1 Samuel Chapter 15

God Rejects Saul as King

A. Battle Against the Amalekites

1. 1 Samuel 15:1–3, A Clear and Radical Command to Destroy Amalek

1 Samuel 15:1-3, King James Version

“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. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 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.”

a. Samuel also said to Saul

Samuel, serving as the spiritual authority of the nation, confronted Saul as the political and military authority of Israel. He reminded Saul that his kingship existed because the Lord desired it, therefore he was obligated to obey the voice of the Lord without hesitation or compromise. The command was not ambiguous, the Lord required Saul to punish Amalek and to execute absolute judgment, to utterly destroy all that they have and to spare none. This was not a suggestion, it was a divine order delivered through the prophet of God. The Hebrew term for utterly destroy, ḥērem, appears repeatedly in this chapter, emphasizing the idea of setting something apart for irreversible destruction. It refers to something devoted to God’s judgment, removed entirely from human use, and placed under divine ban.

b. How he laid wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt

The command to judge Amalek was rooted in history. The Lord remembered the unprovoked treachery of Amalek when Israel first came out of Egypt. In Exodus 17:8-16, Amalek attacked Israel without cause, targeting their weak and weary.

Exodus 17:14-16, King James Version

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah nissi, for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

The Lord had declared centuries earlier that Amalek’s hostility placed them under permanent judgment. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 reinforces this.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19, King James Version

“Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt, how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary, and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven, thou shalt not forget it.”

Amalek targeted the weakest, the elderly, the slow, and the exhausted. Their attack was driven by cruelty and greed, and they showed no fear of God. The Lord hates unjust violence and the exploitation of the vulnerable, and Amalek became the symbol of such wickedness. More than four centuries had passed since that crime, but time does not erase sin before a holy God. Only the blood of Christ removes sin. The long delay was not neglect, it was prolonged mercy, yet Amalek did not repent. Their hardened hearts only increased their guilt.

c. Now go and attack Amalek

God could have judged Amalek directly, as He did Sodom and Gomorrah, yet He chose to use Israel to execute His justice. This would be both a righteous judgment against Amalek and a test of Saul’s obedience. Because the Amalekite sin was a violent military attack, the judgment would come through a military response. Israel was God’s appointed instrument in the Old Covenant era, serving His purposes among the nations.

This is not the calling of God’s people today. Under the New Covenant, Christ declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” in John 18:36, meaning believers are never called to execute physical judgments on nations. However, this does not mean God has ceased judging nations. Throughout history He has raised and removed kingdoms according to His sovereign will. Empires such as Nineveh, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Spain, France, and Great Britain have all risen and fallen under His oversight. Nations still stand before the bar of Christ, and when God declares the word depart, no nation can withstand His judgment.

2. Saul Prepares for the Attack on the Amalekites

1 Samuel 15:4-6, King James Version

“And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.”

a. So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them

Saul demonstrated considerable military skill in assembling a vast army of two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. He strategically chose Telaim as his staging point and laid wait in the valley, showing tactical awareness and discipline in his approach to battle. Yet success in organization and strategy could not compensate for the deeper issue of obedience. The true measure of Israel’s king was not his military competence, but his willingness to obey the clear word of the Lord.

b. Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart

In this moment Saul acted with both prudence and mercy. The Kenites, descendants of Moses’ Midianite in-laws (Judges 1:16), had historically shown kindness to Israel during the Exodus. God’s judgment was not upon them, and Saul recognized that righteousness demanded their protection. His warning for them to separate from Amalek prevented innocent blood from being shed. This reveals that Saul understood at least part of God’s justice: that divine wrath was precise, not indiscriminate. Nevertheless, understanding divine justice is different from obeying it completely.

3. Saul Attacks the Amalekites

1 Samuel 15:7-9, King James Version

“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them, but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

a. Saul attacked the Amalekites

At first glance, Saul’s campaign appeared successful. He struck Amalek from Havilah to Shur, a vast region stretching toward Egypt, leaving no pocket of resistance. Yet Saul’s obedience was incomplete. God had commanded total destruction, including the king, yet Saul spared Agag. This selective obedience betrayed a divided heart. It is not enough to obey God partially, for selective obedience is disguised rebellion.

Why did Saul spare Agag? The text gives no reason, but tradition and commentators suggest motives of pride and vanity. Josephus observed that Agag’s royal bearing may have stirred pity or admiration. Others note that Saul may have spared him for the prestige of parading a living trophy, displaying his conquest rather than submitting to God’s command. This reflected Saul’s consistent weakness: he sought honor before men more than faithfulness before God.

