Notes: July 3, 2008 - 1 Samuel 15
Bob Feather July 3rd, 2008
Meditation Points:
- Though Saul is told to utterly destroy the Amalekites (15:3), he spares King Agag and the best of the animals (15:8-9). Partial obedience is complete disobedience.
- “I have performed the commandment of the LORD,” Saul proudly declared (15:13); and he even defended his actions (15:20) and blamed the people (15:21). Sin so deceives us that we call darkness light and light darkness, and we scarce know that there is a difference.
- God delights in holy obedience more than in our religious offerings and rituals (15:22).
- Disobedience is considered by God to be rebellion; and He equates such stubbornness with witchcraft and idolatry. And we know how much God hates witchcraft and idolatry!
- Saul “confesses” his sin (15:24, 30); and blames it on peer pressure (15:24).
- Because Saul rejected God’s lordship, God rejected Saul’s kingship (15:26).
- And Saul’s main concern was saving face before the people (15:25, 30).
- After this, Samuel separated himself from Saul (15:39).
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- Comments(2)
I understand Saul’s disobedience. I don’t understand why our God ordered the destruction of women and children of that people though. It bothers me. I can’t find any kind of kind of explanation of this kind of thing which occurs more than a few times, by the Lord’s orders, in the Old Testament. Thanks for any help!
Dalila
Four hundred years earlier the Amalekites had been merciless to the faint and weary Israelites who were fleeing Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Saul’s commission was to fulfill God’s judgment upon that wicked people (1 Samuel 15:2).
God’s ways are not our ways; but we can be certain that the Judge of all the earth will always do right (Genesis 18:25).