Saul’s Lack of Faith Results In Separation

 The Amalekites were descendants of an illegitimate grandson of Esau.  They were a warlike nomadic people, constantly attacking their neighbors, and six hundred years before, they had attacked Israel shortly after they left Egypt.  During the period of the judges, they had repeatedly helped Israel’s enemies.  Now God directs Saul to repay them for their rejection of God’s authority and repeated attempts to destroy Israel, in I Samuel 15:1-3.  “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.”

 

They had had a thousand years to get over their anger at Israel, but had instead kept bringing it up again.  It was obvious they were never going to forgive or turn to him, so God directed Saul to exterminate them and everything they owned.  Saul went down to attack them, warning the Kenites, descendants of Moses’ inlaws to separate from them so they wouldn’t be killed by mistake, in I Samuel 15:4-7.  “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.  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.”

 

In the previous battles, Saul had depended on offering God sacrifices and manipulating the people with threats to accomplish his goals, and when he attacked the Amalekites, his focus was stil on what he wanted rather than on God, as I Samuel 15:8-9 describes.  “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.”

 

In the earlier cases, Saul’s actions could be easily passed off as unintentional mistakes, but this time he had deliberately ignored God’s command.  God expressed regret that he had called Saul as king, in I Samuel 15:10-12.  “ 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.  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.”

 

When Samuel went out to meet Saul, he learned that he had gone by a round about way, hoping to avoid meeting him, like some child trying to hide what he had done.  When Samuel met up with him, he claimed to have done as God commanded, hoping to get by with it, as I Samuel 15:13 describes.  “And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

 

Samuel was not fooled at all.  If they had killed all the sheep and cattle as commanded there wouldn’t be any mooing or pleating.  Rather than admit his sin, Saul blamed the people, playing down their sin as I Samuel 15:14-15 states.  “And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. “

 

Samuel reminded Saul that he was the leader, and was responsible for what the people had done. And had no right to ignore what God commanded, In I Samuel 15:16-19.  “ Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?”

 

A typical narcissist, Saul refused to admit he was wrong, insisting he had done wrong and it was the people who had done wrong, but that their decision was based on a desire to worship God, in I Samuel 15:20-21.  “And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.”

 

Samuel pointed out that God wanted obedience rather than religious ritual, and that because he would not obey, he would be removed as king, in I Samuel 15:22-23.  “And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

 

Saul finally admitted he had done wrong but still blamed it on the people, asking Samuel to overlook what he had done, in I Samuel 15;24-25.  “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.  Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.”

 

Recognizing that Saul not serious in his repentance, Samuel refused to comply with his wishes and Saul tried to physically force him to do as he said, in I Samuel 15:26-27.  “And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.”

 

Samuel warned him that his efforts to force him to do as Saul wanted would not change God’s mind, in I Samuel 15:28-29.  “And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.  And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”

 

Realizing Samuel was not going to overlook what he had done, Saul asked him to go along with him, as a show of solidarity before the people, and Samuel agreed to do so, in I Samuel 15:30-31.  “Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.  So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. “

 

Though he went along with Saul, Samuel made it very clear Saul was in the wrong, demanding that he finish what God had commanded, in I Samuel 15:32-35.  “Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.  And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.  Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.  And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.”  Though he was forced to separate from Saul, Samuel still cared about him.