I Samuel 15:1-13
“Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” (I Samuel 15:1-3)
Almost seven hundred years before, in Exodus 17, the Amalekites had attacked Israel, when they first came out of Egypt. Though they are descendants of Esau, and thus of Abraham, God has not forgotten that first attack. In the intervening period, they had attacked Israel repeatedly, even during Saul’s reign. Each time they have seen God’s power in their defeat. They had refused to acknowledge God since the time of Esau, over twelve hundred years before. Now God said they had been given more than a fair chance. It is time to destroy them. There is a limit to God’s patience. Genesis 6:3 declares, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…”
For the first time Israel had a standing army, and central government. Saul had been designated by God to be king, and now God wants him to take the leadership in punishing Amalek for centuries of rebellion. He was directed to go and kill every living thing, Nothing was to be saved, not even their gold or silver. Such and attack should provide a powerful warning to other bands and tribes of the consequences of attacking Israel.
“And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.” (I Samuel 15:4-6)
With an army of two hundred ten thousand, Saul approached one of the Amalekite cities. Among the Amalakites were a group known as the Kenites, descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, who had helped Israel when they first came out of Egypt. They had maintained good relations with Israel throughout the period, and it was a Kenite woman who killed Sisera in Judges 4. Their kindness was not forgotten seven hundred years later, and they were advised to leave while the Amalekites were destroyed.
“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the 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, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” (I Samuel 15:7-9)
Closely related to the Edomites, the Amalekites had moved freely through Edom, from the Arab Peninsula, conquering much of Simeon and southern Judah and occupying a lot of the Sinai Peninsula. Saul destroyed the Amalekites throughout the Sinai peninsula and southern Israel, killing all the people.
Unfortunately, he did not follow all the instructions. It was a custom to make conquered kings into slaves to show off one’s superiority, and Saul apparently was following the custom, saving the king, Agag, alive. Both Saul, and the people saved the best of the livestock and property, destroying everything they didn’t want. After all, they had earned it, and the Amalekites didn’t need their stuff anymore.
“Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.” (I Samuel 15:10-11)
The Lord told Samuel he was sorry he had made Saul king because he would not obey God’s command, but had turned his back on God. Samuel was broken hearted that Israel had taken a king and then turned away from God.
“And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” (I Samuel 15:12-13)
The next morning, Samuel set out to confront Saul. When he met him, Saul bragged about how he had done what God sent him to do. “I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”
The Great Commission, of Matthew 28:18-20 describes the mission of the church. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
We are to go, and teach(mathatno-enroll as a disciple) all nations. Job one is to win them to Christ. Secondly, we are to baptize them. Finally, we are to teach(didasko-to teach) them to keep all the things Christ has commanded us to do. Unfortunately many Christians are like Saul, bragging about having the job God gave them, while only doing one part, whether winning souls, or baptizing them, or teaching them. Partial obedience is still disobedience. It doesn’t matter that we won ten thousand to Christ, if we haven’t taught them to do what God expects, we haven’t done our job. If we haven’t won them to Christ, nothing else matters.
Samuel asked, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” If they had done the Job, there would have been no sheep to bleat or oxen to low. If we have done our job, there will be no Church members who don’t understand what God expects. The fact that many we have won are unknowingly living in disobedience makes it clear we have not fulfilled the Great Commission. II Corinthians 10:18 declares, “For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.”
“Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” (I Samuel 15:1-3)
Almost seven hundred years before, in Exodus 17, the Amalekites had attacked Israel, when they first came out of Egypt. Though they are descendants of Esau, and thus of Abraham, God has not forgotten that first attack. In the intervening period, they had attacked Israel repeatedly, even during Saul’s reign. Each time they have seen God’s power in their defeat. They had refused to acknowledge God since the time of Esau, over twelve hundred years before. Now God said they had been given more than a fair chance. It is time to destroy them. There is a limit to God’s patience. Genesis 6:3 declares, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…”
For the first time Israel had a standing army, and central government. Saul had been designated by God to be king, and now God wants him to take the leadership in punishing Amalek for centuries of rebellion. He was directed to go and kill every living thing, Nothing was to be saved, not even their gold or silver. Such and attack should provide a powerful warning to other bands and tribes of the consequences of attacking Israel.
“And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.” (I Samuel 15:4-6)
With an army of two hundred ten thousand, Saul approached one of the Amalekite cities. Among the Amalakites were a group known as the Kenites, descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, who had helped Israel when they first came out of Egypt. They had maintained good relations with Israel throughout the period, and it was a Kenite woman who killed Sisera in Judges 4. Their kindness was not forgotten seven hundred years later, and they were advised to leave while the Amalekites were destroyed.
“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the 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, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” (I Samuel 15:7-9)
Closely related to the Edomites, the Amalekites had moved freely through Edom, from the Arab Peninsula, conquering much of Simeon and southern Judah and occupying a lot of the Sinai Peninsula. Saul destroyed the Amalekites throughout the Sinai peninsula and southern Israel, killing all the people.
Unfortunately, he did not follow all the instructions. It was a custom to make conquered kings into slaves to show off one’s superiority, and Saul apparently was following the custom, saving the king, Agag, alive. Both Saul, and the people saved the best of the livestock and property, destroying everything they didn’t want. After all, they had earned it, and the Amalekites didn’t need their stuff anymore.
“Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.” (I Samuel 15:10-11)
The Lord told Samuel he was sorry he had made Saul king because he would not obey God’s command, but had turned his back on God. Samuel was broken hearted that Israel had taken a king and then turned away from God.
“And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” (I Samuel 15:12-13)
The next morning, Samuel set out to confront Saul. When he met him, Saul bragged about how he had done what God sent him to do. “I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”
The Great Commission, of Matthew 28:18-20 describes the mission of the church. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
We are to go, and teach(mathatno-enroll as a disciple) all nations. Job one is to win them to Christ. Secondly, we are to baptize them. Finally, we are to teach(didasko-to teach) them to keep all the things Christ has commanded us to do. Unfortunately many Christians are like Saul, bragging about having the job God gave them, while only doing one part, whether winning souls, or baptizing them, or teaching them. Partial obedience is still disobedience. It doesn’t matter that we won ten thousand to Christ, if we haven’t taught them to do what God expects, we haven’t done our job. If we haven’t won them to Christ, nothing else matters.
Samuel asked, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” If they had done the Job, there would have been no sheep to bleat or oxen to low. If we have done our job, there will be no Church members who don’t understand what God expects. The fact that many we have won are unknowingly living in disobedience makes it clear we have not fulfilled the Great Commission. II Corinthians 10:18 declares, “For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.”
Amen, and a vital lesson to learn for a church far afield from what our Lord teaches. As the Scripture says, "They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me." This seems to be the nutshell attitude of so many professing believers I encounter. They either are ignorant or deliberately ignorant. Discipleship has fallen by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a concern of mine for many years, that we have gotten so busy getting professions we don't even bother to teach them what God expects. Sadly, the result has been that many are not even saved.
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