1 Samuel 15
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 15
MacArthur writes that "The Amalekites are a perfect illustration of the sin that remains in the believer’s life. That sin—already utterly defeated at the cross—must be dealt with ruthlessly and hacked to pieces, or it will revive and continue to plunder and pillage his heart and sap his spiritual strength. He cannot be merciful with his Agag, or indwelling sin will turn and try to devour him. In fact, the sin remaining in Christians often becomes more fiercely determined after the gospel initially overthrows it. Scripture commands believers to deal with their sin by putting it to death: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." (Col 3:5-6KJV+). They cannot obey partially or half-heartedly as they seek to eliminate sin from their lives. They cannot stop while the task remains incomplete. Sins, like Amalekites, have a way of escaping the slaughter, breeding, reviving, regrouping, and launching new and unexpected assaults on their victims’ most vulnerable areas. Strike Sin at Its Head. John Owen wrote, “He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he leave striking before the other ceases living, doth but half his work.” Christians must be always at the task of mortifying sin. They may slaughter a whole tribe of Amalekites, but if they deliberately permit one Agag to escape, God will not be pleased with their efforts. The flesh is very subtle and deceptive. A particular sin may leave the believer alone for awhile to make him think he is rid of it. But it can come back with a hellish fury if he is not on guard. Sin perpetually stalks him; he must be continually mortifying it. This is a duty he cannot rest from until he rests in glory. Give sin an inch, it will take a mile. If it can gain a footing in Christians’ lives, it will send forth roots and grow like kudzu. It will use them and abuse them and inflict as much disaster as possible. Owen wrote, "Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head….It proceeds toward its height by degrees, making good the ground it hath got by hardness…. Now nothing can prevent this but mortification; that withers the root and strikes at the head of sin every hour, so that whatever it aims at it is crossed in. There is not the best saint in the world but, if he should give over this duty, would fall into as many cursed sins as ever did any of his kind." Later, he added, “Sin sets itself against every act of holiness, and against every degree we grow to. Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness while he walks not over the bellies of his lusts.” Christians are not ignorant of Satan’s devices, the apostle declares (2 Cor 2:11+)(ED: SEE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL). Neither should they be naive about the subtleties of their own flesh. When Agag comes to them cheerfully, saying, “Surely the bitterness of death is past” (1 Sam 15:32+) or when he wants to make friends and declare an end to hostilities—that is when it is most imperative to turn on him and cut him ruthlessly to pieces before the Lord. (1) Sin is not mortified when it is merely covered up. A Christian can hide his sin from the sight of others, but that is not the same as mortification. If a sin has simply been papered over with hypocrisy, what good is there in that? If conscience has only been daubed, Christians are in a much more dangerous state than before. “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Prov 28:13+). You have not done your duty with regard to your sin until you have confessed and forsaken it. (2) Sin is not mortified when it is only internalized. If you forsake the outward practice of some evil, yet continue to ruminate on the memory of that sin’s pleasures, beware. You may have moved your sin into the privacy of your imagination, where it is known only to you and to God, but that sin has not been mortified. If anything, it has become more deadly by being married to pretended righteousness. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for this very thing. They avoided murder, but tolerated hate. They refrained from fornication, but indulged in lustful thoughts. Jesus declared them worthy of eternal hell (Matt 5:21–28+). (3) Sin is not mortified when it is exchanged for another sin. What good is it to trade the lust of the flesh for the lust of the eyes? That lust has not been mortified; it has only changed form. Puritan Thomas Fuller said, “Some think themselves improved in piety, because they have left prodigality and reel into covetousness.” If you succumb to this tactic, your heart is in danger of being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13+). (4) Sin is not mortified until the conscience has been appeased. The goal is “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1Ti 1:5+). As long as the conscience remains defiled, it affects a Christian’s testimony. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Pet 3:15–16+, emphasis added). Part of the process of mortification is to work through the issue of guilt. Those who attempt to evade guilt for sin have not properly confessed their sin; therefore they cannot be cleansed and fully forgiven. If you want to mortify sin, John Owen wrote, “Load thy conscience with the guilt of it.” Contrary to the popular wisdom today, he believed the pangs of guilt were a natural and healthy consequence of wrongdoing. “Be ashamed,”he wrote, for he saw shame as an advantage in the mortification of sin. He correctly understood Paul’s meaning in 2 Cor 7:10+: “The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret.” Those who give a nod of the head to their guilt, claim the promise of forgiveness, quickly reassure themselves, and then think no more of their wrongdoing are subjecting themselves to the heart-hardening deceit of sin—especially when the sin threatens to become a habit. Let sorrow do its full work in your heart to produce a deep, honest repentance, and those sins will be severely weakened. (5) Sin is not mortified when it is merely repressed. Some people use diversions to avoid dealing with their sin. They try to drown their conscience with alcohol or drown out their guilt with entertainment and other distractions. When temptation surfaces, they do not give a biblical answer, as Jesus did (Matt 4:4, 7, 10+). Instead they seek a fleshly escape route. Of this tendency Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "If you merely repress a temptation or this first motion of sin within you, it will probably come up again still more strongly. To that extent I agree with the modern psychology. Repression is always bad. “Well, what do you do?” asks someone. I answer: When you feel that first motion of sin, just pull yourself up and say, “Of course I am not having any dealings with this at all.” Expose the thing and say, “This is evil, this is vileness, this is the thing that drove the first man out of Paradise.” Pull it out, look at it, denounce it, hate it for what it is; then you have really dealt with it. You must not merely push it back in a spirit of fear, and in a timorous manner. Bring it out, expose it, and analyse it; and then denounce it for what it is until you hate it." That is sound advice. Christians should deal with their sin courageously, striking at its head. Subduing it a little bit is not enough. They need to exterminate it, hack it in pieces—seek by the means of grace and the power of the Spirit to wring the deadly life from it. It is a lifelong task, in which progress will always be only gradual. That may make the fight seem daunting at first. But as soon as Christians set themselves to the work, they discover that sin shall not be master over them, for they are under grace (Rom 6:14+). That means it is God who is at work in them both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13NLT+). And having begun His good work in them, He “will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6+). (From Mortification of Sin Master's Seminary Journal, 1994 - THE FULL ARTICLE IS 20 PAGES) "Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers" An Outline, Exposition and Summary Greg Herrick 1. John Owen—His Life and Work 2. A Look at Romans 8:13 3. Even the “Best of Us” Are Called to Mortify Sin 4. The Life Giving Spirit Authors the Work of Mortification 5. Power in the Christian Life Depends on Mortification 6. To Mortify Sin—Negatively Considered 7. To Mortify Sin—Positively Considered 8. General Rule #1: A Man Must Be A Believer 9. General Rule #2: There Must Be Universal Sincerity of Obedience 10. Particular Direction #1: Consider Dangerous Symptoms Attending Sin 11. Particular Direction #2: Get A Clear Sense of the Guilt of Sin 12. Particular Direction #3-7: Guilt, Disposition, and Desire for Deliverance 13. Particular Direction #8: Meditate on God’s Greatness 14. Particular Direction #9: How to Have Peace 15. The Actual Practice of Mortification 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. BGT 1 Samuel 15:9 καὶ περιεποιήσατο Σαουλ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν Αγαγ ζῶντα καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῶν ποιμνίων καὶ τῶν βουκολίων καὶ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων καὶ τῶν ἀμπελώνων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλετο αὐτὰ ἐξολεθρεῦσαι καὶ πᾶν ἔργον ἠτιμωμένον καὶ ἐξουδενωμένον ἐξωλέθρευσαν LXE 1 Samuel 15:9 And Saul and all the people saved Agag alive, and the best of the flocks, and of the herds, and of the fruits, of the vineyards, and of all the good things; and they would not destroy them: but every worthless and refuse thing they destroyed. KJV 1 Samuel 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 every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. NET 1 Samuel 15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised and worthless. CSB 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things. ESV 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. NIV 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. NLT 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and his