As Trapp noted, “If Saul spare Agag, the people will take liberty to spare the best of the spoil.” The sins of leaders often reproduce themselves in those who follow them. When authority compromises truth, imitation spreads disobedience throughout the camp.

b. Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep

Saul’s disobedience extended beyond sparing the king. He and the people withheld the best of the animals—the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs—keeping what was valuable and destroying only what was worthless. This directly contradicted the command of 1 Samuel 15:3, in which God had declared that every living thing was to be destroyed. The soldiers likely rationalized their disobedience, imagining that the livestock could be used for sacrifices or material gain.

In ordinary warfare ancient armies took spoil as payment, but this was no ordinary campaign. This was a holy war, a divine judgment. The spoil was devoted to God’s destruction, not man’s enrichment. To profit from it was as vile as an executioner robbing the corpse of a condemned man. In this act, Saul profaned what God had consecrated to destruction.

c. Everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed

Their obedience was selective and self-serving. They kept what was profitable and discarded what was of no value. In doing so they demonstrated that their standard of judgment was self-interest, not divine command. This revealed the true condition of their hearts. They were not acting as God’s servants but as self-appointed arbiters of His will.

The tragedy lies not merely in disobedience but in presumption. Israel’s rejoicing after the battle showed they misunderstood the heart of God. They celebrated gain from an act of judgment, implying that divine wrath could be a cause of personal joy. Yet the Lord takes no pleasure in judgment, as Ezekiel 33:11 declares: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

Maclaren aptly observed, “Partial obedience is complete disobedience.” Saul’s army destroyed what was worthless, not because of obedience, but to save effort. Likewise, many today obey God only where it suits them. Obedience that stops where convenience ends is not obedience at all.

Meyer’s insight pierces further: “To spare the best of Amalek is to spare the root of evil within.” Agag represents the fleshly self-indulgence that every believer must crucify. When Christians spare their “Agag,” excusing habitual sins or pet indulgences, they repeat Saul’s error. True holiness demands full obedience, even when costly, for delayed or partial obedience is rebellion in disguise.

4. God’s Word to Samuel

1 Samuel 15:10–11, King James Version

“Then came the word of the Lord unto 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 unto the Lord all night.”

a. It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king

This statement reveals the deep sorrow of God over Saul’s rebellion. The phrase “It repenteth me” does not suggest that God made a mistake, for He is omniscient and immutable. Rather, this is an example of anthropopathism, that is, God describing Himself in human emotional terms to help us grasp the reality of His grief. God knew the outcome of Saul’s reign before it began, for He had already declared in 1 Samuel 13:14, “The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart.”

Yet even knowing Saul’s failure, God was not unmoved by it. His omniscience does not render Him emotionless. The Lord is not an impersonal force or detached observer. Saul’s pride and rebellion wounded the heart of God, who had once delighted in Saul’s humility. God had raised him from obscurity to the throne of Israel, but Saul’s defiance brought grief to the One who anointed him.

In this we see the tenderness of divine love. Though God’s purposes never change, His relationship with man involves genuine feeling. His holiness demands judgment, yet His heart mourns over disobedience. This is the same divine sorrow later expressed by Christ when He wept over Jerusalem, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).

b. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night

Samuel’s heart reflected the heart of God. The prophet, who had loved and guided Saul from the beginning, wept through the night in prayer. His grief was not personal bitterness but holy sorrow, mirroring the compassion of his Lord. True servants of God feel anguish over sin, not because of personal offense, but because it dishonors God.

Samuel’s intercession was the cry of a man burdened by the failure of another. It is the mark of spiritual maturity when the sins of others drive us to prayer rather than prideful condemnation. The prophet’s all-night cry shows the weight of divine grief upon his spirit. Like Moses who pleaded for Israel after their idolatry, Samuel sought the mercy of God even as judgment loomed. When our hearts are aligned with God’s heart, what grieves Him will grieve us, and what pleases Him will please us.

5. Saul Greets Samuel

1 Samuel 15:12–13, King James Version

“And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

a. Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul

Samuel, though deeply wounded in spirit, rose early to fulfill his duty as God’s prophet. His obedience contrasts sharply with Saul’s disobedience. The one who once anointed Saul must now confront him as the rejected king. It is a sobering moment when a spiritual leader must bring correction to one who has fallen. Samuel’s readiness to meet Saul demonstrates the faithfulness of a true servant, one who will not shy away from hard obedience.

b. He set up a monument for himself

Here Saul’s pride stands exposed. After disobeying God’s command, he erected a monument to his own glory. Once the humble man who hid among the baggage in 1 Samuel 10:22, Saul is now swollen with self-importance. Success and position have corrupted him. The man who began his reign in humility now crowns his disobedience with vanity.

