EGW Writings1 Samuel 15

Conflict and Courage

Tested Again, May 29

CC 155.1

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not. 1 Samuel 15:3.

CC 155.2

The Lord sent His servant with another message to Saul. By obedience he might still prove his fidelity to God and his worthiness to walk before Israel. Samuel came to the king and delivered the word of the Lord....

CC 155.3

The Amalekites had been the first to make war upon Israel in the wilderness; and for this sin, together with their defiance of God and their debasing idolatry, the Lord, through Moses, had pronounced sentence upon them.... For four hundred years the execution of this sentence had been deferred; but the Amalekites had not turned from their sins. The Lord knew that this wicked people would, if it were possible, blot out His people and His worship from the earth. Now the time had come for the sentence, so long delayed, to be executed.

CC 155.4

The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked, emboldens men in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed.... While He does not delight in vengeance, He will execute judgment upon the transgressors of His law. He is forced to do this, to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from utter depravity and ruin. In order to save some He must cut off those who become hardened in sin.... And the very fact of His reluctance to execute justice testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth His judgments and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor.

CC 155.5

But while inflicting judgment, God remembered mercy. The Amalekites were to be destroyed, but the Kenites, who dwelt among them, were spared. This people, though not wholly free from idolatry, were worshipers of God and were friendly to Israel. Of this tribe was the brother-in-law of Moses, Hobab, who had accompanied the Israelites in their travels through the wilderness, and by his knowledge of the country had rendered them valuable assistance.59Ibid., 627, 628.

Conflict and Courage

I Hear the Sheep, May 31

CC 157.1

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. 1 Samuel 15:11.

CC 157.2

While Saul and his army were marching home in the flush of victory, there was deep anguish in the home of Samuel the prophet. He had received a message from the Lord denouncing the course of the king.... The prophet was deeply grieved over the course of the rebellious king, and he wept and prayed all night for a reversing of the terrible sentence.

CC 157.3

God’s repentance is not like man’s repentance. “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” Man’s repentance implies a change of mind. God’s repentance implies a change of circumstances and relations. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same “yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Saul’s disobedience changed his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered—God’s requirements were still the same, for with Him there “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

CC 157.4

With an aching heart the prophet set forth the next morning to meet the erring king. Samuel cherished a hope that, upon reflection, Saul might become conscious of his sin, and by repentance and humiliation be again restored to the divine favor. But when the first step is taken in the path of transgression the way becomes easy. Saul, debased by his disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie upon his lips. He exclaimed, “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” The sounds that fell on the prophet’s ears disproved the statement of the disobedient king.61Ibid., 629, 630.

CC 157.5

Saul denied his sin even while the lowing of the oxen and the bleating of the sheep were publishing his guilt.62Letter 12a, 1893.

Conflict and Courage

Not Really Sorry, June 1

CC 158.1

Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23.

CC 158.2

Terrified by the denunciation of the prophet, Saul acknowledged his guilt, which he had before stubbornly denied; but he still persisted in casting blame upon the people, declaring that he had sinned through fear of them.

CC 158.3

It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty, that actuated the king of Israel.... It was his chief anxiety to maintain his authority and retain the allegiance of the people.... As Samuel turned to depart, the king, in an agony of fear, laid hold of his mantle to hold him back, but it rent in his hands. Upon this, the prophet declared, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou.” ...

CC 158.4

Saul presumed upon his exaltation, and dishonored God by unbelief and disobedience. Though when first called to the throne he was humble and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident.... The sacrificial offerings were in themselves of no value in the sight of God. They were designed to express on the part of the offerer penitence for sin and faith in Christ and to pledge future obedience to the law of God. But without penitence, faith, and an obedient heart, the offerings were worthless. When, in direct violation of God’s command, Saul proposed to present a sacrifice of that which God had devoted to destruction, open contempt was shown for the divine authority. The service would have been an insult to Heaven.

CC 158.5

Yet with the sin of Saul and its result before us, how many are pursuing a similar course. While they refuse to believe and obey some requirement of the Lord, they persevere in offering up to God their formal services of religion. There is no response of the Spirit of God to such service. No matter how zealous men may be in their observance of religious ceremonies, the Lord cannot accept them if they persist in willful violation of one of His commands.1Patriarchs and Prophets, 631, 634.

Patriarchs and Prophets

Chapter 61—Saul Rejected

PP 627.1

Saul had failed to bear the test of faith in the trying situation at Gilgal, and had brought dishonor upon the service of God; but his errors were not yet irretrievable, and the Lord would grant him another opportunity to learn the lesson of unquestioning faith in His word and obedience to His commands.

PP 627.2

When reproved by the prophet at Gilgal, Saul saw no great sin in the course he had pursued. He felt that he had been treated unjustly, and endeavored to vindicate his actions and offered excuses for his error. From that time he had little intercourse with the prophet. Samuel loved Saul as his own son, while Saul, bold and ardent in temper, had held the prophet in high regard; but he resented Samuel’s rebuke, and thenceforth avoided him so far as possible.

PP 627.3

But the Lord sent His servant with another message to Saul. By obedience he might still prove his fidelity to God and his worthiness to walk before Israel. Samuel came to the king and delivered the word of the Lord. That the monarch might realize the importance of heeding the command, Samuel expressly declared that he spoke by divine direction, by the same authority that had called Saul to the throne. The prophet said, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” The Amalekites had been the first to make war upon Israel in the wilderness; and for this sin, together with their defiance of God and their debasing idolatry, the Lord, through Moses, had pronounced sentence upon them. By divine direction the history of their cruelty toward Israel had been recorded, with the command, “Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.” Deuteronomy 25:19. For four hundred years the execution of this sentence had been deferred; but the Amalekites had not turned from their sins. The Lord knew that this wicked people would, if it were possible, blot out His people and His worship from the earth. Now the time had come for the sentence, so long delayed, to be executed.

PP 628.1

The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked, emboldens men in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed. “The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.” Isaiah 28:21. To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” Ezekiel 33:11. The Lord is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Yet He will “by no means clear the guilty.” Exodus 34:6, 7. While He does not delight in vengeance, He will execute judgment upon the transgressors of His law. He is forced to do this, to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from utter depravity and ruin. In order to save some He must cut off those who have become hardened in sin. “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.” Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. And the very fact of His reluctance to execute justice testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth His judgments and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor.