men spared Agag's life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs-- everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality. NRS 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was valuable, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed. NJB 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the army spared Agag with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fatlings and lambs and all that was good. They did not want to consign these to the curse of destruction; they consigned only what was poor and worthless. NAB 1 Samuel 15:9 He and his troops spared Agag and the best of the fat sheep and oxen, and the lambs. They refused to carry out the doom on anything that was worthwhile, dooming only what was worthless and of no account. YLT 1 Samuel 15:9 and Saul hath pity -- also the people -- on Agag, and on the best of the flock, and of the herd, and of the seconds, and on the lambs, and on all that is good, and have not been willing to devote them; and all the work, despised and wasted -- it they devoted. the best: 1Sa 15:3,15,19 Jos 7:21 the despised 2Sa 6:13 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries AGAG AND THE ANIMALS But - What is this contrasting with? The immediate phrase is "utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword." So this "but" introduces ia strategic (and tragic) term of contrast, a change of direction, which would ultimately determine Saul's new destiny! Small hinge words like "but" open big doors of understanding, albeit, in this case the reality is this "hinge word" results in a "big door" being in effect closed to King Saul! Saul and the people spared (chamal; Lxx = peripoieomai) Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good - Here is the evidence of Saul (and the people's) disobedience. But given that Saul was the one to whom the instruction was given, Saul was the primary party guilty of disobeying the Word of the LORD. What was their motivation? In one word - covetousness or greed. Brian Bell on best - The best of - Really? If the Lord says something is condemned, how can we say it’s “the best”? Is.5:20 Woe to those who call evil good & good evil. And were not willing to destroy them utterly (charam) - NJB = "They did not want to consign these to the curse of destruction" Why weren't they willing? Clearly the adjectives best and good tell us that these items appealed to the lust of their flesh, and to their greed. As the NLT says these were "everything that appealed to them." Not willing speaks of the people making a deliberate decision of their will to spare what was good. Bob Roe - In Leviticus 27 anything that is "devoted to destruction" (charam), anything that God puts under the ban proscribed to be exterminated, is already sacrificed to God, already belongs to Him. It is not allowed to be used for sacrifice. So, the people are violating one of the principles of Scripture. They are keeping what is God's already, giving it back to God and expecting him to give them brownie points. What they are really saying is, "I am as smart as God. God made a mistake, and I am going to straighten Him out." Rod Mattoon - In chapter thirteen, Saul is like a horse. He is running ahead of God. In this chapter, he is like a stubborn donkey and does not totally obey the Lord. Beloved, God expects from us 100% obedience. This is where our battleground is located. We battle for a balance in our life. We find ourselves tempted to run ahead of God or drag our feet in disobedience and delay. Saul spared King Agag. This would bring prestige to Saul. Saul’s pride was preparing the way for major problems in the future. (1 Samuel Commentary - RECOMMENDED - 616 pages - Go to page for list of multiple illustrations on page 596) but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed (charam; Lxx - exoutheneo) - This "utter destruction" was only partial destruction in the eyes of God. He was not playing horseshoes where getting close to the stake is of potential value! Spared (have compassion, pity) (02550) chamal means to spare (to forbear to destroy, punish, or harm, refrain from attacking with necessary severity) or to have compassion ("had pity" Ex 2:6). Nathan told David, how the rich man spared ("unwilling") his own lamb (2Sa 12:4). The Babylonians would not "spare" arrows in their attack on Jerusalem (Jer 50:14). In Ezek 36:21, God said He had "concern (chamal)" for His holy Name. When preceded by the Hebrew negative particle (lo') chamal means to do something ruthlessly (Isa 30:14; Lam 2:2) or without any restraint (Jer. 50:14) Chamal " can take on the nuance of holding on to something, desiring it, such as holding evil in one’s mouth (Job 20:13) or being unwilling to do something right or that is costly to oneself (2Sa 12:4)." (Baker) In Ezekiel (Ezek 5:11; 7:4, 9; 8:18; 9:5, 10; 16:5; 36:21) we see the repeated phrase that God will "have no pity" (Hebrew = chus) nor will He "spare" (chamal) Judah. From this it seems that chamal while expressing the attitude of compassion or pity, also describes "compassion in action" so to speak (albeit in all the Ezekiel passages it is used in a negative sense - God would NOT spare them!). 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, BGT 1 Samuel 15:10 καὶ ἐγενήθη ῥῆμα κυρίου πρὸς Σαμουηλ λέγων LXE 1 Samuel 15:10 And the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, KJV 1 Samuel 15:10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, NET 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: CSB 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, ESV 1 Samuel 15:10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: NIV 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: NLT 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the LORD said to Samuel, NRS 1 Samuel 15:10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: NJB 1 Samuel 15:10 The word of Yahweh came to Samuel, NAB 1 Samuel 15:10 Then the LORD spoke to Samuel: YLT 1 Samuel 15:10 And the word of Jehovah is unto Samuel, saying, 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Then - This marks an important progression in the narrative and is based upon the preceding facts regarding Saul's disobedience. The word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying - The Judge of all mankind will state His case against King Saul. 1 Samuel 15:10-23 Unexpected Costs According to The Blunder Book by M. Hirsh Goldberg, the company that won the bid to construct the 100 miles of track for the Washington, DC, subway system projected the cost to be $793 million. When the job was completed, however, it cost $6.6 billion. Goldberg said the same company that built the subway received a contract to build the Saudi Arabian city of Jubail. The initial estimate was $9 billion. But when the project was finished, the bill came to $45 billion. That's a cost overrun of $36 billion! These unexpected construction expenses are of little significance, however, compared with the unexpected costs of our sins against God. The life of King Saul shows us the enormous price of disobedience. He never figured that his continued willfulness and stubborn pride would eventually cost him his honor, his family, his friends, his influence for good, and his fellowship with God. He lost it all. He failed to see it coming when he decided to keep a few bleating sheep for his own pleasure and spare a wicked monarch (1 Samuel 15:14-15, 20-21). But these were costly acts of disobedience. Sin's pleasures have such great appeal, They always look like bargains rare; But seldom do we clearly see The hidden costs that we must bear. —D. De Haan Sin adds to your trouble, subtracts from your energy, and multiplies your difficulties. 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night. BGT 1 Samuel 15:11 παρακέκλημαι ὅτι ἐβασίλευσα τὸν Σαουλ εἰς βασιλέα ὅτι ἀπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ ὄπισθέν μου καὶ τοὺς λόγους μου οὐκ ἐτήρησεν καὶ ἠθύμησεν Σαμουηλ καὶ ἐβόησεν πρὸς κύριον ὅλην τὴν νύκτα LXE 1 Samuel 15:11 I have repented that I have made Saul to be king: for he has turned back from following me, and has not kept my word. And Samuel was grieved, and cried to the Lord all night. KJV 1 Samuel 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. NET 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do." Samuel became angry and he cried out to the LORD all that night. CSB 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions." So Samuel became angry and cried out to the LORD all night. ESV 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night. NIV 1 Samuel 15:11 "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. NLT 1 Samuel 15:11 "I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night. NRS 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands." Samuel was angry; and he cried out to the LORD all night. NJB 1 Samuel 15:11 'I regret having made Saul king, since he has broken his allegiance to me and not carried out my orders.' Samuel was appalled and cried to Yahweh all night long. NAB 1 Samuel 15:11 "I regret having made Saul king, for he has turned from me and has not kept my command." At this Samuel grew angry and cried out to the LORD all night. YLT 1 Samuel 15:11 'I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;' and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he crieth unto Jehovah all the night. I regret: 1Sa 15:35 Ge 6:6 2Sa 24:16 Ps 110:4 Jer 18:7-10 Am 7:3 Jon 3:10 4:2 turned: Jos 22:16 1Ki 9:6 Ps 36:3 78:41,57 125:5 Zep 1:6 Mt 24:13 Heb 10:38 has not carried out My commands: 1Sa 15:3,9 13:13 Samuel was distressed: 1Sa 15:35 16:1 Ps 119:136 Jer 9:1,18 13:17 Lu 19:41-44 Ro 9:1-3 cried: 1Sa 12:23 Ps 109:4 Mt 5:44 Lu 6:12 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Genesis 6:5-7 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 1 Samuel 13:14+ “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” JEHOVAH'S VERDICT ON SAUL DRIVES SAMUEL TO HIS KNEES "I regret (nacham) that I have made Saul king - NIV = "I am grieved" Can the heart of God be grieved? Absolutely! Sin grieves His heart! Sin grieves