Instead of repentance, Saul celebrated himself. The phrase “he set him up a place” refers to a monument or pillar commemorating his victory. It shows no trace of shame or grief for his sin. Pride blinds the heart to guilt. Saul could violate God’s explicit command and still congratulate himself on a job well done.

The prophet Jeremiah later described this spirit: “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush” (Jeremiah 6:15). This same hardness of heart characterized Saul. Sin had dulled his conscience and deadened his sensitivity to God.

c. Saul’s transformation from humility to arrogance

This moment shows how far Saul had fallen. Once, when chosen by God, he declared himself of the least of the tribes of Israel (1 Samuel 9:21). Now, elevated by power and flattered by victory, his humility had turned to pride. The seed of arrogance that once hid quietly in his heart now bore its full fruit.

As Poole observed, “He was zealous for his own honour and interest, but lukewarm where God only was concerned.” Pride had become Saul’s true religion. He sought his own glory under the pretense of zeal for the Lord. This is the great danger of self-deception: that one may use the language of faith while serving self.

d. Saul said, Blessed be thou of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord

With astonishing self-confidence, Saul greeted the prophet with the pious language of religion. His words, “Blessed be thou of the Lord,” sound devout, but his heart was far from God. Pride had so distorted his discernment that he could look a prophet in the eye and claim obedience in the very act of rebellion.

Pride is the mother of self-deception. The more a man exalts himself, the less he can see truth. Saul likely convinced himself that partial obedience was sufficient, that his intentions justified his actions. But the Lord does not measure obedience by human reasoning. He requires full submission to His word.

Maclaren insightfully wrote, “That is more than true obedience is quick to say. If Saul had done it, he would have been slower to boast of it.” Genuine obedience speaks quietly because it stands justified before God, not men. Saul’s loud declaration betrayed his guilt. The man who must insist he has obeyed God has already betrayed that he has not.

6. Saul “Explains” His Sin to Samuel

1 Samuel 15:14–16, King James Version

“And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And 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. 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.”

a. What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear

The hypocrisy of Saul’s claim is immediately exposed by the undeniable evidence of his disobedience. As he proudly declared, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord”, the cries of living sheep and oxen could be heard all around him. What was supposed to be destroyed was now bleating and bellowing, a living testimony to Saul’s rebellion. The sounds of his sin betrayed him, echoing the truth that sin cannot be concealed from God or from those who walk in His Spirit.

Pride and disobedience blind the eyes and deafen the ears. Saul could not even perceive the contradiction between his claim and the evidence. The same heart that deceived him into partial obedience now numbed his conscience to its consequences. Spiritual blindness is one of the deadliest results of pride. Sin makes a man unable to see what is plain before him, and deaf to the conviction of the Spirit.

The believer must guard against this same hardness by regularly praying the humble prayer of Psalm 139:23–24, which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Only through such continual self-examination can we avoid the delusion that deceived Saul. The heart is deceitful above all things, and the only safeguard is a willingness to let the Spirit of God expose sin for what it truly is.

b. They have brought them... the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen

Here Saul begins his chain of excuses, each one revealing a deeper layer of self-deception. His first response is to shift blame. “They have brought them,” he says, transferring responsibility to the people. This is the oldest strategy of sin, first used in Eden when Adam said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). Like Adam, Saul refuses to take personal responsibility for his rebellion.

Second, Saul includes himself in what obedience was accomplished: “the rest we have utterly destroyed.” He attempts to mingle truth with falsehood, masking his sin in partial honesty. Third, he justifies the disobedience by appealing to good intentions: “to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God.” He claims a spiritual motive for what was clearly rebellion, cloaking sin in religious language. This is the most dangerous form of hypocrisy—using worship as a disguise for disobedience.

In his pride, Saul truly believed that his excuse was reasonable. To him, the plan made sense, but to God and Samuel it was nothing but rebellion dressed in piety. Disobedience with good intentions is still disobedience. The Lord had never asked for sacrifice; He had demanded obedience. As we will soon see in 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel will remind him that “to obey is better than sacrifice.”

Saul’s words also reveal the spiritual distance that had grown between him and God. Notice his phrasing: “to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God.” The Lord was no longer Saul’s God. His pride had placed himself on the throne of his own heart, and now he spoke of God as if He belonged to Samuel alone. This is the language of apostasy. The man who once prophesied by the Spirit now speaks as a stranger to the Lord.