PP 628.2

But while inflicting judgment, God remembered mercy. The Amalekites were to be destroyed, but the Kenites, who dwelt among them, were spared. This people, though not wholly free from idolatry, were worshipers of God and were friendly to Israel. Of this tribe was the brother-in-law of Moses, Hobab, who had accompanied the Israelites in their travels through the wilderness, and by his knowledge of the country had rendered them valuable assistance.

PP 628.3

Since the defeat of the Philistines at Michmash, Saul had made war against Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and against the Amalekites and the Philistines; and wherever he turned his arms, he gained fresh victories. On receiving the commission against the Amalekites, he at once proclaimed war. To his own authority was added that of the prophet, and at the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his standard. The expedition was not to be entered upon for the purpose of self-aggrandizement; the Israelites were not to receive either the honor of the conquest or the spoils of their enemies. They were to engage in the war solely as an act of obedience to God, for the purpose of executing His judgment upon the Amalekites. God intended that all nations should behold the doom of that people that had defied His sovereignty, and should mark that they were destroyed by the very people whom they had despised.

PP 629.1

“Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

PP 629.2

This victory over the Amalekites was the most brilliant victory that Saul had ever gained, and it served to rekindle the pride of heart that was his greatest peril. The divine edict devoting the enemies of God to utter destruction was but partially fulfilled. Ambitious to heighten the honor of his triumphal return by the presence of a royal captive, Saul ventured to imitate the customs of the nations around him and spared Agag, the fierce and warlike king of the Amalekites. The people reserved for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden, excusing their sin on the ground that the cattle were reserved to be offered as sacrifices to the Lord. It was their purpose, however, to use these merely as a substitute, to save their own cattle.

PP 629.3

Saul had now been subjected to the final test. His presumptuous disregard of the will of God, showing his determination to rule as an independent monarch, proved that he could not be trusted with royal power as the vicegerent of the Lord. While Saul and his army were marching home in the flush of victory, there was deep anguish in the home of Samuel the prophet. He had received a message from the Lord denouncing the course of the king: “It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” The prophet was deeply grieved over the course of the rebellious king, and he wept and prayed all night for a reversing of the terrible sentence.

PP 630.1

God’s repentance is not like man’s repentance. “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent.” Man’s repentance implies a change of mind. God’s repentance implies a change of circumstances and relations. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same “yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. Saul’s disobedience changed his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered—God’s requirements were still the same, for with Him there “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.

PP 630.2

With an aching heart the prophet set forth the next morning to meet the erring king. Samuel cherished a hope that, upon reflection, Saul might become conscious of his sin, and by repentance and humiliation be again restored to the divine favor. But when the first step is taken in the path of transgression the way becomes easy. Saul, debased by his disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie upon his lips. He exclaimed, “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

PP 630.3

The sounds that fell on the prophet’s ears disproved the statement of the disobedient king. To the pointed question, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” Saul made answer, “They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” The people had obeyed Saul’s directions; but in order to shield himself, he was willing to charge upon them the sin of his disobedience.

PP 630.4

The message of Saul’s rejection brought unspeakable grief to the heart of Samuel. It had to be delivered before the whole army of Israel, when they were filled with pride and triumphal rejoicing over a victory that was accredited to the valor and generalship of their king, for Saul had not associated God with the success of Israel in this conflict; but when the prophet saw the evidence of Saul’s rebellion, he was stirred with indignation that he, who had been so highly favored of God, should transgress the commandment of Heaven and lead Israel into sin. Samuel was not deceived by the subterfuge of the king. With mingled grief and indignation he declared, “Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night.... When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?” He repeated the command of the Lord concerning Amalek, and demanded the reason of the king’s disobedience.

PP 631.1

Saul persisted in self-justification: “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.”

PP 631.2

In stern and solemn words the prophet swept away the refuge of lies and pronounced the irrevocable sentence: “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”

PP 631.3

As the king heard this fearful sentence he cried out, “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” Terrified by the denunciation of the prophet, Saul acknowledged his guilt, which he had before stubbornly denied; but he still persisted in casting blame upon the people, declaring that he had sinned through fear of them.

PP 631.4

It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty, that actuated the king of Israel as he entreated Samuel, “I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.” If Saul had had true repentance, he would have made public confession of his sin; but it was his chief anxiety to maintain his authority and retain the allegiance of the people. He desired the honor of Samuel’s presence in order to strengthen his own influence with the nation.

PP 632.1

“I will not return with thee,” was the answer of the prophet: “for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to depart, the king, in an agony of fear, laid hold of his mantle to hold him back, but it rent in his hands. Upon this, the prophet declared, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou.”

PP 632.2

Saul was more disturbed by the alienation of Samuel than by the displeasure of God. He knew that the people had greater confidence in the prophet than in himself. Should another by divine command be now anointed king, Saul felt that it would be impossible to maintain his own authority. He feared an immediate revolt should Samuel utterly forsake him. Saul entreated the prophet to honor him before the elders and the people by publicly uniting with him in a religious service. By divine direction Samuel yielded to the king’s request, that no occasion might be given for a revolt. But he remained only as a silent witness of the service.

PP 632.3

An act of justice, stern and terrible, was yet to be performed. Samuel must publicly vindicate the honor of God and rebuke the course of Saul. He commanded that the king of the Amalekites be brought before him. Above all who had fallen by the sword of Israel, Agag was the most guilty and merciless; one who had hated and sought to destroy the people of God, and whose influence had been strongest to promote idolatry. He came at the prophet’s command, flattering himself that the danger of death was past. Samuel declared: “As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord.” This done, Samuel returned to his home at Ramah, Saul to his at Gibeah. Only once thereafter did the prophet and the king ever meet each other.

PP 632.4

When called to the throne, Saul had a humble opinion of his own capabilities, and was willing to be instructed. He was deficient in knowledge and experience and had serious defects of character. But the Lord granted him the Holy Spirit as a guide and helper, and placed him in a position where he could develop the qualities requisite for a ruler of Israel. Had he remained humble, seeking constantly to be guided by divine wisdom, he would have been enabled to discharge the duties of his high position with success and honor. Under the influence of divine grace every good quality would have been gaining strength, while evil tendencies would have lost their power. This is the work which the Lord proposes to do for all who consecrate themselves to Him. There are many whom He has called to positions in His work because they have a humble and teachable spirit. In His providence He places them where they may learn of Him. He will reveal to them their defects of character, and to all who seek His aid He will give strength to correct their errors.

