1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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60 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 Edition"When God issues a decree that is plainly intended as irrevocable, as inthe rejection of Saul, then, says our text, there is no possibility of thatdecree being rescinded (cf. Nu. 23:19)." 177Saul had established a long record of rebellious behavior. God knew that Saul'sconfession was not genuine and his repentance was not real. Saul may have thought thathe could "con" God, but He could not. He behaved toward God as a manipulative childdeals with his or her parents. Rather than having a heart to please God, as David did, Saulonly obeyed God when he felt that it was to his advantage to do so. He wanted tomaintain control and to receive the glory. Samuel reminded the king that Yahweh was the"Glory of Israel." Saul may have been bowing down in repentance in Samuel's presence,though the text does not say that, but he was standing up inside. It was that unbendingresistance to God's complete will that made Saul unusable as Israel's king."Saul, as this chapter in particular would have us understand, was a man incontention with Yahweh in a way that David, for all his lurid sins, neverwas." 178Saul's lack of submission was an even more serious sin than David's sins of murder andadultery. God did not remove the kingship from David for his sins, but He did from Saul."To be king in Israel was . . . quite a different matter from being king inthe countries round about. Saul did not understand this distinction, andresented Samuel's 'interference,' whereas David appreciated the point thatthe Lord his God was the focus of authority, and therefore he was willingto submit to the word of his prophet even though, in the eyes of thewatching world, it must have seemed that David's own authority wouldthereby be weakened. Here lay the crucial distinction between Saul andDavid. The man after God's own heart submitted to God's word, obeyedhis prophets, and found acceptance and forgiveness, despite his manyglaring faults and failures. Saul obstinately clung to his rights as king, butlost his throne." 179Perhaps Samuel consented to honor Saul by worshipping with him (vv. 30-31) becauseSaul was still the king. It was good that Saul wanted to honor Yahweh in the eyes of thepeople by worshipping Him. Perhaps Saul's sincere though shallow contrition movedSamuel to be more cooperative and gracious (cf. v. 26). 180 Note Saul's continuingobsession with external appearances.177 Gordon, p. 146.178 Ibid., p. 142.179 Baldwin, p. 35. Remember this observation when you read about God pardoning David's gross sins in 2Samuel.180 Most of the commentators believed Samuel did not sin in returning with Saul. For the reasons of onewriter who thought he did, see Peter N. Greenhow, "Did Samuel Sin?" Grace Journal 11:2 (1970):34-40.
2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 61Samuel proceeded to obey God, as Saul should have, by slaying Agag (vv. 32-33). Thedeparture of Samuel and Saul to their respective hometowns pictures them going theirown separate ways. They had little in common since their allegiance to Yahweh wasquite different, so they saw nothing more of each other (v. 35). 181 Saul's attitude towardYahweh and its resultant judgment grieved the prophet who felt, as God, sorrow over theking's fate (15:35; 16:1). God has feelings about our responses to Him. He is not amachine but a Person. God regretted that He had made Saul king because of Saul'sdecisions, not because God thought He had made a mistake by choosing Saul. 182 Notethat God regretted that He had made Saul king, not that He had made Saul one of Hischildren. Saul did not lose his salvation because he failed to obey God completely, but hedid lose his opportunity to serve God by ruling over God's people (cf. Prov. 25:19; 1 Cor.9:27). 183Chapters 12—15 present the negative side of Saul's character whereas chapters 8—11emphasize Saul's positive traits. The writer structured these sections parallel to each otherto make the contrast striking.The motif of fertility continues as the major theological emphasis in this section of 1Samuel (chs. 7—15). Samuel, the innocent and obedient servant of the Lord, won theprivilege of communicating God's Word by his faithful commitment to God. Saul, theideal Israelite who personified the hopes and ambitions of Israel, lost his privilege ofleading God's people because he was unfaithful to God."Saul was an impetuous person who wanted to take matters into his ownhands rather than trusting the Lord. He had the opposite of the propercovenant mentality. His sin was so serious that there could be noatonement for it. This is similar to Eli's sons, for whose sins no atonementwas available. Their sin resulted in a change of order, from Eli to Samuel.In Saul's case the change in order was from Saul to David." 184The writer recorded four more conflicts and reversals of fortune in chapters 7—15: thePhilistines and Samuel (7:2-17), the Ammonites and Saul (chs. 8—11), Saul andJonathan (12:1—14:46), and Saul and Samuel (14:47—15:35). In the first two sectionsGod's two anointed servants, Samuel and Saul, defeated Israel's external enemies bydepending on God. They both gave God the credit for their victories (7:12; 11:13-15). Inthe third and fourth sections, because Saul refused to obey God and to acknowledge Hisvictory, Saul replaced the external enemies of Israel as the object of God and Samuel'sanger. Jonathan became Israel's deliverer when his father failed. The son saw the spiritualsignificance of events to which the father was blind.181 See David M. Gunn, The Fate of King Saul: An Interpretation of a Biblical Story, p. 147.182 This is an anthropopathism. God felt about Saul the way we feel when someone whom we have favoredgreatly disappoints us greatly.183 See Terence E. Fretheim, "Divine Foreknowledge, Divine Constancy, and the Rejection of Saul'sKingship," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 47:4 (October 1985):597.184 Martin, p. 35.
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1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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