The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-11-14
FINAL TEST AND FAILURE.

Since the fatal act OF disobedIence OF
Gilgal Samuel had not been publicly
associated with saul, but from his home
at Ramah, had been anxiously watching
his movements, fondly hoping, we may
suppose, to find evidence Of returning
loyalty to Jehovah.
Under the direction OF the Lord b.
to go against the hereditary enemy Of
Israel, the Amalekites, and 'utterly de-
stroy all that they nave and spare them
not; but slay both man and woman, in
FAINT and sucking, OK and sheep, came
and ass"
Saul promptly set out to obey the order
with an army OF two hundred thousand
footmen and ten thousand men Of Judah.
He speedily executed his mission, with
the exception OF sparing Agag, the king,
and all that was good of the sheep and
oxen and fatlings and lambs" Then
ZONES the text OF our lesson 15:10-23.
The word of the Lord came to Samuel
informing him of Saul's failure to fully
obey his command and Samuel was
"grieved and cried unto the Lord all
night" With the early light he went
out to meet Saul but learned that elated
with his victory he had erected a monu-
ment at Carmel for his own glory and
passed on to Gilgal. Hither Samuel went
to meet him and was ssluted by saul who
said: "Blessed be thou OF the Lord; l have
performed thy commandment OF the
Lord" And Samuel said: "What meaneth
then this bleating Of sheep In mine ears,
and the lowing OF oxen which | hear?"
1t would seem that the voices OF those
brutes which convicted him Of f%alsehood,
ought to have awakened his conscience,
Inc led him to contrition, but like Adam
and all sinners since his day, he was
ready to lay the blame on some one else.
He said ''they brought them from the
Amalekites"-the people spared the best
OF the sheep" and the oxenl And then to
cover up his sin more fully under the
garb Of religion added; ITO sacrifice
unto the Lord thy God" rs II the old
prophet could not see through this sham!
Then follows Samuers whitening rebuke
In the three succeeding verses, remind
Ing him OF how the Lord had called him
from obscurity and put him at the head
Of the nation only thus to be ~dishonored
by his disobedience. To make the matter
still worse, he presents Agag the king,
whom he had led away captive as a tro-
ply Of victory, after having destroyed all
other Amalekites. Then we have the
memorable language Of Samuel, from
which our golden text is taken, and
which has been the expression Of the line
OF distinction, in all the ages between mere
ritualism and spiritual worship. "Hath
the Lord a great delight In burnt offer
ings and sacrifices as in obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold to obey Il
better than sacrifice, and to hearken
han the fat Of rams"
And the declaration Of this great
truth was accompanied with the An
nouncement OF Saul's reinforcement ss
king OF Israel, which was irrevocable,
Notwithstanding the pleadings Of the
poor king, in seeming penitence and
confession of this sin, because he cleared
the people and obeyed their voice."
After yielding to his entreaties to wor-
ship with him, Samuel went to Ramah,
n "came no more to see Saul till the
day OF his death; nevertheless Samuel
mourned for SAUL"