PP 633.1

But Saul presumed upon his exaltation, and dishonored God by unbelief and disobedience. Though when first called to the throne he was humble and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident. The very first victory of his reign had kindled that pride of heart which was his greatest danger. The valor and military skill displayed in the deliverance of Jabesh-gilead had roused the enthusiasm of the whole nation. The people honored their king, forgetting that he was but the agent by whom God had wrought; and though at first Saul ascribed the glory to God, he afterward took honor to himself. He lost sight of his dependence upon God, and in heart departed from the Lord. Thus the way was prepared for his sin of presumption and sacrilege at Gilgal. The same blind self-confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof. Saul acknowledged Samuel to be a prophet sent from God; hence he should have accepted the reproof, though he could not himself see that he had sinned. Had he been willing to see and confess his error, this bitter experience would have proved a safeguard for the future.

PP 633.2

If the Lord had then separated Himself entirely from Saul, He would not have again spoken to him through His prophet, entrusting him with a definite work to perform, that he might correct the errors of the past. When one who professes to be a child of God becomes careless in doing His will, thereby influencing others to be irreverent and unmindful of the Lord’s injunctions, it is still possible for his failures to be turned into victories if he will but accept reproof with true contrition of soul and return to God in humility and faith. The humiliation of defeat often proves a blessing by showing us our inability to do the will of God without His aid.

PP 633.3

When Saul turned away from the reproof sent him by God’s Holy Spirit, and persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the only means by which God could work to save him from himself. He had willfully separated himself from God. He could not receive divine help or guidance until he should return to God by confession of his sin.

PP 634.1

At Gilgal, Saul had made an appearance of great conscientiousness, as he stood before the army of Israel offering up a sacrifice to God. But his piety was not genuine. A religious service performed in direct opposition to the command of God only served to weaken Saul’s hands, placing him beyond the help that God was so willing to grant him.

PP 634.2

In his expedition against Amalek, Saul thought he had done all that was essential of that which the Lord had commanded him; but the Lord was not pleased with partial obedience, nor willing to pass over what had been neglected through so plausible a motive. God has given men no liberty to depart from His requirements. The Lord had declared to Israel, “Ye shall not do ... every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;” but ye shall “observe and hear all these words which I command thee.” Deuteronomy 12:8, 28. In deciding upon any course of action we are not to ask whether we can see that harm will result from it, but whether it is in keeping with the will of God. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12.

PP 634.3

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” The sacrificial offerings were in themselves of no value in the sight of God. They were designed to express on the part of the offerer penitence for sin and faith in Christ and to pledge future obedience to the law of God. But without penitence, faith, and an obedient heart, the offerings were worthless. When, in direct violation of God’s command, Saul proposed to present a sacrifice of that which God had devoted to destruction, open contempt was shown for the divine authority. The service would have been an insult to Heaven. Yet with the sin of Saul and its result before us, how many are pursuing a similar course. While they refuse to believe and obey some requirement of the Lord, they persevere in offering up to God their formal services of religion. There is no response of the Spirit of God to such service. No matter how zealous men may be in their observance of religious ceremonies, the Lord cannot accept them if they persist in willful violation of one of His commands.

PP 635.1

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Rebellion originated with Satan, and all rebellion against God is directly due to satanic influence. Those who set themselves against the government of God have entered into an alliance with the archapostate, and he will exercise his power and cunning to captivate the senses and mislead the understanding. He will cause everything to appear in a false light. Like our first parents, those who are under his bewitching spell see only the great benefits to be received by transgression.

PP 635.2

No stronger evidence can be given of Satan’s delusive power than that many who are thus led by him deceive themselves with the belief that they are in the service of God. When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against the authority of Moses, they thought they were opposing only a human leader, a man like themselves; and they came to believe that they were verily doing God service. But in rejecting God’s chosen instrument they rejected Christ; they insulted the Spirit of God. So, in the days of Christ, the Jewish scribes and elders, who professed great zeal for the honor of God, crucified His Son. The same spirit still exists in the hearts of those who set themselves to follow their own will in opposition to the will of God.

PP 635.3

Saul had had the most ample proof that Samuel was divinely inspired. His venturing to disregard the command of God through the prophet was against the dictates of reason and sound judgment. His fatal presumption must be attributed to satanic sorcery. Saul had manifested great zeal in suppressing idolatry and witchcraft; yet in his disobedience to the divine command he had been actuated by the same spirit of opposition to God and had been as really inspired by Satan as are those who practice sorcery; and when reproved, he had added stubbornness to rebellion. He could have offered no greater insult to the Spirit of God had he openly united with idolaters.

PP 635.4

It is a perilous step to slight the reproofs and warnings of God’s word or of His Spirit. Many, like Saul, yield to temptation until they become blind to the true character of sin. They flatter themselves that they have had some good object in view, and have done no wrong in departing from the Lord’s requirements. Thus they do despite to the Spirit of grace, until its voice is no longer heard, and they are left to the delusions which they have chosen.

PP 636.1

In Saul, God had given to Israel a king after their own heart, as Samuel said when the kingdom was confirmed to Saul at Gilgal, “Behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired.” 1 Samuel 12:13. Comely in person, of noble stature and princely bearing, his appearance accorded with their conceptions of royal dignity; and his personal valor and his ability in the conduct of armies were the qualities which they regarded as best calculated to secure respect and honor from other nations. They felt little solicitude that their king should possess those higher qualities which alone could fit him to rule with justice and equity. They did not ask for one who had true nobility of character, who possessed the love and fear of God. They had not sought counsel from God as to the qualities a ruler should possess, in order to preserve their distinctive, holy character as His chosen people. They were not seeking God’s way, but their own way. Therefore God gave them such a king as they desired—one whose character was a reflection of their own. Their hearts were not in submission to God, and their king also was unsubdued by divine grace. Under the rule of this king they would obtain the experience necessary in order that they might see their error, and return to their allegiance to God.

PP 636.2

Yet the Lord, having placed on Saul the responsibility of the kingdom, did not leave him to himself. He caused the Holy Spirit to rest upon Saul to reveal to him his own weakness and his need of divine grace; and had Saul relied upon God, God would have been with him. So long as his will was controlled by the will of God, so long as he yielded to the discipline of His Spirit, God could crown his efforts with success. But when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord could no longer be his guide, and was forced to set him aside. Then He called to the throne “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—not one who was faultless in character, but who, instead of trusting to himself, would rely upon God, and be guided by His Spirit; who, when he sinned, would submit to reproof and correction.

