(1 Samuel 15)
Agag was attacked by King Saul. Saul’s army slaughtered everyone and everything except Agag and the best of the livestock.Agag was an Amalekite. Though relatives to Israel, through the line of Esau, they did evil to Israel during the exodus from Egypt (Numbers 24:20). Here God ordered Saul to wipe them from the face of the earth. But Saul did not complete the task assigned, and even beyond this date, they continued to plague Israel.Samuel confronted Saul about his disobedience. Saul saw no reason for God or Samuel to be upset. He had killed all but Agag, and it was the men who saved all the best livestock for sacrifices before the Lord.Samuel had heard enough. He told Saul to “Stop!” He then proceeded to tell him that ‘sacrifices to the Lord’ are nothing to God without obedience. Saul repented, confessing that he had given in to the people. Despite Samuel’s initial refusal to return with Saul to worship God at Gilgal together, they did so. There Samuel asked that Agag to be brought to him.It was not to be a good day for Agag. He obviously didn’t know that Samuel cared fully for the will of God, but naught for the pride of Saul. Agag was Saul’s war trophy. Something to parade around as a symbol of his might. Proof that he was God’s man. Agag concluded that the sparing of his life to that hour must have been a good sign. He smugly approached Samuel fearing for nothing. Samuel, with the confidence of the lord, summed up Agag’s life and death in these words—and this final action: But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal (1Sam.15:33).
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