1 Sa. 15: Saul Screws Up

1 Samuel 15:28 "Samuel said to him, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.'"

Saul goes to war against the Amalekites as God's hand of vengeance against them for obstructing Israel's path to freedom out of Egypt. This war was commanded by God, as was the degree of violence, as in wiping out every human being, and all of the livestock. They were to be completely wiped off the face of the earth.

After booting the Kenite neighbors from the vicinity, they crushed the Amalekites. Almost completely. Which was not what God commanded. God wanted total annihilation. Saul spared the king, and some plunder.

This greatly displeased God, and He told Samuel that Saul had turned away from Him. Samuel spent the night crying out to God. Can you imagine the agony Samuel must have felt to spend all night groaning and crying out? That is some kind of pain. Why did he feel like this? Saul was anointed by Samuel, as a replacement for God. Now this king turned away from God, disobeying God. Samuel, who would have been Israel's leader and judge, apparently still had his faith, and still had a dynamic relationship with God.

I find the meeting between Samuel and Saul somewhat comical. As Samuel approaches the king's camp, Saul comes out saying, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions."

Samuel: "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"

Now, I think Samuel may be referring to the actual sheep and cattle, but I think under the surface, he is referring the nonsense coming out of Saul's mouth. Which is funny. Come on.

Saul: "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."

Note here how Saul talks about what the soldiers did. The soldiers spared the best...a sudden turn from "I carried out the LORD's instructions." In a way, I think he knew he was in for a whipping.

Samuel can't take it, he reminds Saul how God wanted everyone wiped out.

Saul says he did wipe everything out, but he took some good stuff to sacrifice.

It is then that Samuel tells Saul that obedience is more important than sacrifice. To heed is better than the fat of rams. And this makes sense. When God wants something done, don't do what you think God would want you to do, do what God told you to do.

Saul has rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD rejects Saul as king.

This finally cracks the rocks around Saul's brain, and he realizes the gravity of the situation, and there's no verbal gymnastics that can make him come out on top. As Samuel turns to leave, he desperately grabs Samuel's robe, and it tears, symbolizing that God has torn the kingdom from Saul's hand.