From Eternity Past

Chapter 61—Saul Rejected as King

EP 455.1

Saul’s errors were not yet irretrievable. The Lord would grant him another opportunity to learn the lesson of unquestioning faith in His word and obedience to His commands.

EP 455.2

When reproved by the prophet at Gilgal, Saul felt he had been treated unjustly and offered excuses for his error. Samuel loved Saul as his own son, while Saul resented Samuel’s rebuke and thenceforth avoided him so far as possible.

EP 455.3

But the Lord sent His servant with another message to Saul: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” The Lord through Moses had pronounced sentence upon the Amalekites. The history of their cruelty toward Israel had been recorded with the command, “Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.” Deuteronomy 25:19.

EP 455.4

For four hundred years execution of this sentence had been deferred; but the Amalekites had not turned from their sins. Now the time had come for the sentence, so long delayed, to be executed.

EP 455.5

To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” The Lord is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Yet He will “by no means clear the guilty.” Ezekiel 33:11; Exodus 34:6, 7. While He does not delight in vengeance, He will execute judgment upon the transgressors of His law. He is forced to do this to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from utter depravity and ruin. In order to save some, He must cut off those who have become hardened in sin.

EP 456.1

But while inflicting judgment, God remembered mercy. The Amalekites were to be destroyed, but the Kenites, who dwelt among them, were spared. This people, though not wholly free from idolatry, were worshipers of God and friendly to Israel.

EP 456.2

On receiving the commission against the Amalekites, Saul at once proclaimed war. At the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his standard. The Israelites were not to receive either the honor of the conquest or the spoils of their enemies; they were to engage in the war solely as an act of obedience to God. God intended that all nations should behold the doom of that people that had defied His sovereignty.

EP 456.3

“Saul smote the Amalekites... . and took Agag the king... . But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

EP 456.4

This victory served to rekindle the pride that was Saul’s greatest peril. Ambitious to heighten the honor of his triumphal return, Saul ventured to imitate the customs of the nations around him, and spared Agag. The people reserved for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden, excusing their sin on the ground that the cattle were to be offered as sacrifice to the Lord. It was their purpose, however, to use these merely as a substitute, to save their own cattle.

EP 457.1

Saul’s presumptuous disregard of the will of God proved that he could not be trusted with royal power as the vicegerent of the Lord. While Saul and his army were marching home in the flush of victory, there was anguish in the home of Samuel. He had received a message from the Lord: “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” The prophet wept and prayed all night for a reversal of the terrible sentence.

EP 457.3

With an aching heart the prophet set forth the next morning to meet the erring king. Samuel cherished a hope that Saul might, by repentance, be restored to the divine favor. But Saul, debased by his disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie upon his lips: “Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

EP 457.4

To the prophet’s pointed question, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” Saul answered, “They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” In order to shield himself, he was willing to charge upon the people the sin of his disobedience.

EP 457.5

The message of Saul’s rejection had to be delivered before the army of Israel when they were filled with pride over a victory accredited to the valor and generalship of their king, for Saul had not associated God with the success of Israel in this conflict. When the prophet saw the evidence of Saul’s rebellion, he was stirred with indignation that he should lead Israel into sin. With mingled grief and indignation he declared, “I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night... . When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?” He repeated the command of the Lord concerning Amalek and demanded the reason of the king’s disobedience.

EP 458.1

Saul persisted in self-justification: “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.”

EP 458.2

In solemn words the prophet swept away the refuge of lies and pronounced the irrevocable sentence: “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”

EP 458.3

As the king heard this fearful sentence, he cried out, “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” Terrified, Saul acknowledged his guilt, but he still persisted in casting blame on the people.

EP 458.4

It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty, that actuated the king of Israel as he entreated Samuel, “I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.” If Saul had had true repentance, he would have made public confession of his sin; but it was his chief anxiety to maintain his authority and retain the allegiance of the people. He desired the honor of Samuel’s presence to strengthen his own influence.

EP 459.1

“I will not return with thee,” was the answer of the prophet: “for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to depart, the king, in an agony of fear, laid hold of his mantle to hold him back, but it rent in his hands. Upon this, the prophet declared, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou.”

EP 459.2

An act of justice, stern and terrible, was yet to be performed. Samuel commanded that the king of the Amalekites be brought before him. Agag, guilty and merciless, came at the prophet’s command, flattering himself that the danger of death was past. Samuel declared: “As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord.” This done, Samuel returned to Ramah.

EP 459.3

When called to the throne, Saul was deficient in knowledge and had serious defects of character. But the Lord granted him the Holy Spirit and placed him where he could develop the qualities requisite for a ruler of Israel. Had he remained humble, every good quality would have been gaining strength, while evil tendencies would have lost their power. This is the work which the Lord proposes to do for all who consecrate themselves to Him. He will reveal to them their defects of character and will give to them strength to correct their errors.

EP 459.4

Though when first called to the throne Saul was humble and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident. The valor and military skill displayed in the deliverance of Jabesh-gilead roused the enthusiasm of the whole nation. At first he ascribed the glory to God, but afterward took honor to himself. He lost sight of his dependence on God and in heart departed from the Lord. Thus the way was prepared for his sin of presumption at Gilgal. The same blind self-confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof. Had he been willing to confess his error, this bitter experience would have proved a safeguard for the future. If the Lord had then separated Himself entirely from Saul, He would not have again spoken to him through His prophet, entrusting him with a definite work to perform, that he might correct the errors of the past.

EP 460.1

When Saul persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the only means by which God could work to save him from himself. At Gilgal, a religious service performed in direct opposition to the command of God only placed him beyond the help that God was willing to grant. In the expedition against Amalek, the Lord was not pleased with partial obedience. God has given men no liberty to depart from His requirements.

EP 460.2

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” Without patience, faith, and an obedient heart, sacrificial offerings were worthless. When Saul proposed to present a sacrifice of that which God had devoted to destruction, open contempt was shown for divine authority. The service would have been an insult to Heaven. Yet many are pursuing a similar course. While they refuse to believe and obey some requirement of the Lord, they offer up to God their formal services of religion. The Lord cannot accept them if they persist in willful violation of one of His commands.

