From Matt. 13:24-43 the Lord foretells that what had happened in the fleshly system because it was a fleshly thing should also happen in the spiritual kingdom and that through the direct action of the malice of the enemy; and the contrast between God's thoughts and man's thoughts, God's ways and man's ways, is strikingly shown by comparing it with 1 Sam. 14:38-46: the Lord in His longsuffering, being full of compassion, turning His anger away (Psa. 78:38-41) until the time of the harvest in order that not one feeble blade of wheat might be rooted up in spite of the apparent utter defeat of His purpose (Matt. 13:31, 32), and the entire corruption which should seize on that upon which His name is called (ver. 33); while Saul disdains to wait upon God until He should reveal His will, but in self-righteous haste dares to call down the judgment of God: while the Holy One would hold back judgment in grace, the unholy one would force forbearance into justice. God righteous, Saul unrighteous. In 1 Sam. 14:38-46 there are three parties on the scene—Saul and Israel (the flesh and its desire) on one side; Jonathan (“whom the Lord has given") on the other, and the Lord God of Israel in their midst in judgment. Of these Israel had knowingly broken the eternal law of Jehovah and brought upon itself His utter curse. Saul being already under judgment—Jonathan had guilelessly broken the vain commandment of man in his ignorance, and man had balled upon the just and holy God to give a judgment according to truth.
As to this particular matter the guilty stand on one side, the innocent on the other, and the just Judge is to decide. Which will He—does He—has He chosen to die? The just One for the unjust! the innocent for the guilty—Jonathan for Israel and Saul, “for Jonathan was taken.” So that spite of all that man could do through pride of heart and unbelief in calling down the wrath of God and challenging His judgment, crying, “The blood of this righteous One be on us and on our children;” “God do so to me and more also” (Matt. 27:25); yet if thus called upon to choose the God of love and grace will take the innocent One and spare the guilty crowd—will use the very unbelief of man to slim forth gloriously His love and righteousness.
In Matt. 13:36-46, the Lord shows that if judgment on the evil is restrained it is because of the good in its midst. That a man at the cost of all He had has bought all, bad and good, for the sake of the good. Nay, finding one precious pearl has emptied Himself, sold all He had, and bought it. Here love goes out and possesses the object of its desire righteously. In 1 Sam. 14:38-46 it is righteousness going forth and sparing righteously the guilty out of love. In Saul the Holy Spirit shows what the spared ones are by nature, and in Matthew what they are by grace eaters with the blood individually and by nature; a treasure and a priceless pearl by grace as God's assembly.
But judgment shall not always linger, neither shall grace be abused forever. The One who should not strive nor cry, and whose voice should not be heard in the streets; who would not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax, must bring forth judgment unto victory—must gather out of His kingdom all offenses, and them that practice lawlessness—must sever the wicked from the just and cast them into the furnace of fire. And shall not the men of Samuel's time rise up in judgment against that generation and condemn it, for they rescued Jonathan who had wrought so great salvation in Israel that he did not die, whereas the men of our Lord's time were offended in Him when they saw His wisdom and His works of power, because they knew Him that He was one of themselves (Matt. 13:53-58), and when for the last time the opportunity was given them to receive or reject Him, the crowds were persuaded to beg for Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus: all the people exclaiming, His blood be upon us and on our children.
In 1 Sam. 14:47-52 the Holy Spirit gives a concise account of Saul and his connections as head over the earthly kingdom in his wars with those that spoiled Israel, and forms in type a complete outline of the work of the Jewish politico-religious system as in authority over the earthly people of God—witnesses for Him upon the earth. Saul fought against the children of Moab and Ammon, the kings of Zobah and the Philistines; which stand as types of sins of the flesh, root and branch; and worldly sins in their cause and result; he also smote the Amalekites, who typify spiritual sins—sin in spiritual things. The eons of Saul represent the threefold character of the ministry of Christ as in, connection with the Jewish system. Jonathan— “whom the Lord has given.” (Matt. 11:3, 6, 16-24.) Ishui— “like,” “similar” —the one like unto his brethren. (Matt. 13:55-57.) Melchishua— “the king of help” (Matt. 21:16, 45, 41-46; 23:36-39; 26:63-66), the anointed Jesus who should save His people from their sins; for Moses truly said, “A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto Me, him shall ye hear in all things.” (Acts 3:22.) The two daughters of Saul are types of the two religious states that owned the authority and were connected with the Jewish system, namely, the mass, Merab” a multitude;” and the remnant, Michal— “brook” (See Psa. 110:7)— “the many,” like the sand on the seashore, and “the few,” that flow away from it. His wife is a type of the character of worship which was united to the Jewish system (the woman is always the type of the outward worship). Ahinoam— “the brother of pleasantness” —outwardly appearing to be connected with pleasantness and joy, but after all springing from fear being the offspring of “wrath.” Ahimaaz— “the brother of wrath.'
