Saul’s errors were not yet beyond remedy. The Lord would give him another opportunity to learn the lesson of unquestioning faith in His word and obedience to His commands.1TC 432.2

When Samuel had reproved him at Gilgal, Saul felt he had been treated unjustly and made excuses for his mistake. Samuel loved Saul as his own son, but Saul resented Samuel’s rebuke and from then on avoided him as far as possible.1TC 432.3

But the Lord sent His servant with another message to Saul: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” Through Moses The Lord had pronounced sentence on the Amalekites. The history of their cruelty toward Israel had been recorded with the command, “You will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.” (Deuteronomy 25:19).1TC 432.4

For four hundred years God had postponed execution of this sentence, but the Amalekites had not turned from their sins. Now the time had come for the sentence, so long delayed, to be carried out.1TC 433.1

Punishment is a strange act for our merciful God. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.’” The Lord is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty.” (Ezekiel 33:11; Exodus 34:6, 7). He does not delight in vengeance, but He will execute judgment on those who transgress His law. He is forced to do this to preserve earth’s population from complete wickedness and ruin. In order to save some, He must cut off those who have become hardened in sin.1TC 433.2

But while giving judgment, God remembered mercy. The Amalekites were to be destroyed, but the Kenites, who lived among them, were spared. These people were not completely free from idolatry, but they were worshipers of God and friendly to Israel.1TC 433.3

King Saul Gets Another Chance

On receiving the orders against the Amalekites, Saul at once declared war. At the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his banner. The Israelites were not to receive either the honor of the conquest or the spoils of their enemies—they were to engage in the war only as an act of obedience to God. God intended that all nations should see the doom of these people who had defied His rulership.1TC 433.4

“Saul attacked the Amalekites. ... He also took Agag the king. ... But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”1TC 433.5

This victory rekindled the pride that was Saul’s greatest danger. Eager to heighten the honor of his triumphal return, Saul dared to imitate the customs of the nations around him, and spared Agag. The people reserved for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden, excusing their sin on the ground that the cattle were to be offered as sacrifice to the Lord. They intended, however, to sacrifice these in place of their own cattle.1TC 434.1

Saul’s arrogance in ignoring the will of God proved that he could not be trusted with royal power as the Lord’s special representative. While Saul and his army were marching home enjoying the thrill of victory, there was anguish in the home of Samuel. He had received a message from the Lord: “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” The prophet wept and prayed all night that the terrible sentence might be changed.1TC 434.2

God’s regret is not like human regret. Human regret implies a change of mind. God’s regret implies a change of circumstances and relationships. People may change their relationship to God by complying with the conditions of coming into the divine favor, or they may, by their own actions, place themselves outside of the favoring condition. Saul’s disobedience changed his relationship with God, but the conditions of acceptance with God had not changed. With Him there “is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17).1TC 434.3

With an aching heart the prophet set out the next morning to meet the disobedient king. Samuel cherished a hope that Saul might repent and be restored to the divine favor. But Saul, corrupted by his disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie on his lips: “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”1TC 434.4

When the prophet asked the pointed question, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” Saul answered, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” In order to shield himself, he was willing to blame the people for his sin of disobedience.1TC 434.5

The message of Saul’s rejection had to be delivered in the hearing of Israel’s army when they were filled with pride over a victory accredited to the heroics and generalship of their king, for Saul had not associated God with the success of Israel in this conflict. When the prophet saw the evidence of Saul’s rebellion, he was stirred with indignation that he had led Israel into sin. With mingled grief and anger he declared, “I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night. ... When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?” He repeated the Lord’s command to destroy Amalek and demanded the reason for the king’s disobedience.1TC 435.1

Saul Proves His Rebellion

Saul persisted in self-justification: “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”1TC 435.2

In solemn words the prophet swept away the cover of lies and pronounced the irrevocable sentence: “Has 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 heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”1TC 435.3

As the king heard this fearful sentence, he cried out, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” Terrified, Saul acknowledged his guilt, but he still persisted in blaming the people.1TC 435.4

