VI. SAMUEL’S EXECUTION OF AGAG
Samuel asked that Agag the king of the Amalekites be brought near to him. Agag came to him cheerfully, saying, "Surely the bitterness of death has turned" (v. 32). Samuel said to Agag, "Just as your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women," and then he hewed Agag to pieces before Jehovah (v. 33).
VII. SAMUEL’S DEPARTURE FROM SAUL
Chapter fifteen concludes with Samuel’s departure from Saul (vv. 34-35). Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah. Samuel never again saw Saul unto the day of his death, though Samuel mourned for Saul, because Jehovah repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.
We should be warned by this account of Saul’s disobedience not to do anything in the kingdom of God by our flesh. We need to fear God and remember that we are flesh. But the Son of God has crucified the flesh and He has come into us to regenerate our spirit. Now He is living in our spirit, moving, acting, and taking the lead to guide us into the line of life for the building up of His organism, the Body of Christ. This is the kingdom of God, God’s eternal kingdom, which will consummate in the upcoming New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. This should be our goal. We should not try to build a monarchy for ourselves in God’s kingdom. This is the lesson that we need to learn from our study of this portion of the history in the Old Testament.
We thank the Lord that, under His mercy, He has opened up the intrinsic secrets in the Word to show us the real lessons. We have to learn the lesson of the cross and crucify our flesh with its passions and its lusts and leave it on the cross always and in everything (Gal. 5:24). We should faithfully exercise our spirit to follow the Lord, who is the life-giving, consummated Spirit indwelling our spirit and who is one with us. Then the kingdom of God, the church as the intrinsic Body of Christ, will be built up.
(Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel, Chapter 11, by Witness Lee)
