Day 1111: God's sorrow - 1 Samuel 15 vs 24 - 35

24-25 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

27-28 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbour of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also, the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30-31 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honour me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.

32-33 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34. Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. 35 And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. 1 Samuel 24-35 English Standard Version

Saul acknowledges to Samuel that he feared man more than God, and begs Samuel to go back with him to worship. But Samuel refused, and told Saul that his disobedience had rendered him unworthy, and the Kingdom would go to another. What we regard as a “small disobedience” can be costly in our walk with the Lord. So in Hebrews we read: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God . . . that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:15-17)

Which leads to the word used in vs 29, and again in vs 35. The same Hebrew word is used for both, but in the first place it says that God won't have regret (because He is not a man), and then says that God regretted that He had made Saul King over Israel. Is this not contradictory?

The Hebrew word used there literally meant 'to sigh'. By implication it could mean to be sorry, to grieve, to change one's mind, or to repent. When Samuel used it of God, he was saying that God, unlike man, doesn't need to see any of His decisions as having been morally wrong. He is a God who never lies, and therefore does not need to repent. The Christian Standard Bible puts the verse as: “Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes His mind.”

In vs 35, however, the meaning would be that God was grieved that Saul had so disobeyed Him. God would later say three times through the prophet Ezekiel that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Our disobedience saddens God's heart.

But was this true of King Agag? (vs 32-33)

Samuel had to do what Saul failed to do. But did you note what Samuel said of Agag as to why God's judgement was coming upon him? As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. Agag was not innocent. He had regularly killed men, and now he came cheerfully before Samuel thinking all was forgiven and forgotten. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Oh that men and women would see that, and see too that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they would turn from their ways, seek God's mercy and forgiveness, and find life through Jesus Christ. Samuel grieved over Saul. Do we grieve over those today who turn their backs on God?