Read 1 Samuel 15 and 16 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions for today’s chapters are:
1 Sam 15:1 {s} Samuel to Saul: As you are king, heed the words of the LORD
1 Sam 15:2-3 {s} Attack Amalek and utterly destroy it
1 Sam 15:4-9 {p} Saul attacked Amalek, but did not destroy the king or the best of the flocks
1 Sam 15:10-15 {p} Samuel went to Saul, Saul insisted he carried out the commandment of the LORD
1 Sam 15:16 {s} Samuel: Hush, and listen to the words of the LORD
1 Sam 15:17-19 {s} When you were humble, the LORD made you king: why then did you not obey Him
1 Sam 15:20-21 {s} Saul: But I have obeyed the LORD, it is the people who kept the flocks to sacrifice
1 Sam 15:22-23 {s} To obey is better than sacrifice: as you have rejected the LORD, He has rejected you as king
1 Sam 15:24-26 {s} Saul: I have sinned, please go with me Samuel, but Samuel would not
1 Sam 15:27 {s} Saul grabbed his robe so that it tore (to prevent him from leaving)
1 Sam 15:28 {s} Samuel: the LORD has torn the kingdom from you, and given it to your neighbor
1 Sam 15:29-31 {s} Saul entreated, and Samuel relented and went with him
1 Sam 15:32 {s} Samuel called for the king of the Amalekites, the king thought he would be spared
1 Sam 15:33 {s} Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD at Gilgal
1 Sam 15:34-35 {p} Samuel returned to Ramah, he never saw Saul again
1 Sam 16:1-6 {s} The LORD sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king
1 Sam 16:7-12a {p} The LORD refused the first seven of Jesse’s sons; sends for David
1 Sam 16:12b-16 {p} Samuel anoints David + the Spirit of the LORD on David but departed from Saul
1 Sam 16:17-23 {p} Saul asks for David to remain before him and play for him when he was troubled
These two chapters form a chiastic structure:
1a) 1 Sam 15:1 {s} Samuel to Saul: YHVH sent me to anoint you king over Israel + therefore heed His words;
1b) 1 Sam 15:2-13a {s+p} Saul did not destroy Amalek/ YHVH’s regret + Samuel’s grief/ Samuel went to Saul:
1) 1 Sam 15:2-9 {s+p} Utterly destroy Amalek / Saul kept back the king + flocks alive;
2) 1 Sam 15:10-11, YHVH regretted that He had made Saul as king, and it grieved Samuel;
3) 1 Sam 15:12-13a, Saul set up a monument for himself at Carmel / Samuel went to Saul at Gilgal;
1c) 1 Sam 15:13b-21 {p+s+s+s} Saul insists on his innocence, Samuel asks who is king in Israel:
1a) 1 Sam 15:13b, Saul: I have performed the commandment of YHVH;
1b) 1 Sam 15:14-15, Samuel: Why then have you kept all this livestock?/ Saul: to sacrifice;
central axis) 1 Sam 15:16 {s} Samuel: Hush, and hear the word of YHVH;
2b) 1 Sam 15:17-19 {s} Samuel: Are you not king? Why did you swoop down on the spoil to do evil?;
2a) 1 Sam 15:20-21 {s} Saul: But I have obeyed the voice of YHVH, the people kept the best to sacrifice;
central axis) 1 Sam 15:22-23 {s} “So Samuel said: ‘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;’”
2c) 1 Sam 15:24-31 {s+s+s+s} Saul admits his guilt, Samuel confirms the kingdom torn from Saul:
1a) 1 Sam 15:24-25, Saul: I have sinned + pardon me +return with me that I may worship YHVH;
1b) 1 Sam 15:26 {s} Samuel: I will not, for YHVH has rejected you from being king;
central axis) 1 Sam 15:27-28 {s+s} YHVH has torn the kingdom from you + given it to another who is better than you;
2b) 1 Sam 15:29, The Strength of Israel will not relent, in giving the kingdom to another;
2a) 1 Sam 15:30-31 {s} Saul: I have sinned + honor me + return with me that I may worship YHVH;
2b) 1 Sam 15:32-35 {s+s+p} Samuel killed Agag/ no more went to Saul/ Samuel’s mourning + YHVH’s regret:
1) 1 Sam 15:32-33 {s+s} Samuel utterly destroyed Agag the king of Amalek before YHVH in Gilgal;
3) 1 Sam 15:34, Samuel went to Ramah + went no more to see Saul until the day of his death;
2) 1 Sam 15:35 {p} Samuel mourned for Saul, and YHVH regretted that He had made Saul king;
2a) 1 Sam 16:1-16 {s+p+p} The LORD sent Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse king over Israel.
Several things come to light upon consideration of the strong themes and the chiastic structure. After the battle, Saul set up a monument to himself in Carmel. It was common for the kings of the ancient world to set up monuments to themselves after winning great victories. Saul was already starting to walk in the ways of the kings around him. You might say that by this time, he had become great in his own eyes. Saul said to him, when he was little in his own eyes (as we have previously seen), that it was the LORD who had made him king.
In other words, personal weakness is not a hindrance to the Lord when He wants to promote someone. And likewise, personal greatness is not a hindrance to the Lord when He has determined to demote someone.
Because Saul was anointed king by the LORD, it is to the LORD’s word that Saul has an obligation to obey. There are no authorities on earth that are absolute powers, but all have a responsibility to obey the authority which is greater than them, and the greatest authority is the LORD God. Kings and rulers are not free agents, but they have an obligation to obey the LORD’s word.
Saul however, obeyed the people’s word in the matter of keeping back the best of the flocks of Amalek. He finally admitted to Samuel, that he did this because he feared the people (and we can add, rather than feared the LORD). Samuel’s response to this was, Are you not king?
In other words, who is in authority over who? Israel was in an authority crisis all through Samuel’s generation. We first see it with Eli, who was father and high priest, but did not restrain his sons to obey the LORD. Now we see that Saul was in authority as king, but did not restrain the people to obey the LORD. Eli feared his sons, and Saul feared his people, and neither feared the LORD so as to obey Him, and take up the authority which they had, to exercise it.
Now did the LORD really make a mistake in elevating Saul to the kingship instead of David, first off? I think He did it purposely, and this is why:
When Samuel went to anoint one of the sons of Jesse, he took one look at Eliab, the firstborn, and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” Why? Eliab must have had a pleasing physical appearance and stature, for the LORD next told Samuel, not to look at his outward appearance.
When Saul was being chosen to be king:
So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” 1 Sam 10:23-24
Saul’s physical appearance and stature was better than all the people of Israel. And the people were pleased to have him as king because of it. I think even Samuel might have been a little bit pleased, for Samuel is the one who pointed out his appearance to the people.
Israel had to learn that it is not appearance or stature or any of the things that man looks at, however, that makes a king; but the one whose heart is circumcised wholly to the LORD, which only the LORD can see, makes a king who will be a blessing to his people, rather than a curse. Have mercy on us, Father, and may we learn the lesson of Saul!
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