As Blaikie rightly said, “O sinners, you do miscalculate fearfully when you give to God’s servants such false explanations of your sins.” Excuses only dig the pit deeper, for they prove not repentance but rebellion.

c. The rest we have utterly destroyed

Even this claim was false. Saul’s selective destruction left survivors, and the consequences of that incomplete obedience echoed for generations. In 1 Samuel 27:8 and 1 Samuel 30:1, David later encountered Amalekite raiders, proving that Saul had not annihilated them. The evil fruit of his partial obedience continued to trouble Israel long after his reign ended.

In the book of Esther, we read of Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1), a direct descendant of Agag, the very king Saul had spared. Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews in Persia nearly succeeded, showing that what Saul failed to destroy became a future instrument of Satan’s hatred against God’s people. The Amalekite spirit of rebellion, left alive by Saul, returned to attack Israel’s descendants.

Most ironic of all, when Saul himself was mortally wounded on Mount Gilboa, an Amalekite claimed to have delivered the final thrust of the sword (2 Samuel 1:8–10). The sin Saul spared became the agent of his death. This is a sobering truth for every believer: what we fail to crucify will one day come back to destroy us. Incomplete obedience always bears deadly fruit.

d. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay (Be quiet)

At this point, Samuel can endure no more of Saul’s excuses. The prophet interrupts with authority, commanding Saul to be silent. The Hebrew verb carries the sense of stopping speech abruptly, implying divine impatience with hollow words. Saul’s self-justifying rhetoric had filled the air long enough; now God would speak through His prophet.

Saul’s pride, however, still shows in his response. “Say on,” he replies, as though giving the prophet permission to speak. His arrogance is breathtaking. The man who disobeyed the Lord’s command now presumes to grant audience to His messenger. But Samuel did not need Saul’s permission. He was the mouthpiece of God, and he would deliver the message whether Saul willed it or not.

Pride always resists correction, and the proud man will talk over the conviction of the Spirit to justify himself. There comes a time when the Lord will say, “Be silent,” and the sinner must face the truth of his rebellion. The Lord will not endlessly entertain excuses. The silence of Saul before Samuel stands as a warning to all who imagine that religious words can conceal disobedience. God’s messengers must sometimes interrupt the noise of self-defense with the solemn command to “Be quiet,” that the Word of the Lord may be heard.

B. Saul Is Rejected as King

1. The Charge Against Saul and His Feeble Defense

1 Samuel 15:17–21, King James Version

“And Samuel said, 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? 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. 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? 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. 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.”

a. Now the Lord sent thee on a journey... Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord

Samuel’s rebuke pierces to the heart of Saul’s sin. The command of God had been unmistakably clear: to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all that belonged to them. Saul’s failure was not a misunderstanding or mistake; it was deliberate disobedience. Yet Samuel’s question uncovers something deeper than the act itself—the corruption of Saul’s heart.

He begins by recalling Saul’s humble beginnings. “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel?” In those early days Saul recognized his unworthiness and dependence upon the Lord. That humility had once been his strength. Pride, however, had now taken root. Saul’s heart had grown too large for obedience, for when a man grows big in his own eyes, God necessarily becomes small. The throne of self will always leave no room for the sovereignty of God.

Pride is often the hidden root of rebellion. Outward disobedience is merely the fruit. Saul’s pride made him trust his own reasoning over God’s clear word. When Samuel reminded him of the divine commission—“Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites”—it emphasized that this was not a common war but a holy judgment against a people whose wickedness had long provoked God’s wrath. By disobeying this command, Saul placed his own opinion above God’s justice. He thought he knew better than the Lord. Pride always tempts the human heart to reinterpret obedience according to convenience.

Samuel charges him directly: “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?” The prophet uses strong language, exposing Saul’s action for what it was—evil. To fly upon the spoil means to rush greedily upon the plunder, revealing that covetousness and greed mingled with pride in this act of rebellion. This was not a mere lapse of judgment, but a willful perversion of divine command.

b. But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord

Saul’s reply exposes the frightening depth of self-deception. He insists, “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord.” The pride that blinded his eyes has now hardened his conscience. This is the tragedy of spiritual delusion: when a man’s sin is so deep that he can no longer discern his own disobedience. Saul had convinced himself that his partial obedience was complete obedience. Yet his own words immediately betray him, for he adds, “and have brought Agag the king of Amalek.”

In that single phrase Saul condemns himself. God had commanded total destruction, yet Saul boasts of sparing the enemy’s king. His mouth gives witness against him. This is how pride operates—it always distorts truth and invents its own righteousness. It redefines sin to preserve the illusion of innocence.