EP 460.3

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Those who set themselves against the government of God have entered into an alliance with the archapostate. He will cause everything to appear in a false light. Like our first parents, those who are under his bewitching spell see only the great benefits to be received by transgression.

EP 461.1

Many thus led by Satan deceive themselves with the belief that they are in the service of God. In the days of Christ the Jewish scribes and elders who professed great zeal for the honor of God crucified His Son. The same spirit still exists in the hearts of those who set themselves to follow their own will in opposition to the will of God.

EP 461.2

Saul’s fatal presumption must be attributed to satanic sorcery. In his disobedience to the divine command he had been as really inspired by Satan as are those who practice sorcery; and when reproved, he added stubbornness to rebellion. He could have offered no greater insult to the Spirit of God had he openly united with idolaters.

Conflict and Courage

Not to Be Trusted, May 30

CC 156.1

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. 1 Samuel 15:9.

CC 156.2

Since the defeat of the Philistines at Michmash, Saul had made war against Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and against the Amalekites and the Philistines; and wherever he turned his arms, he gained fresh victories. On receiving the commission against the Amalekites, he at once proclaimed war. To his own authority was added that of the prophet, and at the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his standard. The expedition was not to be entered upon for the purpose of self-aggrandizement; the Israelites were not to receive either the honor of the conquest or the spoils of their enemies. They were to engage in the war solely as an act of obedience to God, for the purpose of executing His judgment upon the Amalekites. God intended that all nations should behold the doom of that people that had defied His sovereignty, and should mark that they were destroyed by the very people whom they had despised....

CC 156.3

This victory over the Amalekites was the most brilliant victory that Saul had ever gained, and it served to rekindle the pride of heart that was his greatest peril. The divine edict devoting the enemies of God to utter destruction was but partially fulfilled. Ambitious to heighten the honor of his triumphal return by the presence of a royal captive, Saul ventured to imitate the customs of the nations around him and spared Agag, the fierce and warlike king of the Amalekites. The people reserved for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden, excusing their sin on the ground that the cattle were reserved to be offered as sacrifices to the Lord. It was their purpose, however, to use these merely as a substitute, to save their own cattle.

CC 156.4

Saul had now been subjected to the final test. His presumptuous disregard of the will of God, showing his determination to rule as an independent monarch, proved that he could not be trusted with royal power as the vicegerent of the Lord.60Ibid., 628, 629.

From Eternity Past

King Saul Gets Another Chance

EP 457.2

God’s repentance is not like man’s repentance. Man’s repentance implies a change of mind. God’s repentance implies a change of circumstances and relations. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition. Saul’s disobedience changed his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered, for with Him there “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.

From Eternity Past

Obedience the Fruit of Faith

EP 461.3

In Saul, God had given to Israel a king after their own heart, as Samuel said, “Behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired.” 1 Samuel 12:13. His appearance accorded with their conceptions of royal dignity. His personal valor and ability in the conduct of armies were qualities they regarded as best calculated to secure respect from other nations. They did not ask for one who had true nobility of character, who possessed the love and fear of God. They were not seeking God’s way, but their own. Therefore God gave them such a king as they desired—one whose character was a reflection of their own.

EP 461.4

Had Saul relied upon God, God would have been with him. But when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord was forced to set him aside. Then he called to the throne “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—one who would rely upon God and be guided by His Spirit; who, when he sinned, would submit to reproof and correction.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Lt 28a, 1893

8LtMs, Lt 28a, 1893, par. 2

I learn that Bro. Christie expects to go to Auckland, and also to Kaeo. If he succeeds in getting the money he will leave on the Sunday steamer from Napier. His character has been very defective according to the light given me; his word cannot be relied on. He is not honest, yet he has many excellent traits of character. If he were reliable he would be one who could do much good, but he denies everything until the facts are made so plain that he can deny no longer. Then he makes no confession of sin, but regards himself as much misused and ill-treated. The case of Saul in the fifteenth chapter of 1st Samuel seems to be repeated in this young man.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 16, 1897

12LtMs, Lt 16, 1897, par. 52

Another test was prepared for Saul after this first lesson. The Lord’s time had come to punish the Amalekites, and Samuel brought Saul the message that Amalek was to be utterly destroyed. God gave commandment unto Saul: “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” [1 Samuel 15:3.] But Saul did not do the work which the Lord had given him to do. He brought in his own human judgments against God’s commandments. “And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

12LtMs, Lt 16, 1897, par. 53

“And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you from among them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over again at Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and of the lambs, and all that was good; and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” [Verses 4-9.]

12LtMs, Lt 16, 1897, par. 54

What a position was [Saul] in. He had the message from God. And God was watching his course to see if he could be trusted with his work as king of Israel. But God said to Samuel, “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” [Verse 11.] Saul had had a change of heart; he had been converted to God; but he did not trust the Lord under difficulty.

Conflict and Courage

The People’s Choice, May 22

CC 148.1

Behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired. 1 Samuel 12:13.

CC 148.2

In Saul, God had given to Israel a king after their own heart.... Comely in person, of noble stature and princely bearing, his appearance accorded with their conceptions of royal dignity; and his personal valor and his ability in the conduct of armies were the qualities which they regarded as best calculated to secure respect and honor from other nations. They felt little solicitude that their king should possess those higher qualities which alone could fit him to rule with justice and equity. They did not ask for one who had true nobility of character, who possessed the love and fear of God. They had not sought counsel from God as to the qualities a ruler should possess, in order to preserve their distinctive, holy character as His chosen people. They were not seeking God’s way, but their own way. Therefore God gave them such a king as they desired—one whose character was a reflection of their own. Their hearts were not in submission to God, and their king also was unsubdued by divine grace. Under the rule of this king they would obtain the experience necessary in order that they might see their error, and return to their allegiance to God.

