When they were lifted, Israel prevailed. Amalek also attacked without cause or warning. They should be made to pay for this. “I will take this on” replies Saul as he rises from his chair.
Saul knows that the few men that he keeps always at the ready are NOT enough to complete this battle on their own. Saul calls for a scribe and runners.
“Take this message to ALL of Israel. Let no territory or tribe claim innocence. ‘You are all to assemble at Telaim. We will be battling the Amalekites. EVERY fighting man is required to serve.’”
After the message had been copied several times, Saul sealed it with his new signet ring and it was passed to the runners. They immediately set off on horseback or on foot to deliver the king’s message. Their portion of the task was completed by the end of the day.
Saul moved to Telaim to await the coming men. They began trickling in at first, then turned to a full fledged stream, and ended again with a trickle. By the time all were assembled, they had been numbered for Saul. More than 200,000 thousand men on foot were in attendance. Ten thousand of those came from the tribe of Judah.
Saul was very pleased with this number. Because of the previous plundering of the Philistine camps and bodies, there were a LOT more swords present. There was even some armor to put on. They were beginning to look like an actual fighting force.
They were as ready as they ever would be. Saul led the people to the city of Amalek. When he first arrived, he noticed that there were Kenite people among the Amalekites. They had done good for Israel in the past. Saul was not willing to let them get caught up in the judgment of the Amalekites.
“Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” (1 Samuel 15:6)
The Kenites were more than willing to get out of the way. They could see the size of Israel’s forces. They wanted NO part of what was to come. Once the Kenites were safely under way, Saul and Israel began set their camp for the night. They didn’t want to be caught unprepared. They would begin their assault at dawn.
Israel didn’t even give the Amalekites time to draw up lines. They went full force against them. Their city walls crumbled under the force of Israel’s hands. Bodies fell left and right. When there were no warriors left to hold a sword, the rest of the people were rounded up and killed. This happened in EVERY Amalekite city Israel came to. From Havilah as far as Shur, Israel put to death every Amalekite they found. Only one was spared. That was King Agag himself. He was taken alive. He was made to watch at each city as the remaining inhabitants were killed.
When the fighting was over, it was time to take the plunder of all the cities and villages that had been defeated. The herds of sheep, goats, and oxen were rounded up. Abner, Saul’s captain came to him for direction.
“What do you want done with the herds my king?”
“The Lord said to devote them all to destruction.”
“But there are some very fine animals among them. Some have asked if they may keep the best of the herds.”
“That should be alright; so long as the people will agree to sacrifice some of them to the Lord. As tribute of course for His favor on us.”
Abner took word back regarding the animals. Every animal that had a blemish of any kind, was old, weak, or sickly was separated from the healthy and strong animals. Those who had been separated out were killed while the strong were preserved.
Israel was joyous and singing as they made their way back to Gibeah. Many of the men were talking of the events and planning the integration of the new livestock into their own herds and flocks.
I was wanting to purchase a new bull. One that would be of a completely different bloodline. I won’t have to now” one man tells his companion who are bringing along one of the herds.
“These sheep should fill out my flock nicely. I might even give some of mine for the sacrifice Saul said we needed to do instead.”
While the men are bragging and planning what to do with their newly acquired wealth, the Lord speaks to Samuel. God is NOT happy with what has happened this day.
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” (1 Samuel 15:11)
Samuel is heartsick! And he was angry!!! He told the people that there would be trouble, but this is NOT what he expected. He knew there would be trouble when he came and found him offering unauthorized sacrifices to the Lord. “Why did You call him in the first place Lord? The people will be without a leader if You pull him from the throne. What am I supposed to do about it? How can I fix this?…” Samuel walked the floor all night praying about Saul and calling out to the Lord.
Worn out with worry, Samuel collapsed onto his bed for a few hours, then rose with the dawn and went in search of Saul. As he neared the turnoff he expected Saul would take, a man met him. “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 15:12)
Samuel turned and set his sights on Gilgal. He had time to think about the monument Saul had set up for himself. “He is beginning to think more of himself than he did in the beginning.” Samuel nears Gilgal and sees a gathering of soldiers and herds of animals. He shakes his head. Now he knows what it was that Saul did not follow the Lord’s command in.
Saul spies Samuel as he gets closer and he goes to greet him. “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:13) Saul says with a huge smile on his face.