His next statement, “I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites,” was an outright falsehood. Agag stood alive before him, and remnants of the Amalekites continued to exist long after. Saul’s claim proves that he no longer measures truth by God’s standard but by his own. He is living in spiritual denial, defending himself rather than confessing his sin.

This is the danger of pride in spiritual leadership. When position becomes more important than obedience, when appearances matter more than truth, a man can no longer hear the voice of conviction. Saul’s words demonstrate that pride not only leads to disobedience but also to self-delusion.

c. But the people took of the plunder

Having failed to justify himself, Saul turns to the oldest refuge of the guilty: blame. He shifts responsibility to “the people.” This statement, though containing an element of truth, was in reality a full falsehood. Yes, the people took of the plunder, but they did so under Saul’s leadership and example. The king who spared Agag gave silent approval for the people to spare the best of the livestock. If Saul had truly desired obedience, his command would have been law.

In 1 Samuel 14, Saul had no hesitation in enforcing his own rash oath. He placed his soldiers under threat of death for eating food during battle and even declared that his own son Jonathan should die for violating that command. Saul could be zealous when his pride was on the line, but he showed no zeal when the honor of God was at stake.

His words also reveal another subtle form of hypocrisy. He claims that the people took the spoil “to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.” Again, Saul uses the phrase “thy God,” not “my God.” This distance between Saul and the Lord shows the tragic spiritual decay of his heart. The man anointed to represent God before the nation now speaks as an outsider to the covenant.

Furthermore, his defense is self-contradictory. If the people’s motive was to sacrifice, then why had they taken the spoil to Gilgal rather than destroying it on the spot as commanded? The excuse is hollow. They did not save the animals for sacrifice; they kept them for personal gain. Saul’s reasoning is the same rationalization many use today: attempting to sanctify disobedience by dressing it in religious language. But the Lord rejects any worship that springs from rebellion. As Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

2. Samuel Prophesies God’s Judgment Against King Saul

1 Samuel 15:22–23, King James Version

“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. 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.”

a. 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

This verse stands among the great theological statements of the Old Testament. Samuel declared that God values obedience above every ritual act of worship. The Lord is not moved by outward ceremony when the heart remains in rebellion. The sacrifices of animals were only meaningful when offered by a submissive heart. Saul believed that sacrifice could cover for disobedience, but God rejected such hypocrisy. True worship begins with obedience, and true devotion manifests in surrender.

This same truth is echoed in Psalm 51:16–17, where David said, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it, thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” God’s delight is not in ritual but in repentance. Likewise, Romans 12:1 teaches, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Obedience is the living sacrifice that pleases God.

A man may offer a thousand burnt offerings, work tirelessly in religious service, or give great sums to the Lord’s work, but without obedience those acts are worthless. The Lord does not delight in what is given apart from a surrendered will. Martin Luther once said, “I had rather be obedient than able to work miracles.” In sacrifice we offer the flesh of another; in obedience we offer our own will. The former costs us little; the latter costs us everything. Obedience is the truest test of love for God, as Christ Himself said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

b. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry

This statement equates Saul’s attitude of rebellion and stubbornness with the most detestable sins in Israel’s law. To rebel against the word of the Lord is to set oneself against His authority, and to resist His command is to enthrone the self in His place. Rebellion therefore carries the same spiritual root as witchcraft and idolatry—it replaces God’s rule with another power. The rebellious person becomes his own god, submitting to self-will rather than divine will.

Saul’s failure was not ceremonial, but spiritual. He thought religion could replace relationship, that outward performance could substitute for inward obedience. He may have imagined that extra sacrifices would make up for his sin, but God desired surrender, not ritual. Saul’s stubbornness was idolatry because it exalted his own reasoning over God’s revelation. As Keil and Delitzsch noted, “All conscious disobedience is actually idolatry, because it makes self-will, the human I, into a god.”

Saul could easily have condemned the Amalekites or Philistines for their idolatry, yet his rebellion placed him in the same category. He no longer worshiped the true God in spirit and in truth, because true worship begins with surrender. In outward appearance Saul remained religious, but in his heart he was already apostate.

This verse also demonstrates that all sin, at its core, is spiritual treason. Witchcraft seeks power outside of God, idolatry seeks devotion outside of God, and rebellion rejects God’s authority altogether. To rebel against God’s Word, therefore, is to engage in the same kind of spiritual darkness that animates idolatry. For this reason, the Lord viewed Saul’s actions not as minor disobedience, but as a grievous spiritual offense.

c. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king

The verdict is now pronounced. Saul’s rebellion was not an isolated act but a settled pattern revealing his heart. By rejecting God’s word, Saul had effectively rejected God Himself, for one cannot separate the Lord from His revealed will. Therefore, the Lord justly rejected Saul from his role as king. The measure of leadership in God’s eyes is obedience. A man may have charisma, power, and authority, but if he will not submit to God’s Word, he forfeits divine favor.

