“Samuel said to Saul,
“GOD sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel.
Now, listen again to what GOD says. This is the GOD -of-the-Angel-
Armies speaking: “‘I’m about to get even with Amalek for ambushing
Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here’s what you are to do:
Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek
under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total
destruction—men and women, children and infants,
cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.’”
Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn’t include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.”
1 Samuel 15:2-3, 7-9 MSG
“Then GOD spoke to Samuel: “I’m sorry I ever made Saul king.
He’s turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him.”
1 Samuel 15:10 MSG
Wait a minute!
Did you read that last line?
God was “sorry I ever made Saul King”? But Saul did what God had asked…..or at least 99% of what God had asked.
What is this “he’s turned his back on me” stuff? Saul ‘only’ kept one person alive and only ‘a few’ of the sheep and cows.
I’m sure in his mind this was a justified, rational act. His men needed to eat, perhaps some wool for a new winter coat and of course we can use the captured king for something!
Minor disobedience is still disobedience!
My desire is to follow God completely, not mostly.
To serve Him with all of my heart, not most of my heart.
I want the best of God – “Lord, help me to follow every word You speak, with complete obedience, with my whole heart.”
~ Michael D Simpson
