March 30 Daily Devotional

1 Samuel 15

King Saul made a splendid beginning. He began as a humble servant of the Lord, but he continued and ended as one who desired to carry out his own will rather than the will and command of the Lord. Saul disobeyed and his kingdom had a tragic end.

Samuel said to Saul, “Hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord … I remembered that which Amalek did to Israel … when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not.” Saul gathered a large army and skillfully led Israel against Amalek. The report says, “Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until … Shur, that is over against Egypt … But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fatlings … and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” And it grieved Samuel and he cried to the Lord all night. Early in the morning he arose to meet Saul. When they met, Saul said, “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” Samuel replied, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen?”

Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Samuel went on, saying, “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? … Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst … evil in the sight of the Lord? …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 … Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Saul became alarmed and said, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words; be­cause I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” And as Samuel turned about to go away, Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.” Saul said again, “I have sinned.” Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.