“What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:14)
Saul’s smile melts from his face like snow on a sunny day. Saul pointed over towards the people. “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” (1 Samuel 15:15)
Samuel’s eyes blazed with fire as Saul tried to rationalize his actions. Samuel had heard enough! “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” (1 Samuel 15:16a)
“Speak.” (1 Samuel 15:16b) Saul said in a subdued voice.
“Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction 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 pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” (1 Samuel 17-19)
In a voice somewhere between a whine and pleading, Saul answered Samuel’s charges. “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 15:20-21)
The fire subsided in Samuel’s eyes as his heart broke for Saul’s ignorance. “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 listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Saul’s head dropped to his chest and his knees gave way. He KNEW he had sinned. “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 bow before the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:24-25) Saul pleaded.
Samuel knew that the Lord had rejected Saul. No matter how much Saul pleaded, it wouldn’t change that fact. “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” (1 Samuel 15:26) Samuel said with finality.
As Samuel turned to leave, Saul reached up and grabbed hold of the bottom of Samuel’s robe and it ripped. Samuel looked down at the torn garment and then spoke words that would burrow deep into Saul’s heart. “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” (1 Samuel 15:28-29)
Saul is desperate! He cannot appear before the elders without Samuel by his side. It would be as if the Lord had ripped the victory from their hands. He tried again to convince Samuel to come with him. “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” (1 Samuel 15:30)
Samuel relented and went with Saul to the high place to offer sacrifices to the Lord. After the sacrifice was done, Samuel called for the king of the Amalekites. “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” (1 Samuel 15:32a)
Agag was brought before Samuel and he had a smile on his face. He felt safe in the presence of the people. They had spared him. “Surely the bitterness of death is past” (1 Samuel 32b) he said to himself.
Samuel did not return his smile. His face was hard as he spoke to Agag. “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” Samuel then took a sword and struck Agag down. He didn’t stop there. Samuel chopped Agag up into pieces, so great was his fury against the king.
The people said nothing as Samuel took his frustrations out on Agag. They were too afraid to. Even Saul remained silent.
When Samuel’s fury was spent, he dropped the sword, straightened his robe and turned to leave. He would perform the ceremonial washing required of one after touching a dead body, but that would wait until he got closer to home. Right now, all he wanted was out of the presence of Saul.
Samuel grieved for Saul and all that he could have been, but he would never lay eyes on him again. Samuel returned to his home in Ramah and Saul went to his home in Gibeah.
(to be continued)
When I was just thinking about how Saul disappointed Samuel and God, I was reminded of my children and the times that they have ‘disappointed’ me or I disappointed them. Our relationship took a hit, but it didn’t end. That is the special thing about family. Or at least it is supposed to be. But when others disappoint you, the relationship might not survive. The only thing Saul and Samuel had in common was the Lord. Samuel cared about Saul the rest of his life, but he couldn’t condone Saul’s actions, so he stayed away. Saul is not the same young man Samuel anointed that day in Ramah.
God KNEW how Saul’s heart would change before He even told Samuel to anoint him. One wonders why He even bothered calling him. Then I think about the fact that we ALL have disappointed God. And He CHOSE to love us AND create us anyway. God regretted that He called Saul, but it wasn’t the kind of ‘regret’ where you wish you could do it over and do it different next time. It was the kind of ‘regret’ that comes from doing something that you KNOW is not going to be enjoyable, but HAS to be done to get the result you need. My husband regrets the radiation therapy he went through to deal with his first brain tumor, but without it, he would not have survived. It caused significant damage, and is still doing damage, but he has seen his children grow up and have children of their own. NONE of this would have been possible without that treatment. As the old woman on the Neverending Story said; “Sometimes it has to hurt if it’s to heal.” That’s true with God’s plan for man. It even hurts Him at times.
Father God, thank You for being willing to hurt to make a way for our relationship to heal. You have suffered MUCH more than anyone else, and You continue to suffer each day. I don’t know HOW You do it or even WHY, but I’m glad You do. I pray my behavior doesn’t make You regret calling me to be Your child. It probably does at times. THANK YOU for loving me, even when I’m acting in ways that make me unlovable.
Did Saul ever get back on the right path with You? I KNOW that You are merciful to those who seek You. Did Saul turn and seek You? I suppose that is another question I will have to wait until I see You face to face to have answered.
