CONTENTS
The sacred historian is prosecuting the account of Saul's reign, in this chapter. Every part of his government seems to be with a view to aggrandize himself, and to show his disregard to the Lord. We have here, the relation of a commission the Lord sent him upon, to destroy the Amalekites: his partial obedience to that commission: the Lord's displeasure upon the occasion, and his rejection of Saul from being king, communicated to him by Samuel. The zealous prophet, in his warmth for God's glory, doth that which Saul had neglected, and heweth Agag, the king of the Amalekites, in pieces before the Lord, in Gilgal. The chapter closeth with an account of Samuel's final departure from Saul, and visiting him no more until his death.
(1) В¶ 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.
In the opening of this message, we should remark, how Samuel prefaceth it. I do not command thee, saith the prophet, but the Lord, who sent me to anoint thee king. Receiving, therefore, thy commission from him, see thou obey this precept faithfully. Reader! it doth not behove creatures, and sinful ignorant creatures too, such as we are, to reason about the fitness of such things as God commands. When we have to do with men, it may be proper to pause, and to reason on right and wrong: but when we have to do with God, it doth not become us to argue on his appointments. This doctrine is very sweet and precious, if considered as it refers to our faith in Jesus. Salvation in him, and through him, is the Lord's appointed way. As such, let you and I heartily, and cordially accept it, without presuming to be wiser than God: and this will be our wisdom. So Moses told Israel: Deuteronomy 4:6.