CC 148.3

Yet the Lord, having placed on Saul the responsibility of the kingdom, did not leave him to himself. He caused the Holy Spirit to rest upon Saul to reveal to him his own weakness and his need of divine grace; and had Saul relied upon God, God would have been with him. So long as his will was controlled by the will of God, so long as he yielded to the discipline of His Spirit, God could crown his efforts with success. But when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord could no longer be his guide, and was forced to set him aside. Then He called to the throne “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—not one who was faultless in character, but who, instead of trusting to himself, would rely upon God, and be guided by His Spirit; who, when he sinned, would submit to reproof and correction.46Patriarchs and Prophets, 636.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Ms 7, 1886

4LtMs, Ms 7, 1886, par. 11

Now you may regard it as a matter of economy. It may bring in some means to invest in the work. I was carried right back to Saul and was there shown how he ordered that the best of the cattle and sheep should be kept to offer to the Lord as a burnt sacrifice, notwithstanding the Lord had told them that everything should be destroyed. And the Lord said Saul should lose his soul for that very act. And yet Saul in his eagerness declared that he had kept the law. Why, says he, I have kept the command, but have kept some of the best of the cattle, oxen, and sheep to offer to the Lord for a burnt sacrifice. Then said Samuel to him, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:10-22.] And here the means that are brought in by any of you by transgression of God’s law, God will just as surely scatter those means as you have them. For a time it may seem that God wants these means, but God bears with men to a certain point; but when sufficient light has been given and they do not regard that light, then His hand is stretched out to destroy them. And if any of you are engaged in business with men where there is any infringement on God’s law, you better cut loose from all such things. The Lord bears and forbears long with the perversity of His children, but when He undertakes to punish them, He will not cease until He has made a full end.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 7 (1891-1892)

Lt 46, 1891

7LtMs, Lt 46, 1891, par. 13

Please read 1 Samuel 15:10. “Then came the word of the Lord to Samuel saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” These words are applicable to Dr. Burke. Oh, how this word distressed Samuel. “And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night.” [Verse 11.] Samuel was not reconciled to the words of the Lord which he must speak to Saul, yet he knew his place was to obey. “And Samuel came unto Saul, and Saul said unto him: Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” [Verses 13, 14.] Read verse 15. “Then said Samuel, Stay and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said unto me this night. ... And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? ... Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fall upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?” [Verses 17, 19.]

7LtMs, Lt 46, 1891, par. 14

Now mark the spirit of justification in Saul in place of repentance for his disobedience. “And Saul said to Samuel, Yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and hath gone the way that the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of the Amalekites, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, and chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.” [Verses 20, 21.] Here the words of [Saul] contradicted his own statements of denial. “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in sacrifice and offerings as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Rebellion (mark the words) is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he also hath rejected thee from being king.” [Verses 22, 23.] Read (verse 24) and onward.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Ms 26, 1886

4LtMs, Ms 26, 1886, par. 23

“What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36. “To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22. God sent Saul to destroy the Amalakites utterly. Feeling at liberty to use his own judgment to depart a little from what the Lord had said, Saul supposed it his prerogative to save the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice in offerings to God.

4LtMs, Ms 26, 1886, par. 24

“Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” 1 Samuel 15:11.

4LtMs, Ms 26, 1886, par. 25

Meeting Samuel at Gilgal, Saul accosted him with the words, “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 1 Samuel 15:13-15.

4LtMs, Ms 26, 1886, par. 26

“And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22, 23.

Manuscript Releases, vol. 11 [Nos. 851-920]

MR No. 906—An Appeal for Acceptance of the Message of Christ’s Righteousness

11MR 288.3

You will never have any greater evidence than you have had as to where the Spirit of God is working. The Lord never proposes to remove all occasion for men to doubt. He will give sufficient evidence to bring the candid mind to a right decision; but if you are determined to have your own way, if you are like Saul, unwilling to change your course because of pride and stubbornness of heart, because of ignorance of your own condition of spiritual destitution, you will not recognize the light. You will say with Saul, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:13)....

The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials

Chapter 46—To Elders M. and H. Miller

1888 410.2

God wants to put His spirit upon you; but He cannot do this while you are so full of self. When self dies, you will feel the quickening influence of the spirit of God. God’s people are enjoined to seek for unity, that they may be framed together into an holy temple for the Lord. <Ye are God’s building, ye are God’s husbandry>. This is no time for alienation and discord, for the indulgence of a selfish, perverse spirit. Will you take yourselves in hand, or will you be ready to regard your stubborn, unyielding disposition as an evidence of faithful integrity? God forbid that you should be blinded, as were the Pharisees, and place good for evil, and evil for good. You will never have any greater evidence than you have had as to where the spirit of God is working. The Lord never proposes to remove all occasion for <men to> doubt. He will give sufficient evidence to bring the candid mind to a right decision; but if you are determined to have your own way, if you are like Saul, unwilling to change your course because of pride and stubbornness of heart, because of ignorance of your own condition of spiritual destitution, you will not recognize the light. <You will say with Saul, “I have done the commandment of the Lord.”> [1 Samuel 15:13.]

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 5 (1887-1888)

Ms 11, 1888

5LtMs, Ms 11, 1888, par. 2

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9.] “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” [Proverbs 28:13.] “Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” [Verse 14.] “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” [Psalm 32:1, 2.] “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquities have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord: and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” [Verse 5.] It is not safe to do as did Saul—walk contrary to the Lord’s commandments and then say, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord” [1 Samuel 15:13], stubbornly refusing to confess the sin of disobedience. Saul’s stubbornness made his case hopeless. We see that others are following his example. The Lord sends words of reproof in mercy to save them, but they will not submit to be corrected. They insist that they have done no wrong, thus resisting the Spirit of God. The Lord declares through Samuel, “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. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” [Verses 22, 23.] The stubborn heart is thus presented in the case of Saul to warn every soul who is in danger of doing as he did.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 6 (1889-1890)

Lt 4, 1889

6LtMs, Lt 4, 1889, par. 51

God wants to put His Spirit upon you; but He cannot do this while you are so full of self. When self dies, you will feel the quickening influence of the Spirit of God. God’s people are enjoined to seek for unity, that they may be framed together into an holy temple for the Lord. <“Ye are God’s building, ye are God’s husbandry.”> [1 Corinthians 3:9.] This is no time for alienation and discord, for the indulgence of a selfish, perverse spirit. Will you take yourselves in hand, or will you be ready to regard your stubborn, unyielding disposition as an evidence of faithful integrity? God forbid that you should be blinded, as were the Pharisees, and place good for evil and evil for good. You will never have any greater evidence than you have had as to where the Spirit of God is working. The Lord never proposes to remove all occasion for <men to> doubt. He will give sufficient evidence to bring the candid mind to a right decision, but if you are determined to have your own way, if you are like Saul, unwilling to change your course because of pride and stubbornness of heart, because of ignorance of your own condition of spiritual destitution, you will not recognize the light. <You will say with Saul, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”> [1 Samuel 15:13.]

