Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 123
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S am u el – K I N G S
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lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and
strong, he drafted him into his army.
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!
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. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite
nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and
donkeys.”
So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from
Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. Then Saul and his army went to a town
of the Amal ekites and lay in wait in the valley. 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.
Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur,
east of Egypt. He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 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.
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king,
for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.”
Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the
Lord all night.
Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him,
“Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then
he went on to Gilgal.”
When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the
Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”
“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle
I hear?” Samue l demanded.
“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,”
Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.
We have destroyed everything else.”
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last
night!”
“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.
And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you