It may seem harsh that Saul lost his kingship over what appears to be a small act—sparing a king and some livestock—when later kings of Israel committed far worse crimes. But God saw what was beneath the surface. Saul’s sin was like an iceberg: the visible portion was small, but the unseen mass of pride and rebellion ran deep. God judged him not merely for what he did, but for what he had become.

This judgment was final but not immediate. Though rejected as king, Saul would remain on the throne nearly twenty-five years. The Lord used that time to prepare a man after His own heart—David—to take Saul’s place. Saul’s authority would linger, but the anointing had departed. From that point forward, Saul ruled by the power of his position, not by the presence of God. His rejection was therefore both a punishment and a process, serving God’s purpose of raising up the next king according to His heart.

3. Saul’s Weak Effort Toward Repentance

1 Samuel 15:24–25, King James Version

“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. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.”

a. I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words

Saul’s confession begins with words that sound humble and contrite, yet his next phrase reveals that the repentance is shallow. He says, “because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” This is no true confession but a veiled excuse. Instead of taking personal responsibility, Saul shifts the blame once more. His words resemble Pharaoh’s false repentance in Exodus 9:27, who also said, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” Yet Pharaoh’s heart never changed, and neither did Saul’s.

Saul’s words were forced by exposure, not driven by conviction. As Trapp observes, “When he could deny it no longer, at length he maketh a forced and feigned confession, drawn thereto more by the danger and damage of his sin than by the offence.” His sorrow was the sorrow of consequence, not of contrition. The difference between Saul and David lies here. When David sinned, he said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). David’s repentance was directed to God; Saul’s was directed toward Samuel. He feared man’s opinion more than God’s wrath.

Clarke comments rightly, “Had he feared God more, he need have feared the people less.” True repentance begins when a man stops fearing men and begins to fear the Lord. Saul’s words show that he feared losing the respect of his soldiers more than losing the presence of God. Such repentance cannot save, for it flows from self-preservation, not brokenness.

b. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord

Saul’s request shows how superficial his understanding of sin had become. He believed that a word from Samuel could undo the consequences of rebellion, that the prophet could simply “pardon” him and restore appearances. But sin cannot be cleansed by ceremony or words; it requires a transformed heart. Saul wanted reconciliation without repentance, forgiveness without forsaking his pride.

This request also exposes Saul’s true concern. He desired Samuel’s presence not for spiritual restoration but for public approval. To “worship the Lord” with Samuel was a display before the people, a way of preserving his image as king. What he wanted was not fellowship with God but validation before men.

God, however, had seen the settled condition of Saul’s heart. It was hard and unyielding. No outward show of repentance could deceive the Lord, who searches the hearts and tests the reins. A simple “pardon my sin” was meaningless when the will remained rebellious. The Lord told Samuel earlier in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Saul’s heart had long since turned away from obedience, and his repentance was nothing more than a desperate attempt to retain the favor he had lost.

4. God’s Rejection of Saul as King over Israel Is Final

1 Samuel 15:26–31, King James Version

“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 Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto 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. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man, that he should repent. Then he said, I have sinned, yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the Lord.”

a. 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 Israel

Samuel firmly repeated the divine verdict. Saul’s rejection was complete because he had rejected the Word of the Lord. The prophet would no longer accompany him or share in his public worship, for to do so would suggest divine approval where none existed. This was not a matter open for negotiation or further pleading. The matter was settled in heaven, and Samuel would not soften the divine decree.

Samuel’s refusal to return also exposed Saul’s hypocrisy. The king’s invitation to “worship” was not born of humility but of appearance. Had Samuel gone with him, the people would have assumed reconciliation had occurred and that the king still stood in divine favor. But God had withdrawn His approval. Samuel refused to endorse an empty ceremony built upon rebellion. Moreover, if Samuel had gone to sacrifice with Saul, he would have been complicit in using the very animals Saul was commanded to destroy. Worship built on disobedience is not worship at all. The prophet would not bless that which God had cursed.

b. Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day

The physical tearing of Samuel’s robe became a divinely orchestrated symbol of Saul’s loss. As Saul grasped the prophet’s robe in desperation, it tore, revealing the futility of his efforts to hold onto power. Samuel seized the moment to declare that the Lord had likewise torn the kingdom from Saul’s hand and given it to another who was “better” than he—a man after God’s own heart, later revealed to be David.