6LtMs, Lt 4, 1889, par. 54

You must stop inquiring about the duty of others and go to work for your own soul. Through faith in Christ, you may come to the light. When you view Christ as He is, you will decrease in your own estimation, and He will increase. The words of God spoken to Saul by Samuel are worthy of your consideration, for they apply in your case: “Obedience 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.” [1 Samuel 15:22, 23.] You have set yourselves to stoutly resist the light. The Lord will not compel you to have faith in Christ, but without faith it is impossible to please God. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul produces the fruit of humility, patience, forbearance, long-suffering, peace, joy, and willing obedience. Says the Scripture, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” [Romans 14:23.] “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” [Hebrews 11:6.]

Testimony Treasures, vol. 1

Unquestioning Obedience

1TT 486.2

Through Samuel, God commanded Saul to go and smite the Amalekites and utterly destroy all their possessions. But Saul only partially obeyed the command; he destroyed the inferior cattle, but reserved the best and spared the wicked king. The next day he met the prophet Samuel with flattering self-congratulations. Said he: “Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” But the prophet immediately answered: “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 1 Samuel 15:13, 14.

1TT 486.3

Saul was confused and sought to shirk responsibility by answering: “They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Verse 15. Samuel then reproved the king, reminding him of the explicit command of God directing him to destroy all things belonging to Amalek. He pointed out his transgression and declared that he had disobeyed the Lord. But Saul refused to acknowledge that he had done wrong; he again excused his sin by pleading that he had reserved the best cattle to sacrifice unto the Lord.

1TT 487.1

Samuel was grieved to the heart by the persistency with which the king refused to see and confess his sin. He sorrowfully asked: “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” Verses 22, 23.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 6 (1889-1890)

Ms 1a, 1890

6LtMs, Ms 1a, 1890, par. 31

Saul, after he had disobeyed the requirement of God to destroy the Amalekites, met Samuel and said, “Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” And Samuel said, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” The answer was the same that we have heard in similar cases—an excuse, a falsehood: “The people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God.” [1 Samuel 15:13-15.] Saul did not say my or our, but thy God. Many who profess to be serving God are in the same position as Saul—covering over ambitious projects, pride of display, with a garment of pretended righteousness. The Lord’s cause is made a cloak to hide the deformity of injustice, but it makes the sin of tenfold greater enormity.

6LtMs, Ms 1a, 1890, par. 32

Samuel looked upon Saul with indignation, yet with deep pity and undisguised grief for the sinful course of one he loved sincerely; but this love must not close his lips. He said, “Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night.” The kingly head was bent as he answered, “Say on.” [Verse 16.] Samuel then spake the cutting words of the Lord. Yet Saul repeated his defense—they saved the spoil to sacrifice to the Lord. “Hath God as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the word 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. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” Smitten with agony and terror, Saul cried, “I have sinned. ... Pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.” [Verses 22-25.] Saul hoped the sentence would be reversed.

6LtMs, Ms 1a, 1890, par. 34

The sinner seldom feels right in regard to reproof. He blames the one who opens his lips to speak the words of warning, as though it were a personal matter. In his blindness he fails to see that he is flinging from him, in his stubborn resistance, his last offer of light and mercy. How little sympathy he feels for the one who has carried the heavy load the Lord has laid upon him! He assumes the role of a martyr and thinks he deserves great pity, because he is reproved and counseled contrary to his own ideas and feelings. He may admit some things, but with dogged persistency he holds fast to his errors, his own ideas. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” [Verse 23.] The Word of God is rejected in spirit, to all intents and purposes. I have been made to see this same bewitching power now as I have never seen it before, of hatred against reproof, of stubbornness and rebellion; the one reproved clings to his own opinions, unyielding.

God’s Amazing Grace

Grace Sufficient, August 22

AG 242.2

“When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel” (1 Samuel 15:17)? Here Samuel points out the reason for Saul’s appointment to the throne of Israel. He had a humble opinion of his own capabilities, and was willing to be instructed. When the divine choice fell upon him, he was deficient in knowledge and experience, and had, with many good qualities, serious defects of character.... But if he would remain humble, seeking constantly to be guided by divine wisdom, ... he would be enabled to discharge the duties of his high position with success and honor. Under the influence of divine grace, every good quality would be gaining strength, while evil traits would as steadily lose their power.

Christ Triumphant

Disobedience to God Bring About Poor Excuses, May 16

CTr 143.1

Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)

Lt 82, 1895

10LtMs, Lt 82, 1895, par. 26

The Lord said to Isaac, “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all this country, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father, ... because that Abraham thy father obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws.” [Genesis 26:3, 5.] The promise is, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” [Isaiah 1:19.] The word given to Samuel for Saul was, “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:22.]

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)

Lt 40, 1902

17LtMs, Lt 40, 1902, par. 9

Much is involved in the location of the sanitarium in Southern California. In their restlessness and haste, men are in danger of making moves without giving due consideration as to what the result of these moves will be. Often they fail to see that there is danger of going too fast, and thus bringing confusion. It is the duty of the Lord’s workers to move when they know that the Lord desires them to move, not before. Until the word comes, “Go forward,” their part is to wait. “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of lambs.” [1 Samuel 15:22.] While they are waiting, they may learn lessons of trust and confidence. Thus they may gather stores of wisdom and experience. There is much to be learned in seeking the Lord and submitting to His will.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)

Lt 85, 1902

17LtMs, Lt 85, 1902, par. 3

Medical missionary work is to be carried forward in Southern California. But much is involved in the location of the sanitarium in that section. In their restlessness and haste, men are in danger of making moves without giving due consideration as to what the result of these moves will be. Often they fail to see that there is danger of going too fast and thus bringing in confusion. It is the duty of the Lord’s workers to move when they know that the Lord desires them to move, not before. Until the word comes, “Go forward,” their part is to wait. “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of lambs.” [1 Samuel 15:22.] While they are waiting, they may learn lessons of trust and confidence. Thus they may gather stores of wisdom and experience. There is much to be learned in seeking the Lord and submitting to His will.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Lt 12, 1910

25LtMs, Lt 12, 1910, par. 9

All the money on earth cannot buy the blessing of God. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:22.]