In 1 Sam. 13 was brought out the failure of Saul in the worship of God, through bringing i n the flesh: in chapter 14 he fails in the service of God for the deliverance of His people from the power of the world (Philistines, sojourners, dwellers on the earth), through making the word of God of none effect by his vain commands; thereby spoiling the work of him who was appointed of God to perform it. (Matt. 15:1- 20; 1 Sam. 14:24-52.) In chapter 15 is shown his failure against the foes that had hindered the people taking possession of the land— “Amalekites,” the offspring of the restraint of praise—see Gen. 36:12—religious enemies—spiritual evil—powers of darkness—false teachers and teachings. The Philistines are Israel's foes in the land and come up against Israel to attack her. The Amalekites were Israel's enemies on the way thither, and whom they are now to go out and destroy. The world and the flesh go up against the Lord's people to attack and oppress them, but the Lord's people go out against error and false teaching to destroy it.
In Matt. 5; 6; 7, our Lord declares the failure and consequent rejection of the Jewish system in the worship of God through the bringing in of flesh, and the choice of another to be captain over His people. (1. Sam. xiii.pliv.; Matt. 7:21-27.) In Matt. 12 that generation is shown by Him to have failed and to be rejected as to service because they made void the commands of God through their tradition. He is then doomed to death by them (ver. 14). Upon that He convinces them of their sin and of judgment by conscience, verses 25-37; by scripture, verses 38-42; by fact, verses 43-45; and concludes by pointing plainly to that which should succeed them (vers. 46-50). He then illustrates by parable the whole future of the old and new things (Matt. 13:1-52), and ceases from His works of power because of their unbelief. From verse 1-23 the word of the kingdom is sown as a test of who is worthy in the old thing; from verse 24 the illustration of the new thing begins, not a question of test now, not of natural imperfection and consequent failure. Here the harvest is secure, the seed must bring forth its fruit, no failure. The field belongs to the man, it is his field, the seed is good, and He that sows is the Son of man; it shot up and produced fruit.
The matter to be considered here is the introduction maliciously of evil amongst the good, and the thing is not to test what is good (for that is plainly evidenced by the fruit), but how to root out the evil. Just as in Matt. 13 the word of the kingdom is shown to be a testing word bringing the nation under responsibility to destroy the false and receive the true in all its fullness, the Lord at the same time foreseeing the failure and its causes of the many doing either the one or the other, but a remnant of faith should be brought into blessing; so in 1 Sam. 15 Saul's responsibility as king over Israel is used as a test to bring him and the people to the proof whether they would perform the Lord's commandments and destroy utterly the evil.
In Matthew the test is applied individually and the censers of failure are shown to be, first, the heart had grown fat so that spiritual things found no entrance whatever but lay unheeded upon the mind as a thing of little moment or value, not worth consideration, so that the evil one catches the word away; second, that they had heard but heavily with their ears—had not suffered it to take the first place in their hearts—had put it by among those things by which they should profit, but when tribulation or persecution is shown to be necessary to its development it is immediately discarded as a thing bringing trouble rather than peace; third, that while feeling the full claims and authority of the word yet they willfully closed their eyes to the practical effects of those claims in order that they might live at ease amidst the rank natural weeds of this life, preferring the pleasures of sin to the reproach of Christ.
The characteristics of the remnant of faith are that they not only hear and understand the word, not only receive it and acknowledge its claims and authority, but also let patience Wave its perfect work, give faith full scope, and walk according to the word. The one great principle taught is that the word of the Lord must have entire possession of the heart not only the first place but the only place, the whole man.
In 1 Sam. 15 the same test is applied nationally the same principle being in action, the converse truth being prominent, not so much now the aspect of the perfect reception of truth as the utter destruction of error though they are indivisible; where the one comes the other goes. In Matthew it is the Jewish system on the point of rejection; in Samuel, still under responsibility; in Matthew the test for the foes; in Samuel the proof of the many; in Matthew to discover the good; in Samuel to lay bare the evil. Faith rests upon what the Lord has done in the past and acts upon what He is in the present. “The Lord sent me to anoint thee king: therefore hearken unto his voice.” “The Lord of hosts saith, I remember, now go and smite Amalek.”
Amalek is a type of the false religious system which brings in fear and bondage into the worship of god. It was they who laid wait for Israel in the way when he came up from Egypt; and Egypt is a type of the complete bondage under which the natural man labors, both of natural sin and religious error, and though one may be delivered from the sins of nature, yet he needs also to be delivered from religious error which is sure to attack him in the way. Egypt is the bold highhanded oppressor, Amalek the crafty, deceitful, subtle foe. Egypt lays burdens upon the men, yet, nevertheless, finds them from the flesh-pots and with the onions and leeks, but Amalek lays wait and falls upon the weak and the women, the aged and the babes, thirsting only for their blood and not for their service, therefore are they the hated of God, and if Egypt be subdued, Amalek must be destroyed. Egypt is broken at the Red Sea, Amalek pursues to the borders of the land. Egypt is done with at once and forever. Amalek must be smitten until utterly destroyed.