1 Samuel 15:1–35 Samuel Rebukes Saul

In today’s study, our attention would be drawn to Saul’s final rejection as king due to his disobedience in sparing Agag and the best of the Amalekite spoil. The study also highlights the fact that partial obedience in the sight of the Lord is regarded as outright disobedience. 

In the final analysis, the takeaway from the study is that our obedience to the Lord’s word must be thorough. However, if we draw back, we will lose the crown. That was what happened to Saul, who was the Lord’s elect, and it serves as a warning to us, who are living in the closing days of the ages.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.    

The Lord Rejects Saul

1Sa 15:1  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. 

This verse shows us that to be able to reign as kings in an age to come, we must be anointed. Being anointed in the Bible signifies being chosen by God for a special task or office, such as kings, prophets, or priests. This is usually symbolized by oil being poured on the head, which represents the spirit of the Lord.

1Sa 16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 

As the Lord’s elect, we have been anointed just like Saul. Samuel reminding Saul of his anointing in verse 1, is to show him that the anointing or the spirit of the Lord, is to help us pay attention or walk according to the word of the Lord. 

Eze 36:27  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 
Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

1Sa 15:2  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. 
1Sa 15:3  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. 

The Amalekites ambushing the Israelites when they came out of Egypt in verse 2 is to let us know that when we started our walk with the Lord, we were unsuspectingly unaware of our flesh as our enemy. 

In verses 3, the goal of our mandate as royals is marked out for us. That is, to destroy the deeds of our flesh signified by the Amalekites (man, woman, infant and sucking). As we are aware, ox, sheep, camel and ass all represent physical riches. 

Gen 30:43  And the man [Jacob] increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses. 

Therefore, the mandate to kill the ox, sheep, camel and ass of the Philistines in verse 3 implies that we must do away or put to death, the love of physical riches which is part of our fleshy desires, which many, in their quest to get rich have been drowned in destruction and ruin. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1Sa 15:4  And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 
1Sa 15:5  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 
1Sa 15:6  And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 

It is important to note that the gathering of Saul’s army was at Telaim, which means ‘lambs.’ In the Bible lambs on the positive note denote the Lord’s elect as shown in the following:

Luk 10:3  Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

These verses imply that Saul and the men gathered with him, represent the Lord’s elect. This is affirmed by their number – two hundred thousand and ten thousand. 

2Ch 17:16  And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. 
2Ch 17:17  And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand. 

Jdg 4:14  And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

Saul and his army laying wait in the valley and requesting the Kenites to depart from the Amalekites before attacking them in verses 5 and 6 is to let us know that in our dealing with our flesh, we must exercise patience lest we end up treating everything that comes out of our lives as being evil. It takes maturity to distinguish between the good seed that the Lord is sowing in our lives and the works of our flesh. This is emphasized by the Lord when he told the parable of the wheat and the tares where he emphasized that it takes time to be able to identify the wheat from the tares.     

Mat 13:29  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 
Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

1Sa 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 
1Sa 15:8  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 
1Sa 15:9  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 everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 

The victory won by Saul and his army against the Amalekites, who represent our flesh, was achieved from Havilah up to Shur. Havilah means ‘circles; and Shur means the ‘wilderness of Etham.’ We must remember that it was in the wilderness that the Lord caused the Israelites to go in circles until they all died. The Israelites in the wilderness signifies the church system of this world. Therefore Saul smiting the Amalekites from Havilah until Shur implies that during our time in the churches of this world, we did win some victories over our flesh. However, we were not thorough with dealing with our flesh as we kept Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive and got enticed with the riches or the wealth of this world or mammon signified by the sheep, oxen, the fatlings and the lambs of the Amalekites. 

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Agag here represents the ten horns of the beast or the strength of our flesh. As long as the strength of our flesh has not been dealt with, we haven’t won the war against our flesh. 

1Sa 15:10  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 
1Sa 15:11  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. 
1Sa 15:12  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. 

The Lord repenting that He set up Saul does not mean that He regretted His actions, since He does not alter His purpose. Rather, it means that He is changing His method of achieving the same goal. 

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  

As we are aware, Saul was the Lord’s elect and therefore, Samuel grieving for Saul all night is to show us that as the Lord’s elect, we do not take lightly when our brothers and sisters miss the mark of the Lord’s higher calling. In other words, we are overwhelmed with grieve when our brothers and sisters miss the way.  David mourning for Jonathan’s death give us a glimpse of how we feel when our brothers and sisters fall away.  

2Sa 1:25  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 
2Sa 1:26  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 

Saul leaving Carmel and moving on to Gilgal implies that when we fall away, we leave Carmel, meaning the ‘orchard of God’ or the ‘church of the Lord’s elect’, and go to Gilgal, which in the negative sense, means ‘rolling’ or ‘wandering about.’  

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 
1Sa 15:15  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. 

Saul’s insistence that he had performed the commandment of the Lord is to make us aware that our brothers and sisters who fall away, are not given the place of repentance, just as Esau found no place of repentance, though he sought for it carefully with tears. 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

The bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen in the ears of Samuel is to let us know that our sins are plain before the Lord, and therefore we cannot hide from our sins. In verse 15, Saul was trying to justify his actions by saying that he kept the sheep and the oxen for sacrifice to the Lord. As indicated in the introduction section, our partial obedience is regarded in the sight of the Lord as outright disobedience. 

Pro 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. 

Our prayer is therefore to ask the Lord to search our hearts and see if there is any wicked way in us, so that He will lead us in the way everlasting. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

1Sa 15:16  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. 
1Sa 15:17  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? 
1Sa 15:18  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. 
1Sa 15:19  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?
1Sa 15:20  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. 

