Evening star., 1915-04-03
Duty, Disobedience, Displeasure.

The commission to utterly destroy
-he A,nalekites and all their property
appears horrible to US. who consider
human life sacred, but 1t appeared a
small matter to the Israelites because
the oriental thinks very little of the
loss OF human life. The surgeon who
performs an operation has learned the
absolute necessity of removing all
dead tissue IL the operation is 10 De
successful and the results permanent:
The command TO exterm1nate the
Amalekites was not only punishment
for them, but a protection Tor israel
The condition that they were TO de-
stroy the prey, Just as thoroughly as
they did the people, removes the order
rom being one that sanctioned "a wild
arrival of selfish passion They
,sere summoned as people to execute
ne DEGREES OF Jehovah without being
uermitted TO appropriate TO themselves
the usual spoils of warfare. The pow
srful nomadIc tribe. whose terrltory
cached over the whole eastern part OF
The Sinaitic desert 70 Rephidim. were
LOT only the earliest enemies, but Tor
500 years they had been restless In
thelr opposition and malignant hatred.
Loyalty 70 Jehovah, whose servant he
was as the King OF Israel. called for the
absolute obedience TO God He had failed
once before. with the result that he lost
The klngGom for his FANNY. Now in the
great teSt we see how Saul had failed
70 learn the duty that required him to
obey God, for he forgot the instruction
OF the prophetic teacher that had been
tne Inspiration as well as the imparter
Of his new life and acted as If the king
were not under any law. He followed the
bent OF his own selfish lnclinations, in
terpreting the divine commission to suit
hs growing love for power, show and
greed.
We, like Saul, are without excuse when
We claim TO be followers Of Christ, but
fail to study His word and neglect to dc
the things that we dislike to do. We can
10 more substitute our own will for that
of our Lord without reaping the conse-
auences than Saul did. We reap what
We SOW.
When Samuel was informed that God
lad "repented" concerning Saul II fllled
& prophet with Indignation and great
ppointment. SamuePs hopes for Saul
~ vnpu he loved. were all blasted and he
"1- filed with anger because the king
fsG loyt the sense Of his responsibility
fgf TO Samuel but TO God who had ap-
t.Anted Saul to be Israels first king. but
Who ''repented" because Saul sinned and
I-'orted the relations that had existed
before between him and his God.
I may help us TO understand the mean
NJ of Gods repentance II we recall the
-Is sgestion OF Matthew Henry, who states
that Repentance with God is not as II
is Sith US. change in His mind, but a
rIange in His method; He does not alter
Ills will. but wills an alteration
Cod to be consistent with himself has
aiways attached a condition to His prom
is.s so when Saul proved that he was a
traitor to his cause He was compelled te
treat him as such. He broke of his re-
iations with him because Of his rejection
Of Jehovah and failure to do His will
Samueps lI-night intercession failed Il
remove the divine decree Of disgrace from
saul because he was without a defense
The aged saint was even called upon tt
pronounce the destiny due to the delin
quent king.
= y
Defense, Delinquency, Destiny.