1-9 Saul Spares King Agag (His 2nd major error in judgment)
- God through Samuel tells Saul to attack Amalek and to destroy every living being.
- Saul takes 200,000 foot soldiers plus 10,000 from Judah.
- He warns the Kenites to withdraw from Amalek in order to save their lives, and they do.
- He destroys Amalek, but spares Agag, the best of the livestock and other valuables
- God to Samuel: I regret I made Saul king, because he is disobedient.
- Samuel, angry, cries out to God all night, then rises early the next morning to meet Saul.
- Saul seems to think (or pretends) he has obeyed, accuses the people of sparing the best of the livestock. Yes -- I utterly destroyed them -- sparing only Agag, and taking spoil in order to sacrifice it to God.
- Samuel's famous reply, "...to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." And "...rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry." What a sobering principle this is -- and one I think extends beyond the Old Testament, because it indicates a characteristic of God. When we stubbornly hang on to our sinful practices, God counts it the same as if we worshiped idols.
- Then "because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." Before, when Saul illegally offered the sacrifices, Samuel told him only that his kingdom would not continue, meaning, I think, that his sons would not be kings. This time it is more serious, for Samuel also rejects Saul, removing his (and therefore God's) presence.
- Saul confesses his sin, asks for forgiveness, and begs Samuel to return with him to Gilgal to worship.
- Samuel eventually agrees to do that, but tells Saul God will not change his mind about the rejection.
- Samuel asks for Agag to be brought to him, and he kills him in a gruesome way.
- Samuel returns to Ramah and never sees Saul again, grieving over him.
1-13 David Anointed as King
- God tells Samuel to stop grieving for Saul, but to go to Jesse in Bethlehem, for God has chosen a king.
- In order to keep the purpose of his visit private, he tells the Bethlehemites he has come to offer sacrifices and invites Jesse and his sons to come. God has told him to give them this impression because Samuel was afraid Saul would find out about his visit. Is this a kind of God-approved deception? Another one of those incidents of lying that seems to be excused in Old Testament stories?
- Each son passes before Samuel. When Samuel likes how the oldest son looks, God tells Samuel not to "look on his appearance or on the height of his stature...for the LORD ...looks on the heart."
- All the older sons that are there are rejected; David is away, watching the sheep.
- Samuel calls for David and anoints him in the presence of his brothers, and "the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward."
- At the same time, the spirit departs from Saul, and an evil spirit torments him.
- Servants suggest a musician might calm him down, and one of them suggests David.
- Jesse sends David with bread, wine, and a kid, and David begins serving Saul.
- "Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer."
- David's playing relieves Saul; when he plays the evil spirit leaves Saul.
1-23 Descendants of Judah (through Perez)
- Perez (2:4) - Hezron (2:5) - Carmi (AKA Caleb - 2:18) - Hur (2:19) - Shobal (2:50)
- Notes along the way:
- Ephrathah was the father of Bethlehem. See Micah 5:2 -- a Messianic prophecy. "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, {Too} little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."
- Jabez named so because his mother "bore him in pain." And here is the obscure yet famous "Prayer of Jabez": "O that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from hurt and harm." And "God granted what he asked." Simple as that. A formula prayer that will work magical powers and put God at your disposal. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic, and maybe unjustly so, because I never actually read the bestselling book.)
- Notes along the way. I'm not clear whose sons these were; it would take too much time to unravel it to where I understand where everyone comes from.
- Shimei had 16 sons and 6 daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, nor did their family multiply like the Judeans.
- The Simeonites controlled certain towns until David become king.
- Some moved to a rich pasture land: "The former inhabitants there belonged to Ham."
- Some destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites for their land.
1-10 Further Warning
- This will be Paul's 3rd visit to Corinth.
- He will not be lenient when he gets there in confronting those who are sinning -- a proof that he speaks for Christ, for Christ would not show any weakness in that regard, either.
- For though Christ was crucified in weakness, he lives by God's power.
- Examine yourselves -- we want you to pass that examination, whether we do or not.
- We pray for your perfection.
- I don't want to have to be severe when I see you again, so I may use the authority given me not for tearing down but for building up.
- Finally
- put things in order
- listen to my appeal
- agree with one another
- live in peace
- greet one another with a holy kiss
- May these be with you:
- the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
- the love of God
- the communion of the Holy Spirit
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