Saul Disobeys God Again

Having failed one test, God sent Saul another.

Samuel was very specific in the charge he gave Saul.

This was to be a scorched-earth campaign. Nothing was to be spared.

“Many years before, God had appointed Amalek to utter destruction. They had lifted up their hands against God, and his throne, and had taken oath by their gods that Israel should be utterly consumed, and the God of Israel brought down so that he would not be able to deliver them out of their hands. “Amalek had made derision of the fears of his people, and made sport of God’s wonderful works for the deliverance of Israel performed by the hand of Moses before the Egyptians. They had boasted that their wise men and magicians could perform all those wonders. And if the children of Israel had been their captives, in their power as they were in Pharaoh’s, that the God of Israel himself would not have been able to deliver them out of their hands. They despised Israel, and vowed to plague them until there should not be one left. . . . “God proved Saul by intrusting him with the important commission to execute his threatened wrath upon Amalek. . . . Saul thought it would add to his greatness to spare Agag, a noble monarch splendidly attired. And to return from battle with him captive, with great spoil of oxen, sheep, and much cattle, would get to himself much renown, and cause the nations to fear him, and tremble before him. And the people united with him in this. They excused their sin among themselves in not destroying the cattle, because they could reserve them to sacrifice to God, and spare their own cattle to themselves.” This battle had been the most victorious yet achieved, and Saul was immensely proud of his accomplishment. He failed to recognize the hand of the Lord in the victory. Although he had not followed the Lord’s instruction to the letter, in this he saw no fault.

This little transgression would surely be excused as the majority of God’s command had been followed. “The children of God should cultivate a keen sensitiveness to sin. . . . Little sins eat out the life of godliness in the soul.”