It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty that moved the king of Israel as he begged Samuel, “Please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” If Saul had had true repentance, he would have confessed his sin publicly; but his main concern was to maintain his authority and keep the allegiance of the people. He wanted the honor of Samuel’s presence to strengthen his own influence.1TC 436.1

“I will not return with you,” was the answer of the prophet: “for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to leave, the king, in an agony of fear, took hold of his robe to hold him back, but it tore in his hands. At this, the prophet declared, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.”1TC 436.2

An act of justice, stern and terrible, still needed to be performed. Samuel commanded that the king of the Amalekites be brought before him. Agag, guilty and merciless, came at the prophet’s command, supposing that the danger of death was past. Samuel declared: “‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord.” With this done, Samuel returned to Ramah.1TC 436.3

God Did All Possible to Help Saul

When called to the throne, Saul lacked knowledge and had serious defects of character, but the Lord granted him the Holy Spirit and placed him where he could develop the qualities that a ruler of Israel needed. If he had remained humble, every good quality would have grown stronger, while evil tendencies would have lost their power. This is the work that the Lord will do for all who consecrate themselves to Him. He will reveal to them their defects of character and will give them strength to correct their errors.1TC 436.4

When he was first called to the throne, Saul was humble and did not put trust in himself, but success made him self-confident. The valor and military skill he displayed in delivering Jabesh Gilead roused the enthusiasm of the whole nation. At first he gave the glory to God, but afterward he took honor to himself. He lost sight of his dependence on God, and his heart strayed from the Lord. This prepared the way for his sin of presumption at Gilgal. The same blind self-confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof. If he had been willing to confess his error, this bitter experience would have protected him in the future. If the Lord had separated Himself entirely from Saul at that time, He would not have spoken to him again through His prophet, entrusting him with a definite work to perform, so that he might correct the errors of the past.1TC 436.5

When Saul persisted in stubbornly justifying himself, he rejected the only means God could use to save him from himself. At Gilgal, the religious service he performed in direct opposition to the command of God only placed him beyond the help that God was willing to grant. In the expedition against Amalek, the Lord was not pleased with partial obedience. God has never given us liberty to depart from His requirements.1TC 437.1

Obedience the Fruit of Faith

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” Without patience, faith, and an obedient heart, sacrificial offerings were worthless. When Saul proposed presenting a sacrifice of the things that God commanded to be destroyed, he was showing open hatred for divine authority. The sacrifice would have been an insult to Heaven. Yet many are following a similar course—they offer up to God their formal services of religion while they refuse to believe and obey some requirement of the Lord. The Lord cannot accept them if they persist in willfully violating even one of His commands.1TC 437.2

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Those who set themselves against the government of God have entered into an alliance with the chief traitor. He will cause everything to appear in a false light. Like our first parents, those who are under his bewitching spell see only the great benefits to be received by sinning.1TC 437.3

Many who are led by Satan in this way deceive themselves with the belief that they are serving God. In the days of Christ the Jewish scribes and elders who professed great zeal for the honor of God crucified His Son. The same spirit still exists in the hearts of those who follow their own will in opposition to the will of God.1TC 437.4

Saul’s fatal presumption must be attributed to satanic sorcery. In his disobedience to the divine command he had been as really inspired by Satan as are those who practice sorcery; and when reproved, he added stubbornness to rebellion. He could have given no greater insult to the Spirit of God if he had openly united with idolaters.1TC 438.1

In Saul, God had given Israel a king after their own heart, as Samuel said, “Here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired.” (1 Samuel 12:13). His physical appearance matched their ideas of royal dignity. His personal bravery and ability to lead armies were qualities they regarded as most likely to secure respect from other nations. They did not ask for a king who had true nobility of character, who possessed the love and fear of God. They were not seeking God’s way, but their own. Therefore God gave them such a king as they desired—one whose character was a reflection of their own.1TC 438.2

If Saul had relied on God, God would have been with him, but when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord was forced to set him aside. Then he called to the throne “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—one who would rely on God and be guided by His Spirit; one who, when he sinned, would submit to reproof and correction.1TC 438.3

Saul Makes a Terrible Mistake

David Anointed as King