What the Lord said about Saul in verse 17 that when he was little in his own sight, He anointed him as king of Israel is the same as saying that in times past, we walked according to the desires of the flesh, however, in God’s mercy, He came and lifted us up to sit with Christ in heavenly places. 

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Our task as the Lord’s elect or future kings of the earth is that in this age, we must overcome the carnal mind of our flesh, just as Saul was tasked by the Lord to destroy the Amalekites. However, many who are called to become kings, like Saul, are not able to wholly destroy the flesh, and therefore, they lose their kingship or crown as we shall see later in this study. 

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

As indicated in verse 20, Saul was not given repentance as he continued to insist that he had obeyed the Lord, just as many who fall away find no place of repentance in this age.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he [Esau] would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  

1Sa 15:21  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. 
1Sa 15:22  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. 
1Sa 15:23  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.

The people taking the spoil, sheep and oxen in verse 21, to present them as sacrifice to the Lord instead of destroying them implies that many of the Lord’s children are derailed from the goal of becoming overcomers of their flesh, by the love of money or mammon, which they think would help them to worship or offer a better sacrifice to the Lord. A look at the leadership of the church system of this world or Babylon, shows how the love of money has caused them to err from the faith and have therefore pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

In verse 22, we are told that obedience is better than sacrifice and that to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. We demonstrate our love to the Lord by our obedience to His word. Therefore, our obedience to the Lord is what governs our relationship with Christ. Without obedience, all our effort in the house of the Lord is vain. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

The fat of rams represents the transient nature of the riches of this world or mammon. Therefore, paying attention to what the Lord says cannot be compared with the riches of this world, which many in this world, including our brothers and sisters in Babylon, are coveting. 

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

In verse 23, we are told that rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft. Rebellion is the same as transgressing or sinning against the Lord, as shown in the following verse:

Jos 22:22  The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 

Witchcraft means ‘divination’, which means seeking advice from false prophets. This implies that sinning against the Lord is the same as seeking advice from false prophets. 

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  

It is insightful to note that stubbornness in verse 23 is the same as iniquity and idolatry. Iniquity means trusting in our own righteousness. 

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Idolatry therefore means paying attention to the false idols of our hearts and minds which are the false doctrines in our heavens, instead of the truth of the Lord’s word. This suggests that being stubborn in the biblical sense has to do with rejecting the righteousness of the Lord in pursuit of the false doctrines in our hearts and minds. All of these disqualify us from reigning with Christ in an age to come. There are many who have refused the multitude of counsel from the our elders by trusting the false doctrines in their hearts and minds. As a result, the crown has been taken away from them.

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 

1Sa 15:24  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. 
1Sa 15:25  Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. 

Finally, Saul admitted to Samuel that he had sinned. However, as stated earlier, he could not find the place of repentance. This is because repentance is a fundamental change of mind, heart, and direction, which involves a sincere turning away from sin toward God. While repentance can involve confession of sin, it is distinguished from mere regret or confession of sin, focusing instead on the actual turning from sin and embracing righteousness. In the case of Saul, his confession of sinning did not mean that he had repented. He did that so that Samuel would honor him before the elders and people of Israel by accompany him to worship the Lord. 

Act 26:19  “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 
Act 26:20  but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 

1Sa 15:30  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.

1Sa 15:26  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. 
1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 
1Sa 15:28  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. 

Saul’s refusal to obey fully the commandment of the Lord cost him the rulership. Verses 27 and 28 show us one of the principles that helps us to unlock the mysteries of the kingdom by the things that are made. Samuel interpreted the tearing of the skirt of his mantle when Saul laid hold of it to mean that the kingdom of Israel has been taken away from Saul and given to his neighbor who is better than him. The things that are made include our mundane activities, which in this case refers to the tearing of the skirt of Samuel’s cloak.    

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

1Sa 15:29  And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. 
1Sa 15:30  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. 
1Sa 15:31  So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. 

Verse 29 affirms our earlier assertion that the Lord repenting for setting up Saul as king (verse 11) does not mean that He had repented from His action. It shows that He is changing His method of achieving the same goal.   

Verse 30 emphasize the point that Saul was not repentant of His action even though He confessed to Samuel of sinning. Saul confession was to make Samuel honor him by going with him before the elders and the people. 

Samuel going with Saul in verse 31 is to show us that we are not to dishonor our brothers and sisters, who fall along the way, before the Lord’s people.

1Sa 15:32  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. 
1Sa 15:33  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. 
1Sa 15:34  Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 
1Sa 15:35  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. 

It is Jesus who was the first to overcome the flesh. Here in verse 32, Samuel represents Jesus, our Lord, who showed us how we are to be ruthless in our dealing with our flesh (king Agag). 

In verse 33, we are shown that it is the flesh which has made the church system of this world not able to bear fruit of producing the Lord’s elect. In this age, it is the church of the Lord’s elect who seems to be barren. However, in the fullness of time, it will become obvious to everyone that it is the church system of this world with many children, who is rather barren.

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

It is important to note that Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord at Gilgal. It was in Gilgal that the Israelites who entered the promised land were circumcised, that is, the cutting off of their flesh. 

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 
Jos 5:9  And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

Samuel and Saul going their separate ways such that Samuel did not see Saul again till he died is to show us that we cannot have fellowship with our brothers and sisters who fall away. This is because a little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 
Gal 5:10  I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.  

May the Lord continue to destroy everything of the flesh within us through His judgment as we see the day approaching. Amen!!