1 Samuel 15
Saul’s Incomplete Obedience
Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul fought with the Amalekites, Israel’s enemy to the south. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:12; 1 Chronicles 1:36) and, therefore, linked with the Edomites. They were nomads who lived principally in southern Canaan and the Sinai Peninsula. This battle evidently happened about 25 years after Saul began reigning, which was 23 years after God rejected Saul’s dynasty following Saul’s disobedience at Gilgal. - Thomas Constable
In this account, the author records another failure of King Saul. Though he was an ideal political leader in many ways, Saul continually failed to lead Israel in obedience to God.
Go Attack The Amalekites
What The Amalekites Did
Vs. 2-3 - This is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekite
When Israel came out of Egypt and passed through the wilderness, the Amalekites attacked them. We read about it in Exodus 17:8–16. God gave the Israelites victory, but the evil was never forgotten. In Deuteronomy 25:17–19 God said,
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and cut off at your rear all who lagged behind you; and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.”
Finally, the iniquity of the Amalekites is complete and the Lord commands Saul, the first king of Israel, to execute the sentence against the Amalekites. - John Piper
Completely Destroy
Vs. 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.
The author recorded that God Himself commanded the total annihilation of every Amalekite human and animal, even taking the lives of nursing babies. These are difficult words to read. It’s hard to grasp why this generation of Amalekites would need to be eliminated to this extent and why God would choose to use the swords of His own people to accomplish it.
But our God is both merciful and holy. He is patient and longsuffering with sinners. In His omniscience, infinite wisdom, and longsuffering for sinners, He waited patiently until this specific time to bring judgment on a people whose rebellion had reached its full measure. This was total judgment of a nation that had rebelled beyond its window of opportunity to repent.
To understand much of these dealings, one has to understand God’s covenants with his people. He made a covenant with Abraham to give his people the Promised Land. But it wouldn’t be until the “fourth generation” because “the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Gen. 15:16). God knew that the people of the land of Canaan would continue in their sin, but he was not yet going to exercise judgment on them because their sin had not reached the level to which he was ready to administer judgment. There’s a lot of mystery here, but I think we must understand that God never commanded the Israelites to attack any peoples whom he had not considered it morally right to judge because of the pure evil of their actions.
Unless we trust that God is just and would only do such a thing once a people had reached a certain level of wickedness, then this will not satisfy us. But this is the God the Bible presents. This wasn’t genocide; this was divine judgment. There was no injustice in God with his commanding Saul to do this. - Alex Nolette
The Kenites
Vs. 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.
The author described the events fairly, taking the time to include this act of mercy towards an innocent people group.
Not Willing to Completely Destroy
Failure
Vs. 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.
King Saul failed to fully obey God's instructions to completely destroy this entire people group.
There were still Amalekites left alive. David later had to deal with the Amalekites (1 Samuel 27:8, 30:1, 2 Samuel 8:12). Haman, the evil man who tried to wipe out all the Jewish people in the days of Esther, was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1). Most ironic of all, when Saul was killed on the field of battle, an Amalekite claimed to deliver the final thrust of the sword (2 Samuel 1:8-10). - David Guzik
Confrontation
Vs. 12 - Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul
Saul explained to Samuel that he had obeyed God’s command, but it was his own version of obedience, his own interpretation of the right course of action. There is always great temptation to edit God’s expectations, to rationalize our disobedience rather than repent of it.
Vs. 23 - For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
Why is rebellion and disobedience as the sin of divination? Divination is seeking to know what to do in a way that ignores the word and counsel of God. And that is exactly what disobedience is based on. God says one thing, and we say, I think that I will consult another source of wisdom — namely, what? Myself! Disobedience of God’s word puts my own wisdom in the place of God’s and thus insults God as the only sure and reliable source of wisdom. - John Piper
Denial
Vs. 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.
Rather than confessing his sin, Saul sought to justify his disobedience. He believed it was for a worthy purpose, and he failed to take responsibility for his actions and blamed the people instead. - Thomas Constable
Perhaps Saul genuinely struggled to understand the reason that everything, even women, children, animals, and objects of value, needed to be destroyed. Commentators note that, normally, the spoil of battle was the reward for fighting. So total annihilation would have been atypical. But God had clearly communicated His instructions and called His people to trust His wisdom.
Saul Rejected Again
Saul’s Remorse
Vs. 24-25 - Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord.”
Many commentators see very little genuine repentance in Saul’s pleas for forgiveness.
Samuel makes it clear that he will not return with Saul because God has rejected Saul from being king over Israel. Samuel begins to walk away and Saul grabs at Samuel’s robe and tears it. Samuel uses this as a prophetic message. The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from Saul and given it to someone better. - Brent Kercheville
The Lord’s Regret
Vs. 11 - I regret that I made Saul king
Vs. 29 - the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.
Vs. 35 - the Lord regretted he had made Saul king
This is the use of anthropomorphism (the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to gods), when God explains Himself to man in human terms, so man can have some understanding of God’s heart. - David Guzik
God knew all along, of course, that Saul, the people’s choice for king, would fail to follow Him with a heart of obedience. He had provided His people with the king they wanted. And now, He entered into their emotions and felt “regret” alongside them.
Agag’s Death
Vs. 33 - Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
Commentators note that, even though Saul had failed to completely obey, Samuel refused to stand by while the wicked King Agag remained alive. In this context, the aging prophet would have been experienced in slaughtering large animals for sacrifice, so he was likely well-trained for this violent and physically-demanding task.
Samuel’s Departure
Vs. 35 - Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again.
Tragically, the nations’ political and spiritual leaders parted ways at this point. (The author records one more brief encounter in 1 Samuel 19:24.) The prophet’s gaze was drawn in a different direction. The leader God had chosen for His people was training in the pastures of Bethlehem.
