1 Samuel 15:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Saul has been consolidated in the kingdom, but he was really only saved by Jonathan's faithful act. He has already failed to taking matters into his own hands with regard to the Philistines and not waiting for Samuel as instructed. In this chapter there will be another instance of disobedience, followed by inadequate and insincere repentance. ‘Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD’, and here comes a special command. Saul is given the task of finally destroying the Amalekites, the oldest enemy of Israel, so vicious and so cruel, and still present to that day. They had attacked Israel at Hormah when Israel had sought to enter Canaan (Number 14:25), and had again fought against them with the Midianites during the time of Gideaon (Judges 6 and 7). It is the first of these events that the Lord refers to here. The commandment to Saul is therefore, ‘Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass’, but that includes the king, and the king most importantly. The punishment is from God, and it is to be complete. This is not simply a battle with some enemy; it is a judicial act of God in which he is sovereignly going to destroy a wicked nation, and he is going to do it through his people Israel. In the Old Testament those judicial acts carried out through Israel particularly on the Canaanites and here on the Amalekites involved physical warfare. The church of Christ does not fight with physical weapons, but it too will be involved in the judgment of those who reject God on the last day. ‘Do ye not know’, asks the apostle Paul, ‘that the saints shall judge the world?’ (1 Corinthians 6:2). Every life is in the hands of God, and he has the right to set the length of life of every adult and child. He takes many out of this world when they are young, and he who gave life can end it when he wishes. This is not in every case a judgment for sin, but obviously in this case it was. That nation had opposed Israel’s entry into Canaan, and they were opposed to the God of Israel. God judges nations as well as individuals. So Samuel gave this clear instruction, but Saul failed to carry it out as he should.