His Spirit (Eph 4:30+). This statement that Yahweh has regret or is grieved is an anthropomorphism which is the used of human terms to describe God (see below). (See Does God Change His Mind?) In Ezekiel 6:9+ God says "I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from me and by their eyes, which played the harlot after their idols." While this statement in context refers to the reason God sent Judah into exile, note the similar thoughts as expressed by the Hebrews in this situation. In fact in 1Sa 15:23 Samuel declares to Saul his insubordination "is as iniquity and idolatry" the same sin the men of Judah were guilty of. Life Application Study Bible (borrow) - When God said he was sorry that he had made Saul king, was he saying he had made a mistake? God's comment was an expression of sorrow, not an admission of error (Genesis 6:5-7). An omniscient God cannot make a mistake (15:29); therefore, God did not change his mind. He did, however, change his attitude toward Saul when Saul changed. Saul's heart no longer belonged to God but to his own interests. for - Term of explanation. God does not need to explain any of His actions, but here He condescends to explain his regret. He has turned back (shub; apostrepho) from following Me and has not carried out My commands - Jehovah gives two reason for His regret - The first reason Yahweh was sorry He had made Saul king turned away from following Him. In effect his actions proved he was not loyal to Yahweh. Closely related is the second reason which was that he failed to obey the command to utterly destroy ALL (not some). Saul heard that command, but failed to heed that command and in so doing, in effect turned his back on God as the ruler over his heart, choosing instead to be the "king" of his own heart. Jesus made it clear that "(ABSOLUTELY) No one can serve two masters; for (WHY NOT?) either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You (absolutely) cannot serve God and wealth (mammon)." (Mt 6:24+) In effect Saul was despising God's Word and thus despising Him! There are only 2 paths every person can walk, one being to follow God (Jesus - cf Mk 8:34-38+) and the other being to follow self. Jehovah, the only One Who can see a person's heart, is declaring Saul's heart choose to follow the "god" of self and not the true and living God. What might this say about the state of Saul's eternal soul? I will not answer that question, but leave it for you to ponder. Ultimately we will have to wait until we arrive in Heaven. As someone once said we will be surprised at who is there and who is not there! The Lxx translates turned back (shub) with apostrepho which in the active voice describes Saul making an intentional, volitional choice to turn away from Yahweh. The point is that Saul's actions (disobedience) were not an accidental "slip up," but a personal decision to rebel against his LORD. SAMUEL'S HOLY INDIGNATION And Samuel was distressed (charah) and cried out to the LORD all night - ESV, CSB, NET = "Samuel became angry" NIV = "troubled" As noted below the verb charah primarily describes anger. In fact Leon Wood (in the TWOT) makes the statement that "The Hebrew verb (charah) is always used in reference to anger." (cf the other 5 uses of charah in First Samuel = 1Sa 11:6, 1Sa 17:28, 1Sa 18:18, 1Sa 20:7, 1Sa 20:30 = all refer to anger). So it is hard to get away from the thought that Samuel's reaction to Yahweh's verdict was some degree of righteous anger (toward Saul of course, not God). The Septuagint has the verb athumeo which means to become disheartened to the extent of losing motivation, be discouraged, lose heart, become dispirited. But Samuel true to form, whether angry or disheartened, did not let that deter him from crying out to his LORD all night! How many friends would you pray all night for?
1 Samuel 15
MacArthur - Saul, apparently taking credit for the victory, established a monument to himself (cf. Absalom in 2Sa 18:18). This foolish act of contemptible pride was Saul's expression of self-worship rather than true worship of God and another evidence of his spiritual weakness. (Borrow MacArthur Study Bible) Brian Bell - In the eyes of the soldiers & the Jewish people, Saul had won a great victory over a long-time enemy, but in God’s eyes he was a failure. Yet the king was so impressed w/himself that he went to Carmel & erected a monument in his own honor. (wonder what it looked like?) Seems like God says, “enough is enough”. Have you erected any “Me Monuments?” - maybe a spiritual trophy room. Where, you invite friends to come visit your spiritual exploits: like souls you’ve won to Christ; ministries you’ve run. Fine line between boasting in God & boasting in self. - Fine line between erecting an Ebenezer stone of remembrance & your own me monument! Archeologist found this monument, it read “Saul, he’s da man, Saul, he’s da man!”:) j Then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal - Saul was not still at Carmel, but returned to the very place Samuel had crowned Saul king! And it is probably no coincidence that Gilgal was the site of Samuel's first confrontation of Saul (1Sa 13:7-15+). TECHNICAL NOTE - NET NOTE - (SEE ALSO LXE ABOVE) At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin MS include the following words not found in the MT: "to Saul. And behold, he was offering as a burnt offering to the LORD the best of the spoils that he had brought from the Amalekites." CARMEL - (NOT MOUNT CARMEL FURTHER NORTH AND WEST) A city of Judah, in the uplands near Hebron (MAP), named with Maon and Ziph (Joshua 15:55). Here Saul for some reason not stated set up a monument or trophy (1 Samuel 15:12; literally "hand"). It was the home of Nabal the churlish and drunken flockmaster, whose widow Abigail David married (1 Samuel 25); and also of Hezro, one of David's mighty men (2 Samuel 23:35 1 Chronicles 11:37). It is represented by the modern el-Karmil, about 10 miles to the Southeast of Hebron. Karmil is the pronunciation given me by several natives this spring. There are considerable ruins, the most outstanding feature being square tower dating from the 12th century, now going swiftly to ruin. There are also caves, tombs and a large reservoir. 1 Samuel 15:13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD." BGT 1 Samuel 15:13 καὶ παρεγένετο Σαμουηλ πρὸς Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Σαουλ εὐλογητὸς σὺ τῷ κυρίῳ ἔστησα πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν κύριος LXE 1 Samuel 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said to him, Blessed art thou of the Lord: I have performed all that the Lord said. KJV 1 Samuel 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. NET 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said to him, "May the LORD bless you! I have done what the LORD said." CSB 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said, "May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD's instructions." ESV 1 Samuel 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD." NIV 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." NLT 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the LORD bless you," he said. "I have carried out the LORD's command!" NRS 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, "May you be blessed by the LORD; I have carried out the command of the LORD." NJB 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel reached Saul, Saul said, 'May you be blessed by Yahweh! I have carried out Yahweh's orders.' NAB 1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel came to him, Saul greeted him: "The LORD bless you! I have kept the command of the LORD." YLT 1 Samuel 15:13 And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, 'Blessed art thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.' Blessed: 1Sa 13:10 Ge 14:19 Jdg 17:2 Ru 3:10 I have carried out: 1Sa 15:9,11 Ge 3:12 Pr 27:2 28:13 30:13 31:31 Lu 17:10 18:11 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAUL'S AMAZING IGNORANCE OR SELF-DECEPTION Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! - Saul is so self-deceived (which is one of the major effects of sin - Heb 3:13+) that he is oblivious to his obvious sin (which is even making noise in next verse!) that he saunters out as if nothing has transpired. He thinks he has won a great victory, when in fact he had just achieved a great failure! Brian Bell on Saul's blessing - Saul’s greeting - sheer hypocrisy. He had no blessing to bring. He had not performed the will of the Lord. I have carried out the command of the LORD - True, he had carried out part of the command, which in his deceived heart was equated with "mission accomplished!" Saul was out of touch with reality! Saul substituted saying for doing! -- Warren Wiersbe Rod Mattoon says Saul "sounds so religious as he speaks with what I call spiritual syrup. He sounds so sweet but this was a rotten, stinking lie. Saul deceives himself most of all. He has rationalized his disobedience, thinking all is OK but it is not. Saul has substituted talking for walking or action. Saul had not performed the command to utterly destroy everything. He claimed to be obedient when he really was disobedient and rebellious. Samuel knew he was lying because he could hear the animals. We struggle with the same problem as Saul. It is easy for us to replace action with mere words. James addressed this issue. James 1:22+—But be (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." No one ever climbed a hill by just looking at it. Andrew Carnegie said, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say, I just watch what they do!” Horace Mann said, “I have never heard about the resolutions of the apostles, but a great deal about their ACTS!” Three times in the first chapter of the epistle of First John, John refers to saying one thing and doing another. See the pathetic pattern * lying to others 1Jn 1:6+ * lying to selves 1Jn 1:8+ * lying to God 1Jn 1:10+ (1 Samuel Commentary - RECOMMENDED - 616 pages - Go to page for list of multiple illustrations on page 596) Alexander Maclaren on I have carried out the command of the LORD - That is more than true obedience is quick to say. If Saul had done it, he would have been slower to boast of it. 1 Samuel 15:13-23 Got Moles? While cutting our grass, I spotted rounded mounds of sandy loam on what had recently been a smooth lawn. A family of moles had emigrated from nearby woods to take up residence beneath our yard. The little creatures were wreaking havoc with our lawn by burrowing into the soil and disrupting the beautiful turf. In some ways the activity of moles illustrates the dark side of the human heart. On the surface, we may appear polished and polite. But greed, lust, bigotry, and addictions can work inner destruction. Sooner or later, those sins will become apparent. King Saul had a fatal flaw that festered beneath the surface—rebellion against God. He had been commanded not to take any of the spoils of war from the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3). But after a decisive victory, he let the Israelites keep the best of the livestock for themselves (v.9). When the prophet Samuel confronted the king, Saul rationalized that he had kept the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to God. But this was a mere cover for his sinful pride, which had erupted in defiance of the God he claimed to serve. God wants complete obedience— Excuses will not do; His Word and Spirit point the way As we His will pursue. —Sper One sin becomes two when it is defended. 