Jesus, Name Above All Names

Heaven’s King, January 17

JNN 24.3

Against these practices Christ had spoken through the prophets. Samuel had said, “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22)....

The Desire of Ages

Chapter 65—The Temple Cleansed Again

DA 590.2

Against these practices Christ had spoken through the prophets. Samuel had said, “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.” And Isaiah, seeing in prophetic vision the apostasy of the Jews, addressed them as rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts?” “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” 1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:10-12, 16, 17.

The Upward Look

Not My Will, but Thine, February 3

UL 48.4

In the smallest as well as the largest matters, the first great question is, What is God’s will in the matter; for His will is my will. “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? One man may be required by God to do a work and stand in a position that is peculiarly trying and taxing. The Lord has a work for him to do and he risks his life, his future eternal life, in standing in that place. This was the position Christ occupied when He came to our world, entering into conflict with the rebel leader of the fallen angels. God devised a plan, and Christ accepted the position. He consented to meet the foe singlehanded, as every human being must do. He was provided with all the heavenly powers to aid Him in this great conflict; and man, if he walked in the way and will of God, is provided with the same keeping power. The same heavenly intelligences minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation, that they may overcome every temptation, great or small, as Christ overcame. But anyone who places himself in a position of peril from any motive but obedience to the will of God will fall under the power of temptation....

To Be Like Jesus

God’s Word the Supreme Authority, February 4

BLJ 43.1

Then 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.” 1 Samuel 15:22, NKJV.

Testimony Treasures, vol. 1

The Testing Process

1TT 473.1

Our cases are pending in the court of heaven. We are rendering our accounts there day by day. Everyone will be rewarded according to his works. Burnt offerings and sacrifices were not acceptable to God in ancient times unless the spirit was right with which the gift was offered. Samuel said: “Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22. All the money on earth cannot buy the blessing of God nor ensure you a single victory.

Radiant Religion

Obedience to His Word, February 14

RRe 47.1

Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Lt 85, 1886

4LtMs, Lt 85, 1886, par. 22

How can men live in transgression of God’s law and yet think that they can claim the virtues of the atoning sacrifice? Why cannot those who claim to understand the Scriptures see that the requirement God makes in grace is just the requirement that God made in Eden—perfect obedience to His law? In the retributive judgment, God will ask those who professed to be Christians, Why did you claim to believe in Jesus and continue to transgress My law? Who required this at your hands, to trample upon My rules of righteousness? “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:22.]

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)

Lt 47a, 1895

10LtMs, Lt 47a, 1895, par. 8

We all know that the most severe and intense soul struggles belong to the hour of the great resolve to act out the convictions upon the human heart. The consecration of the soul to God is committing the keeping of the soul to One who has purchased its freedom at an infinite price, and then we are to follow on to know the Lord, that we may know His goings forth are prepared as the morning. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” [1 Samuel 15:22.] The whole work of the Christian is comprised in willing and doing.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 13, 1862

1LtMs, Lt 13, 1862, par. 5

The vision sent you, which was given at Roosevelt, you have not seen. You have not felt its force. You would sooner think that there was some mistake in the matter than to receive it as from Heaven and make diligent work to redeem the past. I was cited to this scripture: “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.” 1 Samuel 15:22, 23.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 18, 1862

1LtMs, Lt 18, 1862, par. 23

“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.” 1 Samuel 15:22, 23.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 7 (1891-1892)

Lt 20, 1891

7LtMs, Lt 20, 1891, par. 3

You write that you have said that you would not have controversy with Sr. White. Better, far better, have had this controversy openly than under cover, for this controversy has been, and there has not been harmony between us, since the Minneapolis meeting. You have been exceedingly stubborn, and this stubbornness has been as described in the Word of God, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” “Behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:23, 22.]

Manuscript Releases, vol. 11 [Nos. 851-920]

MR No. 914—Danger of Following “Impressions and Feelings”

11MR 352.2

My soul is sick and discouraged in regard to those who have been so long rebellious in Waukon. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23). Souls in Waukon have rebelled and stood fast in their rebellion, and very recently they have professed to see themselves, and their stubbornness is changed to a spirit of witchcraft or divination. I call upon all who have the cause of God one particle at heart to rise in the name of the Lord and put down the manifestations among them.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 2, 1863

1LtMs, Lt 2, 1863, par. 3

My soul is sick and discouraged in regard to those who have been so long rebellious in Waukon. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1 Samuel 15:23. Souls in Waukon have rebelled and stood fast in their rebellion, and very recently they have professed to see themselves, and their stubbornness is changed to a spirit of witchcraft or divination. I call upon all who have the cause of God one particle at heart to rise in the name of the Lord and put down the manifestations among them.

Conflict and Courage

Sanity Almost Gone, June 2

CC 159.1

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:26.

CC 159.2

When Saul saw that Samuel came no more to instruct him, he knew that the Lord had rejected him for his wicked course, and his character seemed ever after to be marked with extremes. His servants ... at times dared not approach him, for he seemed like an insane man, violent and abusive. He often seemed filled with remorse. He was melancholy, and often afraid where there was no danger.... He was always full of anxiety, and when in his gloomy moods he wished not to be disturbed, and at times would suffer none to approach him.... He would repeat prophetically sayings against himself with distracted energy, even in the presence of his lords and of the people.

CC 159.3

Those who witnessed these strange exhibitions in Saul recommended to him music, as calculated to have a soothing influence upon his mind when thus distracted. In the providence of God, David was brought to his notice as a skillful musician....

CC 159.4

David’s skillful playing upon the harp soothed the troubled spirit of Saul. As he listened to the enchanting strains of music, it had an influence to dispel the gloom which settled upon him, and to bring his excited mind into a more rational, happy state.2Spiritual Gifts 4a:78, 79.

CC 159.5

Saul was shorn of his strength, because he failed to make obedience to God’s commandments the rule of his life. It is a fearful thing for a man to set his will against the will of God, as revealed in His specified requirements. All the honor that a man could receive on the throne of a kingdom, would be a poor compensation for the loss of the favor of God through an act of disloyalty to heaven. Disobedience to the commandments of God can only bring disaster and dishonor at last. God has given to every man his work, just as truly as He appointed to Saul the government of Israel; and the practical and important lesson to us is to accomplish our appointed work in such a manner that we may meet our life records with joy, and not with grief.3The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 2:1018.