Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-14
&eadina fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
l0riginal.l
SAUL CONTINUED

ekltes. God sent the prophet oamuel 10 oaul
to command him to march against these peo-
pie and utterly destroy them. He was char
ged to spare neither man nor woman nor in
fant. Even the domestic animals, such as
the OK and sheep, camel and ass, were to be
slain without mercy. The peculiar character
of this command which Saul received, and
the punishment which God inflicted upon him
for not rigidly executing it to the very letter,
excites within US desire to know who the
Amalekites were, and what was their sin that
so incensed God.
1t is evident that the Amalekites were a
wandering people that lived or wandered
about in the neighborhood of Palestine. Their
wanderings were mainly confined to the
northern part of the peninsula of Sinai.
Egypt was on the south and Canaan was
on the north of their territory. They are
generally thought to have been the descend
ants of duke Amalek, the grandson of Esau.
See Genesis, So: 16. If this be true then,
the Amalekites and Israelites were blood re-
lations. So far as we know, there is no such
relation between Amalek and Israel men,
toned in the Bible. In the days of Abra-
ham, the grandfather of Esau, we hear of a
people called Amalekites. See Genesis, IA /:
7. The Arabians say that the Amalekites at
one time dwelt on the shores of the Persian
Gulf, and that they were driven from this
place by the Assyrians, and that they spread
over Arabia before the descendants of Joktan
took possession of this country. This seems
at least plausible, and is corroborated by Gen.
esis, 14:7.
At this late period, it is no easy matter to
say from whom the Amalekites were descen-
ded. Their sin, as nation, if such they
could be called, was this: When the children
of Israel were making their exodus from
Egypt, they crossed the Red Sea at its north
ern point, and journeyed not in the direction
of the promised land, but in southern course
down the Red Sea towards the point of the
Peninsula of Sinai. At Rephidim, not far
from Mount Sinai or Horeb, they came in
contact with the Amalekites. 1t seems that
the Amalekites made an attack upon the
faint and weary Israelites, and especially upon
the faint and weary who were in the rear of
the main body. See Deut. Is: II. We
hear of them again, Notwithstanding they
were defeated at Rephidim, by Moses and
Joshua, becoming confederates with the
Canaanites and attacking the Israelites on
the borders of the promised land. Itis prob
able that they followed the Israelites through
the whole of their journeying in the wilder
ness. They were finally exterminated by
David. See Sam. q: 8.
The sin of the Amalekites consisted in ma
king an effort to thwart the purposes of God
Almighty. A very dangerous thing. God,
for this act, determined to put out the name
of Amalek from under the sun.
When Samuel delivered the order to Saul,
for the utter destruction of Amalek, he seems
to have made all necessary preparation to
execute it. He gathered together two hun
dred thousand footmen and ten thousand men
of Judah. He had also the precaution to
order the Kenites to remove from amongst
the Amalekites, lest they would be destroyed
with them. This seems to be wise and pru-
dent and brave. He went against the Anal
ekites and made very great slaughter OF
them; but, no doubt, to grace his triumph, he
spared the life of Agag, the king of the Anal
ekites, and the best of the sheep and oxen
and other animals were saved and driven
back with him on his return in order to be
sacrificed to the Lord. This incensed God,
and he sent Samuel to meet Saul and make
known to him his doom. 1t seems that Saul
thought that he had fully discharged his duty,
and executed the fierce wrath of God upon
Amalek. At least he said he had done all
he had been commanded to do. 1t is evident
however, that he had not utterly destroyed
the Amalekites; for we hear of them after.
wards. Perhaps he become impatient to get
back to his own country, that he might enjoy
the laudations of his people Be this as ii
may Saul failed to do his whole duty as
commanded.
To some persons, the destruction of the
Amalekites may appear cruel, and Samueps
act in hewing Agag to pieces may appear
barbarous. Perhaps Saul took this view Of
it. Such persons should remember that we
have no right to put up our biased judgment
against the wisdom and righteousness of God
God sent Saul to blot out this people from
under the sun. The duty was clear because
God commanded, and so far as he was con-
cerned, it mattered not what might be the
results. 1t is foolish and dangerous thing
to undertake to dictate to God True and
genuine piety, it must be remembered, con.
sists in a child-like obedience to the com
mands of God. Saul, no doubt, contemplated
much ceremony in receiving and sacrificing
the Amalekite oxen. But it is clear that he
had something else in view besides sacrificing
to the Lord. In fact it is more than proba'
BILE that sacrificing to the Lord was an after.
thought. 1t is possible that this was said to
bribe the Lord and Samuel. The animals
preserved alive, at least some of them, were
not fit to offer up in sacrifice I am disposed
to think that Saul never thought of sacrificing
these animals until he met Samuel, and was
charged with delinquency in duty. This
thing of trying to bribe God is a very COM
mon thing amongst men. We often formal
ly half discharge some commanded duty, and
foolishly suppose that we will thus secure the
favor of God. The result of this affair of
Saul's, shows US that God can neither be de-
ceived nor bribed.