1 Samuel 15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" BGT 1 Samuel 15:14 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ καὶ τίς ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ποιμνίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ὠσίν μου καὶ φωνὴ τῶν βοῶν ὧν ἐγὼ ἀκούω LXE 1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, What then is the bleating of this flock in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear? KJV 1 Samuel 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? NET 1 Samuel 15:14 Samuel replied, "If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?" CSB 1 Samuel 15:14 Samuel replied, "Then what is this sound of sheep and cattle I hear?" ESV 1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?" NIV 1 Samuel 15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" NLT 1 Samuel 15:14 "Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded. NRS 1 Samuel 15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?" NJB 1 Samuel 15:14 Samuel replied, 'Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?' NAB 1 Samuel 15:14 But Samuel asked, "What, then, is the meaning of this bleating of sheep that comes to my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?" YLT 1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel saith, 'And what is the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?' What: Ps 36:2 50:16-21 Jer 2:18,19,22,23,34-37 Mal 3:13-15 Lu 19:22 Ro 3:19 1Co 4:5 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries WHAT DO THE SOUNDS OF ANIMALS MEAN? But - A dramatic contrast. Saul's self-deception is now countered with Samuel's reality testing! Life Application Study Bible (borrow) - Dishonest people soon begin to believe the lies they construct around themselves. Then they lose the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies. By believing your own lies, you deceive yourself, you alienate yourself from God, and you lose credibility in all your relationships. In the long run, honesty wins out. Samuel said - Woe! You can almost sense the tone of Samuel's response to Saul's friendly blessing and claim of obedience. Blaikie on bleating - “Facts are stubborn things, and they make quick work of sophistry.” What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear (shama)? - Saul cannot muffle the prize animals taken from the Amalekites! It is difficult to hide your sin when it is bleating or lowing! And, beloved, from my experience, sin does have a way of "making noise" others can detect! THOUGHT - We can try to muffle the cries of our sin, but they will eventually cry out. This is why we must continually seek to keep short accounts with God and quickly cry out and confess to Him, seeking and receiving His forgiveness. Otherwise we fall into the pit described by Proverbs 28:13+ "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." When we try to cover our sin, we also need to remember Nu 32:23+ which warns us "behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out." I cannot lie - that is not my favorite verse! 1 John 1:9+ on the other hand is one of my "go to" verses for obvious reasons!
1 Samuel 15
MacArthur comments that "God gave Saul an opportunity to redeem himself with obedience. The judgment was to be a complete and total annihilation of anything that breathed. God’s judgment was severe on those who would destroy His people. It was equally severe to those who disobeyed (cf. Achan in Josh. 7:10–26). (Borrow MacArthur Study Bible) Brian Bell - Critics of this passage & one’s like it in scripture, may be a little too dependent on sentiment then on spiritual truth, not realizing how long-suffering the Lord had been w/these nations, & how unspeakably wicked they were. Amalekites were descendants of Esau (unbelieving brother of Jacob) & enemy of the Jewish people. The army of Amalek attacked the recently emancipated slaves shortly after Israel came out of Egypt. Sum up Ex.17:8-16 1. See promise vs.14. The Lord declared perpetual war against Amalek vs.17. More details Read Deut. 25:17-19. a) Why was God was so mad? vs.18 [rear ranks: women, children, grandparents, sick, weary, tired] Don’t forget vs.19 - God viewed this as reprehensible! So, Amalek attacked when Israel was most vulnerable; habitually when they settled in the land; by the time of the kings their cup of iniquity was full! They proved themselves as hopelessly & incorrigibly corruptl. (ED: cf Intractable enemies of Israel in time of Judges - Jdg 3:13, 6:3, 6:33, 7:12, 10:12,) Judgment had come! God’s covenant w/the Jewish nation includes the promise, “I will curse those who curse you.” (Ge 12:3) And, God always keeps His word! Nations like the Amalekites who wanted to exterminate the Jews weren’t just waging war on Israel; they were opposing Almighty God & His great plan of redemption for the whole world! a) It’s a Jesus issue. (i.e.) If Jews are wiped out, Jesus doesn’t come! Simple but potent lesson from the Amalekites…We cannot do as we please! In time, divine retribution will over-take those who practice evil. 1 Tim.5:24 Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. (timing issue!) Hosea 8:7 said, They that sow to the wind, will reap the whirlwind. Jesus said, For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Mt.7:2) Strike (struck)(05221) nāḵāh A verb meaning to beat, to strike, to wound. The meaning of the vb. ranges from hitting to killing. ni. be hit, be struck down; pu. be battered, ruined, destroyed; hi. strike, hit, beat, strike dead, wound, batter, destroy; ho. be struck down (dead), be taken, be hit (#5782); nom. מַכָּה (makkâ), blow, stroke, wound, plague, defeat There are many instances of striking physically (Ex. 21:15, 19; Job 16:10; Ps. 3:7[8]; Song 5:7). Of Yahweh smiting the firstborn (Nu 3:13, 8:17), His own people (Nu 11:33). Of Moses striking the rock twice resulting in his not being allowed to enter the Promised Land (Nu 20:11) Frequently, nākhāh is related to the Israelite conquest of Canaan. God used disease to smite the inhabitants of Canaan (Num. 14:12). This word is also used in a different sense, as when the men of Sodom and Gomorrah were stricken blind by the two angels (Gen. 19:11); when a priest stuck a fork into the kettle (1 Sam. 2:14); when people clapped their hands (2 Kgs. 11:12); or when people verbally abused Jeremiah (Jer. 18:18). God struck the Egyptians with plagues (Ex. 3:20); and struck people down in judgment (Isa. 5:25). SEVERAL ARTICLES ON UTTERLY DESTROY James Coakley on utterly destroy them - God’s call to exterminate all the people groups currently occupying the land has been thought of as unloving and severe. Several factors may help explain the reasons such a command was given. . First, all people are sinners and are under God’s judgment. Only by God’s mercy are any people groups allowed to live. Second, the context (Dt 7:10) implies that these nations hated the Lord, so they were not neutral toward the God of Israel. Third, Ge 15:13 states that God had been patient with these nations for hundreds of years and had delayed their punishment until this exact point in history. God was giving the Canaanites as much time as was needed to become as wildly corrupt as possible. God’s command to annihilate them is tied to this circumstance alone and should not be used as justification for any genocide. (ED COMMENT - The patience of the Lord reminds me of the days of Noah - In Genesis 6:3 God gave man 120 years before the judgment of the flood would fall and even provided Noah a preacher (kerux) of righteousness for them to hear the good news but none but his own family heeded his warnings of coming judgment (2Pe 2:5+, cf 1 Peter 3:20+ and 2 Pe 3:15+ speaking of the delay in the return of the Lord thus providing an opportunity for men to repent. God provided righteous, tormented Lot as a witness and warning to Sodom before He destroyed them - 2 Pe 2:7-9+) Fourth, if Israel let these nations live in their land, their pagan practices would be propagated and emulated by the people of God (Dt 20:17–18). Fifth, the command to exterminate the Canaanite nations is mitigated somewhat by God’s allowing individual non-Jewish women like Rahab and Ruth to enter into the messianic line. God always had a plan that included the nations (Ge 12:2–3), but He promised Israel they would occupy this land as gift from Him. Israel was actually to offer peace with any nation outside her borders (Dt 20:10–18), but to exterminate any pagan nation within its borders. Even though not specifically mentioned here, extending annihilation to Canaanite children is an affront to modern sensibilities. The totality of this destruction is connected