THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

God had been patient with Saul.  He had one last task for Saul to accomplish.  However, Saul didn’t follow those instructions either. In today’s lesson we hear how The Lord rejects Saul as King.

WELCOME

Thank you for joining in with our COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY.  We are studying from 1 Samuel 15.  If you wish to have our weekly lessons (every Thursday) sent directly to your e-mail, just click the “subscribe” button at the top of this page. Simply give us your email information. We never sell or give away any contact information.

Today’s lesson was taken from 1 Samuel Chapter 15 of The Holy Scriptures.

THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING OF ISRAEL

Samuel came to Saul with a message from the Lord.  The message was “I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.  Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them.  Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

I’ll never forget the first time I read the message from God to Saul.  I was puzzled by this statement. It troubled me greatly.  I had spent years in prayer and study. All of that time was focused and meditative of God’s mercy, love and forgiveness.  This message to completely annihilate a whole culture of people, leaving absolutely no trace, seemed very harsh. It sounded unreasonable for the God I was accustomed to worshipping.

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S FAIR JUDGEMENT

So, I prayed for God to help me to understand this.  Here is the logic that came from that prayer: 

To understand this passage of the Old Testament, one must remember the story of Moses. We must think about and how God chose him to lead the people out of Egyptian slavery.  There was a point in this story where the Israelites were being chased by Pharoah’s army.  They had come to the Red Sea. It seemed the people could move no further.  The army was right behind them. 

GOD’S GREAT MIRACLE FOR ISRAEL

Moses held his staff over the sea. God parted the waters. The people could now walk across the sea on dry land.  It was an amazing miracle which God’s people have never forgotten. When they had safely crossed to the other side, the waters closed and covered Pharaoh’s army who had come in after them.

This great time in Israel’s history has always been celebrated.  It shows God’s faithfulness to those who are obedient.  He protects them from their enemies. God always defends His people.

You can imagine how confident and safe the Israelites felt after this great miracle took place.  I guess this moment could be compared to a young child being constantly bullied at school. In a moment of trouble a big strong adult steps up to defend them. What a life-changing relief! How comforting to know that someone is always there. How wonderful to know that someone always has your back in times of trouble. The Israelites must have felt this way.

WHY GOD JUDGED THE AMALEKITES

As the Israelites continued on in their joyful journey, the Amalekites snuck up and attacked Israel from behind. No one had provoked them. They were simply mean and hateful people.

This brought the judgement of God down on the Amalekites.  We can read the words proclaimed over them in Exodus 17:14 -Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

WRITE IT ON A SCROLL

Did you note that those words were written down on a scroll? This makes me think of the scroll which the scriptures describe in The Book of Revelation. In Chapter five we hear of a scroll which is sealed with seven seals. This scroll is thought to represent God’s divine plan for mankind. It is said to reveal God’s ultimate purpose for creation and redemption.

John was given a vision of this scroll in the heavenly throne room. There he sees God seated on the throne. He is holding a scroll in His right hand. A search is made for the One worthy to open the scroll. There is only One. This is our Messiah, The Lamb of God.

AMALEK WAS AGAINST PEACE

So, whenever I hear of something that God declares to be written on a scroll and remembered, I think of this scroll from The Revelation. Could the destruction of Amalek be necessary to usher in the peace that God is wanting to bring to His people throughout eternity?

There will be no room in eternity for people who hate, judge, steal, kill, lie and destroy. This is what happened to all of the ancient people which Amalek snuck up behind to attack. All Amalek cared about was feeding and pleasing his own flesh. Nothing else mattered.

Remember too, that God showed mercy to the Kenites who were told to leave because they had not harmed Israel as they traveled through the land. These people were not harmed at all.

GENOCIDE OR RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT?

I recently read an article with a very good explanation of why God decided to do this.  It was a long overdue rendering of justice and judgement on these terribly wicked people.  Here is the article which explains it very well:  https://mercyhillchurch.com/why-did-god-command-saul-to-eliminate-the-amalikites/#:~:text=This%20brings%20us%20to%20the,17%3A14).

In another explanation, https://intotheword.ca/view/why-did-god-command-the-absolute-destruction-of-the-amalekites, we hear of the fact that God waited 400 years for these people to repent and change their ways.  That surely proves there was mercy given and that much compassion was shown to them. However, the Amalekites prevailed in their complete wickedness.  I suppose God could have destroyed all of mankind again in order to change this, but He didn’t.  He placed judgement in the place that it belonged and allowed the innocent to live and continue. This is yet another proof of His excellent judgement.

IN CONSIDERING WHY THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

I love the way Pastor Paul Carter summarizes the reasons that things are as they are with the Amalekites in the above referenced article:

“The total destruction of the Amalekites was an echo of the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as also an anticipation of the final judgment at the end of the age. It is entirely consistent with the overall storyline and theology of the Bible.”

“This is a reminder that those who persist in sin will face the certain and awful judgment of the Lord. It is a reminder that those who harass and abuse the people of God invite the curse of God. This is a reminder that the wages of sin is death. It is a reminder that wickedness is a cancer that must be removed before the renewal and restoration of all things.:

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19–20 ESV) And may God alone be glorified. ‘“

I think his logic totally covers this part of our story. 

In the past we studied this subject in our bible study on this blog. It was when we studied the Book of Deuteronomy together. We too, wrote about this subject in depth. Here is a great place to start your study if you are wanting to know more about the history and facts concerning the Amalekites and Amalek: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/remember-the-amalekites/.

