1 Samuel 15:24 – 35 “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
“I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel.”
As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. So, Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”
So, Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.
Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”
Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.”
And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.”
Saul is a people – pleaser, not a God – pleaser. All Saul’s life, he has been driven by popular opinion. Having no relationship whatsoever with the One True Living God, Saul can only listen to the voices around him. Even when Saul is caught in total rebellion, he begs Samuel to forgive his sins against God and to return with him; he does not beg God to forgive his sins. Saul thinks that as long as Samuel will forgive him and accompany him, then he’s square with God and he can worship God. Saul wants to be honored among the elders of his people, presumably, the elders of the tribe of Benjamin, and the Israelites. But what kind of worship does Saul intend to do? Saul has not repented; he merely has regrets and is hoping to get off lightly.
Saul wants to go back and stand before the people, offering animals and impressing everyone as to what a great leader he is. Saul fails to realize that this time, he has failed irrevocably and has forfeited the kingdom by his disobedience. Samuel is fed up and turns to leave. When Saul grabs Samuel’s robe, the piece he grabs tears away from the robe as a sign that God has torn the kingdom away from Saul. Samuel further reminds Saul “Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
Even after such an impressive sign, Saul remains unrepentant, begging Samuel to accompany him for the sake of appearances. Samuel reluctantly agrees to return with Saul; however, his heart is not in it.
Meanwhile, King Agag is beginning to think he’s going to get off lightly. Why has Saul saved Agag? Has Agag promised Saul hidden treasure if Saul will spare his life? Has Saul been secretly worshiping the same deities as Agag and has Agag invoked the names of those deities? At any rate, it is not Saul who kills Agag, but aged Samuel, who hacks Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. In effect, Samuel makes Agag a sacrifice to the Lord.
The saddest part of the whole story is the conclusion: “Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.” How tragic! Saul has now been rejected by both the Lord and by Samuel, God’s representative. God even regrets that He has ever called Saul to be king.
APPLICATION: Proverbs 29:25 tells us, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Saul is driven by popular opinion and has little regard for God. Much of what Saul does is for show. Saul wants Samuel to return with him to keep up appearances. What might happen if Saul were to truly repent and to fall on his face before the Lord? Certainly, God would respond to true repentance by forgiving as He always does. Saul would still ultimately lose the kingdom but he would have a personal relationship with the One True Living God – something precious that nobody could take away from him. But Saul is not a believer, nor does this cataclysmic even result in a change in Saul’s heart. Later on, Saul actually develops mental problems, possibly from the demons he has worshiped in secret. All that mental anguish could be avoided if Saul were to truly repent and begin to actually follow God.
Samuel returns to his home in Ramah and stays there, refusing to visit Saul any more. What’s the point? Saul has rejected God and has also rejected Samuel’s counsel. Any visits would simply be a waste of time and energy.
Saul has already lost the opportunity to found a dynasty by refusing to destroy the best animals captured from the Amalekites. Now Saul has lost his kingdom as well. The ultimate tragedy of Saul is not merely these losses but also the fact that not once has Saul ever actually humbled himself before God. All Saul’s acts of worship have been simply that – acting.
Does God hate Saul? Absolutely not! God is grieving because He wants Saul to come to Him simply and pray and worship in the most profound manner possible. God has always wanted Saul to love Him and to love His Word. Only God knows how many chances He has given Saul to worship and how many times Saul has turned away, settling for making a show instead. True worship is not a matter of the number of religious rituals one observes, but one’s heart attitude. God desires Saul to sit quietly and say the same thing that the child Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” God has always wanted Saul to become His obedient servant.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus told the woman at the well in Samaria that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) How do we worship God? Do we worship God at all, or are we depending on someone else to do the worshiping for us? There is nothing wrong with watching on – line services or services on social media, provided our hearts are truly joining in the worship as well. But we cannot merely be observers. If we are not turning our hearts toward God, then we are entertaining ourselves but we are not worshiping.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have not worshiped You as we should have. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and help us to worship You at every opportunity. Thank You for guiding us and leading us in paths of righteousness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
April 8, 2022 at 2:01 pm
*I never realized that Samuel hacked anybody to death? But there it is! Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal* *Good Devotional!*