The
Book of First Samuel
Chapter 15:16-35
[16] Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell
thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
[17] And Samuel said, When thou wast
little in thine own sight, wast
thou not made the head of the tribes of
[18] And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the
sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until
they be consumed.
[19] Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly
upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
[20] And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and
have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag
the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
[21] But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things
which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in
Gilgal.
[22] And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
[23] For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also
rejected thee from being king.
1) Rebellion (V 16-23)
vs
16 - “Be quiet” says Samuel (Realizing Saul’s excuses) & Saul says speak on
Vs 17- Samuel states Saul’s humbleness at the
beginning
Vs 18-19 Saul was clearly given a specific
command which was directly disobeyed
Vs
20 Saul insists he is innocent and has obeyed the Lord, yet he admits &
says he did take Agag alive
Partial obedience is complete
disobedience, but not to Saul
Saul
says he has utterly destroyed the Amalekites, but
right there stands Agag ??? he is deceived
·
Saul acts as if
he is being falsely accused by Samuel
Vs 21 But Saul does point fingers at the
people
It is true they did spare, but
they followed the example of Saul & he didn’t stop them
Vs 22 Samuel states that obedience is better
than sacrifice
Observance without obedience is
empty
1000 sacrifices, 1000 hrs work,
Millions of dollars w/o surrender is meaningless
Obedience is the surrender of our
will to God’s will
God wants a repentant heart Ps
51:16,17 Rom12:1
Vs
23 Rebellion is as witchcraft.... in
that you think your way is better than God’s way (idolatry)
Real worship of God begins with
surrender
Because of Saul’s rebellion, he
is rejected as king
[24] And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I
have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared
the people, and obeyed their voice.
[25] Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I
may worship the LORD.
[26] And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king
over
2) Reputation (V 24,26)
Vs 24 Saul begins to confess and then changes
it into the people made me do it (another excuse)
Again Saul refuses to own up to
his own sin
Vs 25 Saul wants Samuel to forgive his sin
and then come with him to worship
This worship would include the
sacrifice of those animals Saul had spared (sin)
It appears that Saul is interested in
ceremony before the people (what they think)
Vs 26 Samuel will not go with Saul, as Saul
is rejected and is going to continue in sin
Saul has
rejected the word of the Lord and God has rejected Saul
[27] And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his
mantle, and it rent.
[28] And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the
[29] And also the Strength of
3)
Rent Garment (V 27-29)
Vs 27 Samuel turns to go away and Saul grabs
Samuel and tears his garment
He is desperate and acts as such
Vs 28 As Saul tore the garment so will the
kingdom be torn from Saul
As useless as a rent garment so
is Saul useless
Saul is thinking there is a fix
to this
Vs 29 Samuel speaks of the “Strength of
Israel”
God is determined in purpose and
strong in His will.... Saul is not strong, but God Is
There will be no change from His
word nor His will
[30] Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people,
and before
[31] So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
[32] Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the
king of the Amalekites. And Agag
came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
[33] And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women
childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
4)
Reckoning (Vs 30-33)
Vs 30 Saul again begins to confess, but again
is more concerned about image than his soul
Vs 31 Samuel turns back and goes with Saul
Samuel knew there was not yet a
replacement for Saul
Saul worships the Lord (Can the
unsaved worship ? Can the rejected worship
?)
Ps 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my
heart the Lord will not hear me
Had Saul confessed sin, (Vs 30)
was it genuine ??
One day all will bow Phil 2:10,11, but is that worship ??
Vs 32 Samuel calls for Agag
Agag
came out thinking the worst was over and the peaceful man of God has come
Vs 33 Samuel carries
out the will of God as he executes Agag for his sin
(before the Lord)
[34] Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
[35] And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death:
nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made
Saul king over
5)
Ruin (Vs 34,35)
Vs 34 Samuel goes home, Saul goes home
Vs 35 Samuel never again
came to see Saul, yet he wept for him.
The Lord was displeased with Saul