LISTEN NOW TO THE LORD’S MESSAGE
Key verse: 1b
NIV
The Lord Rejects Saul as King
15 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint(A) you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites(B) for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally(C) destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites,(D) “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites(E) all the way from Havilah to Shur,(F) near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag(G) king of the Amalekites alive,(H) and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared(I) Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret(J) that I have made Saul king, because he has turned(K) away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”(L) Samuel was angry,(M) and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel.(N) There he has set up a monument(O) in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15 Saul answered, “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.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:3 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20 and 21.
- 1 Samuel 15:9 Or the grown bulls; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Cross references
- 1 Samuel 15:1 : S 1Sa 9:16
- 1 Samuel 15:2 : S Ge 14:7; S 1Sa 14:48; S 2Sa 1:8
- 1 Samuel 15:3 : ver 9, 19; S Ge 14:23; Jos 6:17; 1Sa 22:19; 27:9; 28:18; Est 3:13; 9:5
- 1 Samuel 15:6 : S Ge 15:19; Nu 24:22; Jdg 1:16; 1Sa 30:29
- 1 Samuel 15:7 : S 1Sa 14:48
- 1 Samuel 15:7 : S Ge 16:7
- 1 Samuel 15:8 : Ex 17:8-16; S Nu 24:7
- 1 Samuel 15:8 : S Jos 8:23
- 1 Samuel 15:9 : S ver 3
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : S Ge 6:6; S Ex 32:14
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : S Jos 22:16
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : Job 21:14; 34:27; Ps 28:5; Isa 5:12; 53:6; Jer 48:10; Eze 18:24
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : S ver 35; S 1Sa 8:6
- 1 Samuel 15:12 : Jos 15:55
- 1 Samuel 15:12 : S Nu 32:42
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Lord Rejects Saul
15 And Samuel said to Saul, (A)“The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel (B)in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and (C)devote to destruction[a] all that they have. Do not spare them, (D)but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to (E)the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. (F)For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 (G)And Saul defeated the Amalekites from (H)Havilah as far as (I)Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive (J)and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 (K)But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves[b] and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 (L)“I regret[c] that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and (M)has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to (N)Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, (O)“Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, (P)for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:3 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21
- 1 Samuel 15:9 The meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain
- 1 Samuel 15:11 See also verses 29, 35
Cross references
- 1 Samuel 15:1 : ch. 9:16
- 1 Samuel 15:2 : See Ex. 17:8-16; Deut. 25:17-19
- 1 Samuel 15:3 : Lev. 27:28, 29; Josh. 6:17, 21
- 1 Samuel 15:3 : [ch. 22:19]
- 1 Samuel 15:6 : ch. 27:10; Judg. 1:16
- 1 Samuel 15:6 : [Ex. 18:10, 19; Num. 10:29, 32]
- 1 Samuel 15:7 : ch. 14:48
- 1 Samuel 15:7 : Gen. 2:11; 25:18
- 1 Samuel 15:7 : ch. 27:8; [Gen. 16:7; Ex. 15:22]
- 1 Samuel 15:8 : [ch. 27:8, 9; 30:1]
- 1 Samuel 15:9 : ver. 15, 21; [ch. 28:18]
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : See Gen. 6:6
- 1 Samuel 15:11 : ver. 3, 9; [ch. 13:13]
- 1 Samuel 15:12 : Josh. 15:55
- 1 Samuel 15:13 : See Ruth 2:20
- 1 Samuel 15:15 : ver. 9, 21
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
The LORD Almighty opened another opportunity for Saul to listen, repent, and obey. The LORD had anointed Saul king over Israel. Now was the time to listen to the LORD Almighty’s message. This was God’s grace to help Saul. God would punish the Amalekites for their past sins against Israel. God commanded Saul to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy them.
Saul started well. He mustered a huge fighting force. He warned the Kenites to evacuate from the territory they shared with the Amalekites. Then Saul attacked and pursued the Amalekites all the way to Egypt. But Saul disobeyed the heart of God’s command. He spared the king and everything that was good. God regretted making Saul king because Saul did not truly listen. Samuel prayed all night and then confronted Saul. Saul justified his disobedience. He even built a monument to himself. He was led by his pride, not God’s word.
Listening to God’s word requires a response of repentance, surrender, and obedience to the LORD. God will not command us to destroy people. But he commands us to love him with all our heart, soul, and strength. We are commanded to follow Jesus and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Will you listen to God’s message, today?
Prayer: Father, forgive our rebellious and proud hearts. We want nothing more than to obey you.
One Word: Listen to God’s word