The torn garment in Saul’s hand mirrored his own spiritual condition: a kingdom grasped too tightly, a reign built upon pride rather than obedience. As useless as the fragment of cloth was in his hand, so Saul’s kingship was now empty and powerless. From that moment forward, he ruled not with God’s favor but against it.

The symbolism is profound when contrasted with Christ, the true King. As Philippians 2:6–7 teaches, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Jesus willingly let go of His glory to fulfill the Father’s will, and therefore God exalted Him. Saul clung to what he could not keep, and thus lost all. Pride grasps and loses, but humility yields and gains.

c. The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent

Samuel declared that God’s rejection of Saul was irreversible. The Lord is not a man who changes His mind or retracts His judgments in weakness. This statement does not contradict earlier verses where God is said to “repent,” such as 1 Samuel 15:11, because in those instances God expresses sorrow in human terms over man’s sin, not indecision in His purpose. Here Samuel emphasized that God’s decree was immutable. The title “The Strength of Israel” appears nowhere else in Scripture and underscores the unshakable sovereignty of God.

At this point, Saul may have still imagined a way to “fix” his situation. But Samuel made clear that this was final. No sacrifice, no act of service, no plea could reverse the judgment. God’s rejection of Saul as king was a settled matter. The Lord, who had once strengthened Saul for victory, was now the Strength of Israel in judgment against him. The title also reminded Saul that he was not Israel’s strength—the Lord was. Israel’s success did not depend on the king’s might but on the God who fights for His people.

d. I have sinned, yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel

Saul’s plea reveals the full depth of his hypocrisy. His concern was not for forgiveness before God but for honor before men. Even now, after repeated rebukes, his priority was maintaining appearances. He did not seek reconciliation with God, only public respectability. He feared humiliation more than divine wrath.

Poole rightly observed, “Here he plainly discovers his hypocrisy, and the true motive of this and his former confession; he was not solicitous for the favour of God, but for his honour and power with Israel.” Saul wanted Samuel to stand beside him so that the people would think all was well. Pride will accept shame before God if it can still preserve reputation before men.

True repentance would have said, “I have sinned, and I accept whatever the Lord has decreed.” Instead, Saul said, “I have sinned, yet honour me now.” His words show that his heart was still unbroken. As long as image mattered more than obedience, Saul could never find grace. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

e. So Samuel turned again after Saul

Though the prophet had declared the rejection final, he turned back after Saul for a practical reason. Samuel was not approving Saul’s kingship but preserving national order. God had not yet raised up David publicly, and Israel needed stability until that time. Open rebellion or anarchy would have been worse than Saul’s rule. Therefore, Samuel yielded for the sake of the people, accompanying Saul to the place of worship without reversing God’s decree. The prophet acted as a statesman under divine restraint, knowing that the Lord’s timing would unfold perfectly.

f. So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the Lord

Saul’s act of worship did not restore the kingdom. The judgment was irrevocable. Yet Samuel allowed him to worship, not because it changed the decree, but because it gave Saul one final opportunity to draw near to God in sincerity. Though his crown was lost, his soul could still be saved. This moment stood as God’s mercy extended even to a fallen king. Whether Saul used it or not is another matter, but Samuel permitted it in the hope that Saul’s heart might yet soften before the Lord.

5. Samuel Carries Out God’s Will

1 Samuel 15:32–33, King James Version

“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. 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.”

a. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites

The confrontation with Saul may have ended, but Samuel still had unfinished business. God’s command to utterly destroy Amalek remained unfulfilled. Saul’s failure did not nullify God’s decree. Therefore, Samuel stepped forward to complete the divine judgment personally. The prophet who once anointed kings now wielded the sword of justice, not for personal vengeance but for holy obedience.

b. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past

Agag approached Samuel with false confidence, thinking the danger was over. The text says he came “delicately,” meaning with cautious cheer or deceptive ease. He believed that the old prophet would not dare execute him. The Living Bible captures the sense: “Agag arrived all full of smiles, for he thought, ‘Surely the worst is over and I have been spared.’”

Poole writes, “I who have escaped death from the hands of a warlike prince in the fury of battle, shall certainly never suffer death from an old prophet in time of peace.” Yet Agag’s assumption was fatally mistaken. God’s justice cannot be bribed by charm nor delayed by time. The moment of reckoning had come, and Samuel stood as the executioner of divine justice.

c. As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women

Samuel’s words reveal that Agag was not an innocent bystander. He had been a brutal leader whose sword had caused countless women to mourn their sons and husbands. The Amalekites were a violent, predatory people who preyed upon Israel’s weak and helpless. God’s judgment against them was therefore righteous and deserved. Samuel’s declaration made clear that divine justice would meet Agag measure for measure. What he had done to others would now return upon him.