in this text (Dt 7:3) to the prohibition of assimilation to other nations. If these children were allowed to live they would become a snare for Israel. The killing of all Canaanites, including the children, served as a preventative measure against assimilating with the Canaanite way of life and as a stark reminder that Israel was to be set apart exclusively for God. (See The Moody Bible Commentary ) QUESTION - Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? ANSWER - In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, God commanded Saul and the Israelites, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: '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 everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" God ordered similar things when the Israelites were invading the promised land (Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18). Why would God have the Israelites exterminate an entire group of people, women and children included? This is a difficult issue. We do not fully understand why God would command such a thing, but we trust God that He is just – and we recognize that we are incapable of fully understanding a sovereign, infinite, and eternal God. As we look at difficult issues such as this one, we must remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9; Romans 11:33-36). We have to be willing to trust God and have faith in Him even when we do not understand His ways. Unlike us, God knows the future. God knew what the results would be if Israel did not completely eradicate the Amalekites. If Israel did not carry out God’s orders, the Amalekites would come back to trouble the Israelites in the future. Saul claimed to have killed everyone but the Amalekite king Agag (1 Samuel 15:20). Obviously, Saul was lying—just a couple of decades later, there were enough Amalekites to take David and his men’s families captive (1 Samuel 30:1-2). After David and his men attacked the Amalekites and rescued their families, 400 Amalekites escaped. If Saul had fulfilled what God had commanded him, this never would have occurred. Several hundred years later, a descendant of Agag, Haman, tried to have the entire Jewish people exterminated (see the book of Esther). So, Saul’s incomplete obedience almost resulted in Israel’s destruction. God knew this would occur, so He ordered the extermination of the Amalekites ahead of time. In regard to the Canaanites, God commanded, “In the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). The Israelites failed in this mission as well, and exactly what God said would happen occurred (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the future. Probably the most difficult part of these commands from God is that God ordered the death of children and infants as well. Why would God order the death of innocent children? (1) Children are not innocent (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). (2) These children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. (3) These children would naturally have grown up resentful of the Israelites and later sought to avenge the “unjust” treatment of their parents. Again, this answer does not completely deal with all the issues. Our focus should be on trusting God even when we do not understand His ways. We also must remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective and that His ways are higher than our ways. God is just, righteous, holy, loving, merciful, and gracious. How His attributes work together can be a mystery to us – but that does not mean that He is not who the Bible proclaims Him to be.GotQuestions.org Doug McIntosh has an excellent discussion of this difficult topic - As Israel entered the land of promise, they were told, "When the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy" (Deut. 7:2). Few statements of Scripture have received harsher criticism than this one. It seems to conflict with repeated biblical commands to show mercy to others (see Zech. 7:9; Mic. 6:8; Mt. 23:23). What are we to make of this divinely announced policy of extermination? In part, the policy represents God's own justice at work through Israel's weapons of war. God waited until this period of time to bring Israel into the land, at the moment Canaanite culture was at its most depraved (cp. Ge 15:16). The Canaanites needed to be judged, and Israel was God's instrument of judgment. However, it should also be noted that extermination does not represent the standard policy that God commanded Israel to pursue. When describing Israel's behavior toward the inhabitants of Canaan, the normal imperative was not exterminate but drive out: "When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places" (Nu 33:51-52). Calls to expel or drive out far outnumber commands to kill the Canaanites. The two commands are actually compatible when seen from God's perspective. He had two primary purposes in bringing Israel into Canaan. First, he wanted to give the land to Israel and fulfill his promises to the patriarchs. Second, he desired to provide Israel a homeland that was free of the temptations to moral depravity that were part of Canaanite religion. As a result, the culture had to be destroyed—an action as easily accomplished by expulsion as by extermination. Israel's slow approach over a period of forty years was closely observed by the native peoples (cp. Josh. 2:9-11). Many of them must have left voluntarily as Israel drew near, particularly after the dramatic and early victory at Jericho. Those who held out and remained behind the walls of Canaanite cities would have been the people who had the most to lose by leaving: the civic and religious leaders most committed to the blasphemous and degraded Canaanite cult. God knew that if they survived they would prove enthusiastic evangelists for the twisted cult—and so they did. Israel's greatest danger would come after the fighting was over, when they saw the survivors of the battles they fought. Their natural inclination would have been to bring those devotees to paganism into their own homes and to adopt their guests' immoral and destructive religious practices. Their most profound danger, in effect, came in showing mercy toward those who posed a lethal danger to them. Regrettably, that danger became a reality. Because Israel refused to exterminate that hard core of survivors, God's people became infected with idolatry so deeply that they themselves eventually had to be driven from the land. Israel exhibited an incomplete dedication to an important task. They thought so little of God's commands and their own spiritual lives that they permitted small pockets of wickedness to infect their nation. Believers can make a similar mistake. We are to have no mercy on the sins that lie resident within us. We are persistently and without hesitation to drive them out of our lives, or they will become causes for spiritual stumbling. (See Holman Old Testament Commentary – Deuteronomy) Walter Kaiser in Hard Sayings - scroll down to page 178 Completely Destroy Them! - 1 Samuel 15:18 A chief objection to the view that the God of the Old Testament is a God of love and mercy is the divine command to exterminate all the men, women and children belonging to the seven or eight Canaanite nations. How could God approve of blanket destruction, of the genocide of an entire group of people? Attempts to tone down the command or to mitigate its stark reality fail from the start. God’s instructions are too clear, and too many texts speak of consigning whole populations to destruction: Exodus 23:32–33; 34:11–16; and Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 20:16–18. In most of these situations, a distinctive Old Testament concept known as ḥerem is present. It means “curse,” “that which stood under the ban” or “that which was dedicated to destruction.” The root idea of this term was “separation”; however, this situation was not the positive concept of sanctification in which someone or something was set aside for the service and glory of God. This was the opposite side of the same coin: to set aside or separate for destruction. God dedicated these things or persons to destruction because they violently and steadfastly impeded or opposed his work over a long period of time. This “dedication to destruction” was not used frequently in the Old Testament. It was reserved for the spoils of southern Canaan (Num 21:2–3), Jericho (Josh 6:21), Ai (Josh 8:26), Makedah (Josh 10:28) and Hazor (Josh 11:11). In a most amazing prediction, Abraham was told that his descendants would be exiled and mistreated for four hundred years (in round numbers for 430 years) before God would lead them out of that country. The reason for so long a delay, Genesis 15:13–16 explains, was that “the sin of the Amorites [the Canaanites] has not yet reached its full measure.” Thus, God waited for centuries while the Amalekites and those other Canaanite groups slowly filled up their own cups of condemnation by their sinful behavior. God never acted precipitously against them; his grace and mercy waited to see if they would repent and turn from their headlong plummet into self-destruction. Not that the conquering Israelites were without sin. Deuteronomy 9:5 makes that clear to the Israelites: “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations.” These nations were cut off to prevent the corruption of Israel and the rest of the world (Deut 20:16–18). When a nation starts burning children as a gift to the gods (Lev 18:21) and practices sodomy, bestiality and all sorts of loathsome vices (Lev 18:25, 27–30), the day of God’s grace and mercy has begun to run out. Just as surgeons do not hesitate to amputate a gangrenous limb, even if they cannot help cutting off some healthy flesh, so God must do the same. This is not doing evil that good may come; it is removing the cancer that could infect all of society and eventually destroy the remaining good. God could have used pestilence, hurricanes, famine, diseases or anything else he wanted. In this case he chose to use Israel to reveal his power, but the charge of cruelty against God is no more deserved