SAUL BATTLES THE AMALEKITES

We are then told that Saul summoned his army.  There were 200,000 foot soldiers from Israel, and ten thousand soldiers from Judah.  They all gathered together and went down to the city of Amalek.  Saul set up an ambush in one of the ravines.  When the Kenites saw what was going on, Saul told them to go away.  They had been kind to the Israelites in the days of Moses and God had no quarrel with them.  When they were warned the Kenites quickly left the area.

Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt.

Saul took Agag, king of the Amalekites alive. All his people were totally destroyed with the sword.

However, we see in verse 9 of 1 Samuel, Chapter 15 that Saul and the army spared Agag. They also spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. Saul was unwilling to destroy these completely, but everything that was despised and weak he totally destroyed.

THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING DUE TO DISOBEDIENCE

So, we see that Saul did not fully carry out the orders of God.  He had been told to destroy EVERYTHING.  Now the King of the Amalekites, Agag, was still alive and well, along with the best of the Amalekite livestock.

God said to Samuel, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” 

Isn’t it odd to hear that God, who knows everything that is going to happen in the first place, (since He lives outside of time and we live inside of time,) has regrets?

Yet this is possible because God chose to create us all with free will. We can decide our own fate. All of us have choices which have NOT been pre-destined, although God has already seen and knows what our answers are going to be. Saul made the wrong choices. He decided to make his own way instead of following God’s specific instructions.

How many times have those of us today done the same and completely changed our own destinies in the process? Sins and outright mistakes can always be forgiven when we repent, but the process always leaves our circumstances different than God’s best plans for us.

SAMUEL CONFRONTS SAUL

Samuel was angry to hear of Saul’s wrong decisions.  He cried out to God all night, then he got up early the next morning and went to meet Saul. 

However, Saul wasn’t there.  He had gone to Carmel.  He was busy setting up a monument to honor himself in Carmel, and after that he turned and went down to Gilgal. This fact that Saul was honoring himself tells us a lot about the state of his heart. By the grace of God, Saul had experienced great success in battle. However; he forgot where his power came from.

MORE REASONS WHY THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

Finally, Samuel found Saul.  Saul told him that he had carried out the Lord’s instructions, but Samuel answered Saul by asking, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

Saul answered Samuel by telling him “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

Saul didn’t say The Lord MY God. As he was speaking to Samuel he said “the Lord Your God.”

SAMUEL EXPLAINS HOW THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

After that answer, Samuel had heard enough from Saul.  He explained that the Lord had spoken to him last night. Samuel repeated the message God had given to him for Saul. “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

Saul insisted that he did obey.  His words were, “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. Then I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

BECAUSE YOU HAVE REJECTED THE WORD OF THE LORD

Then Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

However, Samuel refused to go back with Saul.  Again, Samuel repeated that God had rejected Saul as king over Israel.

THE LORD HAS TORN THE KINGDOM FROM YOU

Samuel turned to leave, and Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe and tore it.  Then Samuel said to Saul: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

Again, Saul admitted that he had sinned. He asked Samuel to honor him before the elders and before Israel. The fact that Saul wanted Samuel to honor him shows his true intentions. It helps us to know how unreal the act of repentance had been for him. However, Samuel had a practice of being merciful and kind.

At that point Samuel went back with Saul. We are told that Saul worshiped the Lord.

SAMUEL KILLS AGAG

Then Samuel told Saul to bring Agag to him.  The king of the Amalekites was brought before Samuel in chains.  At this point, his thinking was that he would be allowed to live.  Not so. Samuel said to Agag “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.”

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah. 

Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

WHAT WILL THE LORD REGRET ABOUT US?

At this point in the story, I’m going to repeat something I’ve already said in a previous lesson.  Whatever God has given to each of us on this earth is comparable to having our own Kingdom.  No matter how large or small our world may be, God has placed each of us into a place where He expects us to rule and reign with righteousness, faith, honor, humility obedience and love. Saul disappointed God. God regretted that he had made him King over Israel.

This was certainly a sad situation for Saul, but what about us?  Will God say the same to you and me when he looks at how we have followed His instructions in our lives? When The Lamb breaks those seals at the end of time as we know it, what will be written about us?

THE SPIRIT BEHIND AMALEK

ANOTHER REASON WHY THE LORD REJECTS SAUL AS KING

If we are followers of God today, have we wiped out the hatred of Amalek from our lands? These are not physical battles but spiritual ones which must be waged in prayer and fasting. Have we purged all that pertains to Amalek from memory? We saw this lesson during the past celebration of Purim. Haman was an ancestor of Amalek. This is a spiritual curse which passes from generation to generation. You can recognize it easily. It is made up of pure wickedness and hate that never changes.

Just as Haman was in the story of Esther, It is clear to see that King Agag in this story is a vivid representation of the wickedness of Satan.  He was the place where this hatred among mankind began to grow and fester. Have we taught our children to walk away from such evil?  Can we truly say we have turned from it ourselves? Or, do we allow God’s enemy to dwell inside our own homes, schools, communities, states and country?

OVERCOMING HATE WITH GOD’S SPIRIT

Is it possible that we all fall into the same sin as Saul?  Do we listen to the world telling us it doesn’t matter? Have we let a cancel culture defeat true discernment about who is or is not our enemy? Do we chose different from Saul to follow God and destroy God’s enemies? 

True discernment will tell God’s people that Amalek is just a type of Satan. One of the main goals of Christianity should be to wipe out the ways, traditions and customs of Satan. When we walk out of time as we know it and into eternity; his name should be gone forever and ever.