This statement also reaffirms a central biblical principle: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). The law of sowing and reaping applied even to kings. Agag’s cruelty came full circle, showing that God’s judgments are always just.

d. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal

This act was both shocking and solemn. Samuel, the old prophet and priest, took the sword and carried out the execution himself. The phrase “before the Lord” emphasizes that this was not an act of revenge or spectacle but an act of obedience. The slaughter was done in the presence of God, not before Saul or the people.

Samuel had offered countless animal sacrifices, and he knew the weight of the blade and the sound of the altar. Yet this moment was different: it was human judgment under divine command. The scene would have been horrifying to watch, yet it was holy in purpose. Through it, Samuel vindicated God’s righteousness and completed what Saul’s pride left undone.

Poole wisely warns, “But these are no precedents for private persons to take the sword of justice into their hands, for we must live by the laws of God, and not by extraordinary examples.” This was a unique act of prophetic justice under divine commission. It reminds us that obedience to God sometimes demands difficult, even dreadful, acts when carried out under His clear authority.

By executing Agag, Samuel affirmed that God’s justice cannot be avoided and His Word cannot be ignored. What Saul would not finish in rebellion, Samuel completed in obedience. The prophet’s blade closed the chapter on Amalek, demonstrating that God always fulfills His Word—whether through mercy or through judgment.

6. The Tragic Split Between Samuel and Saul

1 Samuel 15:34–35, King James Version

“Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 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 Israel.”

a. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death

The chapter closes on a solemn note. The separation between the prophet and the king was final, marking not only the end of a political relationship but the severing of spiritual fellowship. Samuel withdrew to Ramah, his home and place of ministry, while Saul returned to Gibeah, isolated from both God and His prophet. Though these two towns were less than ten miles apart, the distance between them symbolized an immeasurable spiritual gulf. The breach was not physical but moral and spiritual. Saul had rejected the Word of the Lord, and the prophet of God could not maintain fellowship with rebellion.

Samuel’s absence was not rooted in bitterness or pride but in obedience to divine direction. It was Saul’s place to seek reconciliation, not Samuel’s to pursue him. True repentance would have driven Saul to humble himself and seek out the prophet he had wronged. That step could not have reversed God’s rejection of his kingship, but it might have restored his heart before the Lord. Yet Saul never made that journey.

Clarke observes, “But we read, chap. 19:22–24, that Saul went to see Samuel at Naioth, but this does not affect what is said here. From this time Samuel had no connection with Saul; he never more acknowledged him as king; he mourned and prayed for him.” Indeed, the later encounter in Naioth was not reconciliation but confrontation. Saul came to seize David, not to repent before God. Thus, until his death, the prophet who had once anointed him would never again recognize him as the Lord’s chosen ruler. The mantle of spiritual authority had passed to another, and the presence of God had departed from Saul.

This separation also foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth. When a man persistently resists God’s Word, he eventually isolates himself from divine counsel. The voice of truth grows silent, not because God ceases to speak, but because the hardened heart can no longer hear. Saul’s tragedy warns every believer that pride and disobedience can estrange us from the very voices God sends to guide and correct us.

b. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul

Though Samuel could not visit Saul, he did not cease to grieve for him. The prophet’s heart was heavy with sorrow for the man he had once anointed and mentored. Samuel was no cold or detached messenger of judgment. His obedience to deliver God’s Word never hardened him to compassion. He mourned deeply, not merely for the loss of a king, but for the ruin of a soul. Trapp insightfully wrote that Samuel mourned “for the hardness of his heart, and the hazard of his soul.” The prophet’s tears flowed not for political collapse but for spiritual death.

Samuel’s grief also reflected the heart of God Himself. Though the Lord had judged Saul, Scripture again states, “The Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.” This does not mean God regretted His omniscient plan, but that His heart was moved with sorrow over what Saul had become. The Lord’s holiness demanded judgment, yet His compassion felt the pain of it. This anthropopathic expression conveys that divine justice never acts without divine grief.

The relationship between Samuel and Saul serves as a sobering picture of the cost of disobedience. The prophet’s mourning parallels the weeping of Christ over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41–42, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Both Samuel and Christ wept over rebellion and hardness of heart. Samuel’s mourning was the reflection of God’s own compassion for a man who had destroyed himself through pride.

In the end, Saul’s reign closed in isolation, torment, and spiritual decay. His story reminds every believer that outward success and religious form cannot sustain what only obedience and humility can preserve. The true tragedy of Saul’s life was not that he lost his crown, but that he lost communion with God.