in this case than it is in the general order of things in the world where all of these same calamities happen. In the providential acts of life, it is understood that individuals share in the life of their families and nations. As a result we as individuals participate both in our families’ and nations’ rewards and in their punishments. Naturally this will involve some so-called innocent people; however, even that argument involves us in a claim to omniscience which we do not possess. If the women and children had been spared in those profane Canaanite nations, how long would it have been before a fresh crop of adults would emerge just like their pagan predecessors? Why was God so opposed to the Amalekites? When the Israelites were struggling through the desert toward Canaan, the Amalekites picked off the weak, sick and elderly at the end of the line of marchers and brutally murdered these stragglers. Warned Moses, “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God” (Deut 25:17–18). Some commentators note that the Amalekites were not merely plundering or disputing who owned what territories; they were attacking God’s chosen people to discredit the living God. Some trace the Amalekites’ adamant hostility all through the Old Testament, including the most savage butchery of all in Haman’s proclamation that all Jews throughout the Persian Empire could be massacred on a certain day (Esther 3:8–11). Many make a case that Haman was an Amalekite. His actions then would ultimately reveal this nation’s deep hatred for God, manifested toward the people through whom God had chosen to bless the whole world. In Numbers 25:16–18 and 31:1–18 Israel was also told to conduct a war of extermination against all in Midian, with the exception of the prepubescent girls, because the Midianites had led them into idolatry and immorality. It was not contact with foreigners per se that was the problem, but the threat to Israel’s relationship with the Lord. The divine command, therefore, was to break Midian’s strength by killing all the male children and also the women who had slept with a man and who could still become mothers. The texts of Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 7:1–2 and Psalm 106:34 are further examples of the principle of ḥerem, dedicating the residents of Canaan to total destruction as an involuntary offering to God. See also comment on NUMBERS 25:7–13; 2 KINGS 6:21–23. Gleason Archer - Bible Difficulties - scroll to page 161 - Was Joshua justified in exterminating the population of Jericho? In Joshua 6:21 we read, “And they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword” (NASB). Verses 22–23 go on to say that Rahab the harlot, who had risked her life in order to save the two Israelite spies who had come earlier in order to reconnoiter the city, was spared from death, along with her entire family—as the two spies had promised that she would be. But everything combustible in the city was put to the torch; and all articles of gold, silver, iron and bronze were devoted to the treasury of the tabernacle. Such complete destruction might appear to be needlessly harsh, since it included infants who were too young to have committed overt sin, even though the older children and the adults may all have fallen into utter depravity. Should we not understand this severity to be the result of a savage Bedouin mentality on the part of the wilderness warriors rather than a punitive measure ordained of God? In answer to this humanitarian objection, we need to recognize first of all that the biblical record indicates that Joshua was simply carrying out God’s orders in this matter. In other words, the same account that tells of the massacre itself is the account that tells of God’s commands to carry it out. Therefore we must recognize that our criticism cannot be leveled at Joshua or the Israelites but at the God whose bidding they obeyed. (Otherwise we must demonstrate our own special competence to correct the biblical record on the basis of our own notions of probability as to what God might or might not decide to do.) If criticism there be, we should not stop there, for the destruction of Jericho was far smaller an affair than the annihilation of the populations of Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies in Genesis 19:24–25. And then again this volcanic catastrophe was far less significant in the loss of life than Noah’s Flood, which, except for Noah’s family, wiped out the entire human race. Back in Genesis 15:16 God had forewarned Abraham: “Then in the fourth generation [i.e., in four hundred years, after the migration to Egypt, since Abraham was one hundred before he became the father of Isaac] they [the Israelites] shall return here [to Canaan], for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete” (NASB). The implication of this last statement was that when the wickedness of the inhabitants of Canaan had reached a predetermined accumulation of guilt, then God would have them removed from the Land of Promise intended for Abraham and his seed. The loss of innocent life in the demolition of Jericho was much to be regretted, but we must recognize that there are times when only radical surgery will save the life of a cancer-stricken body. The whole population of the antediluvian civilization had become hopelessly infected with the cancer of moral depravity (Gen. 6:5). Had any of them been permitted to live while still in rebellion against God, they might have infected Noah’s family as well. The same was true of the detestable inhabitants of Sodom, wholly given over to the depravity of homosexuality and rape, in the days of Abraham and Lot. As with the Benjamites of Gibeah at a later period (Judg. 19:22–30; 20:43–48), the entire population had to be destroyed. So also it was with Jericho and Ai as well (Josh. 8:18–26); likewise with Makkedah (Josh. 10:28), Lachish (v.32), Eglon (v.35), Debir (v.39), and all the cities of the Negev and the Shephelah (v.40). In the northern campaign against Hazor, Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, the same thorough destruction was meted out (Josh. 11:11–14). In every case the baneful infection of degenerate idolatry and moral depravity had to be removed before Israel could safely settle down in these regions and set up a monotheistic, law-governed commonwealth as a testimony for the one true God. Much as we regret the terrible loss of life, we must remember that far greater mischief would have resulted if they had been permitted to live on in the midst of the Hebrew nation. These incorrigible degenerates of the Canaanite civilization were a sinister threat to the spiritual survival of Abraham’s race. The failure to carry through completely the policy of the extermination of the heathen in the Land of Promise later led to the moral and religious downfall of the Twelve Tribes in the days of the Judges (Judg. 2:1–3, 10–15, 19–23). Not until the time of David, some centuries later, did the Israelites succeed in completing their conquest of all the land that had been promised to the descendants of Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:18–21). This triumph was only possible in a time of unprecedented religious vigor and purity of faith and practice such as prevailed under the leadership of King David, “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). In our Christian dispensation true believers possess resources for resisting the corrupting influence of unconverted worldlings such as were hardly available to the people of the old covenant. As warriors of Christ who have yielded our members to Him as “weapons of righteousness” (Rom. 6:13) and whose bodies are indwelt and empowered by God the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), we are well able to lead our lives in the midst of a corrupt and degenerate non-Christian culture (whether in the Roman Empire or in modern secularized Europe or America) and still keep true to God. We have the example of the Cross and the victory of the Resurrection of Christ our Lord, and he goes with us everywhere and at all times as we carry out the Great Commission. As New Testament believers, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual, “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5). These weapons, far mightier than those of Joshua, are able to capture men’s hearts for God; and we have no occasion as ambassadors for Christ to resort to physical weapons to protect our faith and land (as the Israelites were compelled to do, if they were to survive spiritually). But on the contrary we carry on a life-saving offensive as fishers of men, and we go after the unsaved and unconverted wherever they are to be found. But we must recognize that our situation is far more advantageous than theirs, and our prospects of victory over the world are far brighter than theirs. For this we can thank God. But we must refrain from condemnation of those who lived in the very different situation that prevailed before the Cross and recognize that they acted in obedience and faith toward God when they carried out his orders concerning the Canaanites. 