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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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1 Samuel 15:10
Comments
This is the second great condemnation of Saul. ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king. He is turn back from following me, hath not performed my commandments.’ And look at this: ‘And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night.’ Now Samuel undoubtedly is entirely in sympathy with the will of the Lord. He is a man of faith. He is God's man, and if God has given a command, Samuel believes that to be true and fair, just and holy and perfect. So if God – as he has already declared – is going to depose Saul, then that also in Samuel's estimation is true and fair and just. We therefore reject any idea that Samuel was in sympathy with Saul and was unhappy about the judgement that was to be meted out to him. But what we do see is the natural sympathy of Samuel. That Saul had thrown away his privileges; that Saul had brought himself under deserved condemnation. It was to be; it was right, and Samuel believe that, but he was nevertheless a man with a sympathetic heart.
Application
That speaks to us. Sympathy for enemies; sympathy for the lost; sympathy for the backslider; even a proper measure of sympathy for the wrongdoer, who might be under the discipline of the Lord in some way. We feel it because we feel for souls, and we would desire the very best for them. It is instructive to see this of Samuel. He cried unto the Lord – in prayer, obviously – all night. If only something could be done. He had experienced prayers answered so many times. Perhaps even though Saul has dealt so treacherously and badly with spiritual privileges, something could be done. But it wasn't to be.
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