Samuel, who as we have observed, had retired when Saul became king, now gave him a fresh message from God, reminding him first that it was God who had caused him to be king, and calling him to attend to the message. The Amalekites, enemies who attacked Israel while in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, were now to be utterly destroyed, —a type of Satan's power exerted to turn back God's children into the world from seeking the enjoyment of the heavenly portion He had promised. Amalek was not to be spared, but entirely wiped out as to every vestige of life.
With a large army Saul set out in obedience to God's word, and smote the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, but he did not carry out his orders, for he left the king, Agag, alive, and kept the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs and all that was good. What was vile and refuse they destroyed utterly. This no doubt seemed very nice, indeed, but it was disobedience to the revealed mind of God.
Samuel felt it deeply to have again and finally to tell Saul that God had rejected him; he "cried unto the Lord all night", but the next morning early, he went to meet Saul, who, returning from his attack on the Amalekites, had gone to Gilgal. But the state of soul for which Gil-gal stood, was not Saul's state; he was a stranger to God with all his religion. To Samuel, Saul said, "I have performed the commandment of the Lord," and claimed that the sheep and oxen brought back were for sacrifices. But Samuel gave him the solemn judgment of God about himself, that because he, the man made by God the king over Israel, had rejected the word of the Lord, He had rejected him from being king.
"Hath the Lord," Samuel said, "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 hearken than the fat of rams, for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."
Saul owned that he had sinned, but his chief thought was his place of honor before the people. Samuel acted for God where the king had failed, and killed Agag, then went to his home at Ramah, no more to see Saul, yet mourning for him.
How many times the Bible shows that man, even at his best, is not worthy of trust. Men are born sinners, and they need to know Christ as Saviour before they can bring forth anything fit for God. It was "when we were yet without strength", that Christ died for sinners, for the ungodly,—and faith declares, "for me".
Can you truly say that, reader, whoever and wherever you may be,—"Christ died for me"? There is but one Deliverer from the wrath to come, Jesus. Do you know Him? Have you trusted Him with your soul for eternity? Do not delay!