1 Samuel 15:4 Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. BGT 1 Samuel 15:4 καὶ παρήγγειλεν Σαουλ τῷ λαῷ καὶ ἐπισκέπτεται αὐτοὺς ἐν Γαλγαλοις τετρακοσίας χιλιάδας ταγμάτων καὶ τὸν Ιουδαν τριάκοντα χιλιάδας ταγμάτων LXE 1 Samuel 15:4 And Saul summoned the people, and he numbered them in Galgala, four hundred thousand regular troops, and Juda thirty thousand regular troops. KJV 1 Samuel 15:4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. NET 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. CSB 1 Samuel 15:4 Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. ESV 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. NIV 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim--two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. NLT 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. NRS 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand soldiers of Judah. NJB 1 Samuel 15:4 Saul summoned the people and reviewed them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers (and ten thousand men of Judah). NAB 1 Samuel 15:4 Saul alerted the soldiers, and at Telaim reviewed two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. YLT 1 Samuel 15:4 And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand are men of Judah. Telaim: Jos 15:24 200,000 foot soldiers: 1Sa 11:8 13:15 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Samuel 11:8+ (He numbered them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. Then - Marks progression in the narrative. Saul summoned (shama; Lxx - paraggello = commanded, ordered) the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah - While this is a large army, the first army that went against Nahash the Ammonite was even larger (see above). Again the writer distinguishes soldiers from Judah from the soldiers from the other 11 tribes. Some writers think that this is because this was written after the kingdom was divided. QUESTION - Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? ANSWER - In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, God commanded Saul and the Israelites, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: '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 everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" God ordered similar things when the Israelites were invading the promised land (Deut 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18). Why would God have the Israelites exterminate an entire group of people, women and children included? This is a difficult issue. We do not fully understand why God would command such a thing, but we trust God that He is just – and we recognize that we are incapable of fully understanding a sovereign, infinite, and eternal God. As we look at difficult issues such as this one, we must remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9; Romans 11:33-36). We have to be willing to trust God and have faith in Him even when we do not understand His ways. Unlike us, God knows the future. God knew what the results would be if Israel did not completely eradicate the Amalekites. If Israel did not carry out God’s orders, the Amalekites would come back to trouble the Israelites in the future. Saul claimed to have killed everyone but the Amalekite king Agag (1 Samuel 15:20). Obviously, Saul was lying—just a couple of decades later, there were enough Amalekites to take David and his men’s families captive (1 Samuel 30:1-2). After David and his men attacked the Amalekites and rescued their families, 400 Amalekites escaped. If Saul had fulfilled what God had commanded him, this never would have occurred. Several hundred years later, a descendant of Agag, Haman (See Haman the Agagite), tried to have the entire Jewish people exterminated (see the book of Esther). So, Saul’s incomplete obedience (ED: AKA COMPLETE DISOBEDIENCE!) almost resulted in Israel’s destruction. God knew this would occur, so He ordered the extermination of the Amalekites ahead of time. In regard to the Canaanites, God commanded, “In the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). The Israelites failed in this mission as well, and exactly what God said would happen occurred (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the future. Probably the most difficult part of these commands from God is that God ordered the death of children and infants as well. Why would God order the death of innocent children? (1) Children are not innocent (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). (2) These children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. (3) These children would naturally have grown up resentful of the Israelites and later sought to avenge the “unjust” treatment of their parents. Again, this answer does not completely deal with all the issues. Our focus should be on trusting God even when we do not understand His ways. We also must remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective and that His ways are higher than our ways. God is just, righteous, holy, loving, merciful, and gracious. How His attributes work together can be a mystery to us – but that does not mean that He is not who the Bible proclaims Him to be.GotQuestions.org Related Resources from Gotquestions.org Does God killing people make Him a murderer? Why did God command the Israelites to completely destroy the Midianites in Numbers 31:17? Why did God condone such terrible violence in the Old Testament? Why did the Israelites take the Canaanites as slaves instead of destroying them as they were instructed? What happened during the conquest of Canaan? 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. BGT 1 Samuel 15:5 καὶ ἦλθεν Σαουλ ἕως τῶν πόλεων Αμαληκ καὶ ἐνήδρευσεν ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ LXE 1 Samuel 15:5 And Saul came to the cities of Amalec, and laid wait in the valley. KJV 1 Samuel 15:5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. NET 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city of Amalek, where he set an ambush in the wadi. CSB 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi. ESV 1 Samuel 15:5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. NIV 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. NLT 1 Samuel 15:5 Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. NRS 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. NJB 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and lay in ambush in the river bed. NAB 1 Samuel 15:5 Saul went to the city of Amalek, and after setting an ambush in the wadi, YLT 1 Samuel 15:5 And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley; 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley - NLT = "lay in wait in the valley." See location Amalek above, southwest of Israel. Presumably this chapter is an elaboration of the summary statement in 1Sa 14:48 that Saul "acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites." Even there it does not say Saul annihilated the Amalekites, which he did not do in this chapter. 1 Samuel 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. BGT 1 Samuel 15:6 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πρὸς τὸν Κιναῖον ἄπελθε καὶ ἔκκλινον ἐκ μέσου τοῦ Αμαληκίτου μὴ προσθῶ σε μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἐποίησας ἔλεος μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξέκλινεν ὁ Κιναῖος ἐκ μέσου Αμαληκ LXE 1 Samuel 15:6 And Saul said to the Kinite, Go, and depart out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I put thee with them; for thou dealedst mercifully with the children of Israel when they went up out of Egypt. So the Kinite departed from the midst of Amalec. KJV 1 Samuel 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. NET 1 Samuel 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. CSB 1 Samuel 15:6 He warned the Kenites, "Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I'll sweep you away with them." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. ESV 1 Samuel 15:6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. 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. NIV 1 Samuel 15:6 Then he said to the Kenites, "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. NLT 1 Samuel 15:6 Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: "Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites packed up and left. NRS 1 Samuel 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. NJB 1 Samuel 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, 'Go away, leave your homes among the Amalekites, in case I destroy you with them -- you acted with faithful love towards all the Israelites when they were coming up from Egypt.' So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. NAB 1 Samuel 15:6 warned the Kenites: "Come! Leave Amalek and withdraw, that I may not have to destroy you with them, for you were kind to the Israelites when they came up from Egypt." After the Kenites left, YLT 1 Samuel 15:6 and Saul saith unto the Kenite, 'Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume thee with it, and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt;' and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek. the Kenites: 1Sa 27:10 Nu 24:21,22 Jdg 1:16 4:11 5:24 1Ch 2:55 depart: Ge 18:25 19:12-16 Nu 16:26,27,34 Pr 9:6 Ac 2:40 2Co 6:17 Rev 18:14 showed: Ex 18:9,10,19 Nu 10:29-32 2Ti 1:16 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ONE OF SAUL'S BETTER ACTS Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites - Saul gave 3 commands to the Kenites. Recall that Jethro, Moses’ father-n-law was a Kenite. They accompanied Judah in the inheritance of the Promised Land (Judges 1:16). Bob Roe on the Kenites - Notice that God never forgets when you have obeyed. The Kenites were a Midianite tribe. In Exodus 18, when the Israelites were coming out of the wilderness, Jethro, the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses, met Moses, blessed him and thanked the Lord for what the Lord had done for the Israelites. He noticed Moses trying to govern 2,000,000 people all by himself and said, "That is not good. Why don't you appoint captains over 1,000s and 100s and 10s? Pick people who have maturity, wisdom, ability to discern, and let them make judgments. Then you represent them to the Lord." In Numbers 10, Moses asked Hobab, his Midianite brother-in-law, to lead the Israelites through the wilderness. These Kenites were nomads and knew that territory like the palm of their hand. They joined the Israelites and led them through the wilderness. Finally they settled with the tribe of Judah in the Promised Land. Although by this time they had wandered down into the southern part of Judah and may have been dwelling with the Amalekites, 400 years before they had made a choice. That choice was to follow God and be God's instrument. God remembered that. Now, 400 years later, the Kenites are separated and spared during the slaughter of the Amalekites. so that (term of purpose) I do not destroy you with them - The purpose of separation is to prevent their destruction. for (term of explanation) - What is Saul explaining? You showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt - How did Saul know? Surely this was conveyed by Samuel in the instruction, albeit they are not recorded. So (term of conclusion) the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites - The conclusion of the Kenties was a wise one to separate from the Amalekites. Brian Bell - This is similar today when we drop leaflets on a village before we bomb it. K. We admire Saul for being careful to protect the Kenites, but he wasn’t careful to obey God’s will 1. Some people are very careful to protect the bald eagle, baby seals, & kangaroo-rats...but have no problem turning around & having an abortion? KENITES - [ISBE] - ke'-nits (ha-qeni, haqeni; in Nu 24:22 and Jdg 4:11, qayin; of hoi Kenaioi, hoi Kinaioi): A tribe of nomads named in association with various other peoples. They are first mentioned along with the Kadmonites and Kenizzites among the peoples whose land was promised to Abram (Gen 15:19). Balaam, seeing them from the heights of Moab; puns upon their name, which resembles the Hebrew ken, "a nest," prophesying their destruction although their nest was "set in the rock"--possibly a reference to Sela, the city. Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, is called "the priest of Midian" in Ex 3:1; 18:1; but in Jdg 1:16 he is described as a Kenite, showing a close relation between the Kenites and Midian. At the time of Sisera's overthrow, Heber, a Kenite, at "peace" with Jabin, king of Hazor, pitched his tent far North of his ancestral seats (Jdg 4:17). There were Kenites dwelling among the Amalekites in the time of Saul (1 Sam 15:6). They were spared because they had "showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt." David, in his answer to Achish, links the Kenites with the inhabitants of the South of Judah (1 Sam 27:10). Among the ancestors of the tribe of Judah, the Chronicler includes the Kenite Hammath, the father of the Rechabites (1 Ch 2:55). These last continued to live in tents, practicing the ancient nomadic customs (Jer 35:6 ff).ichly varied landscape, With smiling cornfields, and hills clothed with oak and terebinth. Kenites - 10v - Gen. 15:19; Num. 24:21; Jdg. 1:16; Jdg. 4:11; Jdg. 4:17; Jdg. 5:24; 1 Sam. 15:6; 1 Sam. 27:10; 1 Sam. 30:29; 1 Chr. 2:55 1 Samuel 15:7 So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. BGT 1 Samuel 15:7 καὶ ἐπάταξεν Σαουλ τὸν Αμαληκ ἀπὸ Ευιλατ ἕως Σουρ ἐπὶ προσώπου Αἰγύπτου LXE 1 Samuel 15:7 And Saul smote Amalec from Evilat to Sur fronting Egypt. KJV 1 Samuel 15:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. NET 1 Samuel 15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt. CSB 1 Samuel 15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt. ESV 1 Samuel 15:7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. NIV 1 Samuel 15:7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. NLT 1 Samuel 15:7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. NRS 1 Samuel 15:7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. NJB 1 Samuel 15:7 Saul then crushed the Amalekites, beginning at Havilah in the direction of Shur, which is to the east of Egypt. NAB 1 Samuel 15:7 Saul routed Amalek from Havilah to the approaches of Shur, on the frontier of Egypt. YLT 1 Samuel 15:7 And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah -- thy going in to Shur, which is on the front of Egypt, smote: 1Sa 14:48 Job 21:30 Ec 8:13 Havilah: This Havilah was probably situated in Arabia, and the district of Chaulon may mark the spot. It seems different from that encompassed by the river Pison, one of the rivers of Eden. Ge 2:11 25:18 Shur: 1Sa 27:8 Ge 16:7 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SO FAR, SO GOOD! So far, so good means that everything is satisfactory or developing as planned up to the current point or moment in time. So - Term of conclusion. Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt - While this is "so far, so good," defeating the Amalekites is not the same as utterly obliterating the Amalekites, this distinction becoming more apparent as we read on in this chapter. NKJV SB - Havilah refers to a district of northeast Arabia. Shur was the western part of the Sinai peninsula bordering Egypt. The campaign against the Amalekites covered extensive territory. 1 Samuel 15:8 He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. BGT 1 Samuel 15:8 καὶ συνέλαβεν τὸν Αγαγ βασιλέα Αμαληκ ζῶντα καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν Ιεριμ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας LXE 1 Samuel 15:8 And he took Agag the king of Amalec alive, and he slew all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword. KJV 1 Samuel 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. NET 1 Samuel 15:8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag's people with the sword. CSB 1 Samuel 15:8 He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. ESV 1 Samuel 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. NIV 1 Samuel 15:8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. NLT 1 Samuel 15:8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. NRS 1 Samuel 15:8 He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. NJB 1 Samuel 15:8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and, executing the curse of destruction, put all the people to the sword. NAB 1 Samuel 15:8 He took Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but on the rest of the people he put into effect the ban of destruction by the sword. YLT 1 Samuel 15:8 and he catcheth Agag king of Amalek alive, and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword; Agag: 1Sa 15:3 Nu 24:7 1Ki 20:30,34-42 Es 3:1 utterly: 1Sa 27:8 30:1 Jos 10:39 11:12 1 Samuel 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries KING AGAG SPARED DESTRUCTION He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed (charam) all the people with the edge of the sword - This passage indicates that Saul exhibited partial obedience, but partial obedience is complete disobedience. All the people were devoted to the ban except one, the king. One sinner remaining (Agag) would be enough to negate the obliteration of all the other Amalekites! Such is the nature of sin! Adam committed one sin and look at the result! Sin has to be killed completely and without mercy. Partial obedience is complete disobedience. THOUGHT - Do you have an "Agag" in one of the secret rooms of your heart? If so, beware the consequences of not killing "him" for the consequences can be very costly. As the Puritan John Owen strongly advised "Be killing sin, lest sin will be killing you!" (See Mortification of Sin articles below) Our "Agag" must be utterly destroyed. Realistically, since we still possess the sin nature, we must not be surprised or discouraged when "Agag" seeks to tempt us! F B
1 Samuel 15
MacArthur - The sacrificial system was never intended to function in place of living an obedient life, but was rather to be an expression of it (cf. Hos. 6:6; Amos 5:21–27; Mic. 6:6–8). (Borrow MacArthur Study Bible) Life Application Study Bible (borrow) - This is the first of numerous places in the Bible where the theme "obedience is better than sacrifice" is stated (Psalms 40:6-8; 51:16, 17; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:21-23; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 12:7;Mark 12:33; Hebrews 10:8, 9). Was Samuel saying that sacrifice is unimportant? No, he was urging Saul to look at his reasons for making the sacrifice rather than at the sacrifice itself. A sacrifice was a ritual transaction between a person and God that physically demonstrated a relationship between them. But if the person's heart was not truly repentant or if he did not truly love God, the sacrifice was a hollow ritual. Religious ceremonies or rituals are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and obedience. "Being religious" (going to church, serving on a committee, giving to charity) is not enough if we do not act out of devotion and obedience to God. Obey (hear, listen, understand)(08085) shama means to hear (Adam and Eve hearing God = Ge 3:8, 10, Ge 18:10 = "overheard"), to listen (Ge 3:17, Ge 16:2 [= this was a big mistake and was the origin of Jews and Arabs!] Ex 6:9,16:20, 18:19, Webster's 1828 on "listen" = to hearken; to give ear; to attend closely with a view to hear. To obey; to yield to advice; to follow admonition) and since hearing/listening are often closely linked to obedience, shama is translated obey (1 Sa 15:22, Ge 22:18, 26:5, 39:10, Ex 19:5, disobedience = Lev 26:14, 18, 21, 27) or to understand. KJV translates shama "hearken" (196x) a word which means to give respectful attention. Of God's hearing in general or hearing our prayers (Hab 1:2, Ps 66:18, click here for more in the Psalms, cf God's hearing in Zeph 2:8, Ge 16:11, 17:20, 30:17, 22, Ge 21:17, 29:33, 30:6, 17, 22; Ex 2:24, Ex 16:8, 9, 12, Nu 11:1, 12:2). Shama means “to hear intelligently and attentively and respond appropriately." In other words to hear does not convey the idea of "in one ear and out the other!" Heed (give attention) (07181) qashab means to incline (ears) to listen carefully, to pay (close) attention, to give heed, to obey. The root denotes the activity of hearing, emphasizing either paying close attention or obeying (heeding). Qashab - 45v - gave attention(1), give attention(3), give heed(9), give...heed(1), given heed(2), heed(2), incline(1), listen(10), listened(2), listening(1), listens(1), make your attentive(1), paid attention(3), paid...attention(1), pay attention(6), pay...attention(1), pays attention(1). 1 Sam. 15:22; 2 Chr. 20:15; 2 Chr. 33:10; Neh. 9:34; Job 13:6; Job 33:31; Ps. 5:2; Ps. 10:17; Ps. 17:1; Ps. 55:2; Ps. 61:1; Ps. 66:19; Ps. 86:6; Ps. 142:6; Prov. 1:24; Prov. 2:2; Prov. 4:1; Prov. 4:20; Prov. 5:1; Prov. 7:24; Prov. 17:4; Prov. 29:12; Cant. 8:13; Isa. 10:30; Isa. 21:7; Isa. 28:23; Isa. 32:3; Isa. 34:1; Isa. 42:23; Isa. 48:18; Isa. 49:1; Isa. 51:4; Jer. 6:10; Jer. 6:17; Jer. 6:19; Jer. 8:6; Jer. 18:18; Jer. 18:19; Jer. 23:18; Dan. 9:19; Hos. 5:1; Mic. 1:2; Zech. 1:4; Zech. 7:11; Mal. 3:16 C H