1Samuel 15:22 - Prayer Tents

1Samuel 15

15Samuel said to Saul, "GOD sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what GOD says.H8050H559H7586H3068H7971H4886H4428H5971H3478H8085H6963H1697H30682This is the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "'I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt.H559H3068H6635H6485H6002H6213H3478H7760H1870H5927H47143Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.'"H3212H5221H6002H2763H2550H4191H376H802H5768H3243H7794H7716H1581H25434Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah.H7586H8085H5971H8085H6485H2923H3967H505H7273H6235H505H376H30635Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon.H7586H935H5892H6002H7378H693H51586Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place.H7586H559H7017H3212H5493H3381H8432H6002H622H6213H2617H1121H3478H5927H4714H7017H5493H8432H60037Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border.H7586H5221H6002H2341H935H7793H6440H47148He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban.H8610H90H4428H6002H2416H2763H5971H6310H27199Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.H7586H5971H2550H90H4315H6629H1241H4932H3733H2896H14H2763H4399H5240H4549H276310Then GOD spoke to Samuel:H1697H3068H8050H55911"I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night.H5162H4427H7586H4428H7725H310H6965H1697H2734H8050H2199H3068H391512He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to GOD.H8050H7925H7125H7586H1242H5046H8050H559H7586H935H3760H5324H3027H5437H5674H3381H153713As Samuel came close, Saul called out, "GOD's blessings on you! I accomplished GOD's plan to the letter!"H8050H935H7586H7586H559H1288H3068H6965H1697H306814Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?"H8050H559H6963H6629H241H6963H1241H808515"Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to GOD. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban."H7586H559H935H6003H5971H2550H4315H6629H1241H2076H3068H430H3498H276316"Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what GOD told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me."H8050H559H7586H7503H5046H3068H1696H3915H559H169617And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then GOD put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel.H8050H559H6996H5869H7218H7626H3478H3068H4886H4428H347818Then GOD sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, 'Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.'H3068H7971H1870H559H3212H2763H2400H6002H3898H361519So why did you not obey GOD? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with GOD's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?"H8085H6963H3068H5860H7998H6213H7451H5869H306820Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey GOD. I did the job GOD set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban.H7586H559H8050H8085H6963H3068H3212H1870H3068H7971H935H90H4428H6002H2763H600221So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to GOD at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?"H5971H3947H7998H6629H1241H7225H2764H2076H3068H430H153722Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.H8050H559H3068H2656H5930H2077H8085H6963H3068H8085H2896H2077H7181H2459H35223Not doing what GOD tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around GOD is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to GOD's command, he says No to your kingship.H4805H2403H7081H6484H205H8655H3988H1697H3068H3988H442824Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over GOD's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do.H7586H559H8050H2398H5674H6310H3068H1697H3372H5971H8085H696325Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship GOD!"H5375H2403H7725H7812H306826But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected GOD's command. Now GOD has rejected you as king over Israel."H8050H559H7586H7725H3988H1697H3068H3068H3988H4428H347827As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off.H8050H5437H3212H2388H3671H4598H716728Samuel said, "GOD has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are.H8050H559H3068H7167H4468H3478H3117H5414H7453H289629Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says."H5331H3478H8266H5162H120H516230Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship GOD."H559H2398H3513H2205H5971H3478H7725H7812H3068H43031Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before GOD and worshiped.H8050H7725H310H7586H7586H7812H306832Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead.H559H8050H5066H90H4428H6002H90H3212H4574H90H559H403H4751H4194H549333Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of GOD right there in Gilgal.H8050H559H2719H802H7921H517H7921H802H8050H8158H90H8158H6440H3068H153734Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah.H8050H3212H7414H7586H5927H1004H1390H758635Samuel never laid eyes on Saul again in this life, although he grieved long and deeply over him. But GOD was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place.H8050H3254H7200H7586H3117H4194H3588H8050H56H7586H3068H5162H7586H4427H3478