Saul’s Military Successes
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT
47 Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious. 48 He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 50 Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. 51 Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.
52 The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
Saul Defeats the Amalekites
15 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT
Saul’s Military Successes
47 Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne,
took full control of Israel ERV
had taken control of the kingdom over Israel, NASB
established his reign over Israel. NCB
had assumed rule over Israel, NIV
established his sovereignty over Israel NKJV
he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines.
“every direction – all of the surrounding nations
And wherever he turned, he was victorious.
- At this point in time, Saul’s military campaigns against Israel’s enemies were, for the most part, successful.
1 Samuel 14:47-52 is a summary of time extending “Throughout Saul’s lifetime.”
48 He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
- Saul’s success was tempered by his lack of complete obedience to God.
More about the Amalekites in chapter 15
49 Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal.
Ishbosheth (Esh-Baal): “man of shame”, “man of Baal”
2 Samuel 2:8-11 NLT
Ishbosheth Proclaimed King of Israel
8 But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth. 9 There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.
10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. 11 David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.
Saul’s son Abinadad, not listed here, is mentioned in 31:2
Jonathan and David became close friends. (Chapter 18)
Michal was David’s first wife. (Chapter 18)
50 Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.
Saul’s concubine Rizpah is mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:7 and in 2 Samuel 21.
2 Samuel 3:7 NLT
7 One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.
2 Samuel chapter 21
The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. 51 Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons (or in the case of Saul, grandson) of Abiel.
1 Chronicles 9:39 NLT
39 Ner was the father of Kish.
Kish was the father of Saul.
Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
This information about Saul’s family, placed here rather than at the end of his reign, hints that his reign was essentially over and he would not be succeeded by one of his sons. (NLT Study Bible)
52 The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime.
- The Philistines opposition to Israel was constant and lasted throughout the lifetime of Saul.
The Philistines were a well-organized military force and had a monopoly on iron and bronze which they used for military weapons, among other things.
So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
1 Samuel 8:10-12 NLT
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.
- Whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
David was one of these young men drafted by Saul.
David continued this practice when he became king.
Saul Defeats the Amalekites
15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel.
Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt.
Samuel was speaking for God.
God is using Saul to accomplish His intensions.
The Amalekites, a nomadic people of the desert, were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12).
Genesis 36:12 NLT
12 Timna, the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek.
More about the Amalekites.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 NLT
17 “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. 18 They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. 19 Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!
Exodus 17:8-16 NLT
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. 9 Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
14 After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). 16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
The time had now come for Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites.
Saul was to destroy everything that breathed.
God’s judgment was severe toward those who wanted to destroy his people.
Genesis 12:3 NLT
3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.
God’s judgment was also severe to those who disobeyed Him. (Achan- Joshua 7))
- Saul was instructed to “go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Then Saul and his army went to a town (an unnamed town) of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.
6 Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
The Kenites had settled among the Amalekites.
The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12), but the Kenites traced their ancestry from Midian, one of Abraham’s sons by Keturah (Gen. 25:2). The Kenites had been friendly to Israel (Exod. 18:9, 10, 19; Num. 10:29-32), whereas the Amalekites had not. There appeared to be friendly relations between the Israelites and the Kenites.
Judges 1:16 NLT
16 When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law (Jethro), traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.
- The Kenites who had settled among the Amalekites were given the opportunity move away from the Amalekites. They wisely chose to move away from the Amalekites and their lives were spared.
7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.
Saul partially obeyed Samuel’s instructions: 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
- Saul killed the Amalekite soldiers his army encountered, but he did not kill all of the Amalekite soldiers.
Not all of the Amalekite soldiers were killed.
King David had to deal with the Amalekites.
1 Samuel 27:8 NLT
8 David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times.
1 Samuel 30:1 NLT
30:1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.
- Partial obedience is not obedience.
8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. (see the next verse)
9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them.
Saul had been told: “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
- Saul did not “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
This is clearly an act of selfish disobedience to the Lord’s command.
- Saul clearly, blatantly, and selfishly disobeyed the instructions God had, through Samuel, given to him.
