15:4-6
We are not told when this took place, given the size of the army that Saul mustered, it is likely that it was a few years after the time 1 Sam 13 and 14, when we are talking of a few hundred or a thousand or two. Though 1 Sam 11:8 had two hundred thousand. It is possible that “thousand” here refers to army units rather than a numerical thousand. The numbers for Judah are singled out again. While the Amalekites were destined for judgement, the Kenites were given warning and advised to leave, because of their previous kindness to Israel.
It is advisable to treat Israel well. With the current Gaza-Israel (and Iran-Israel) conflict, there are those who say Israel is getting what it deserves because of their rejection of Christ, and general godlessness. We should remember that Israel was under judgement at this time, for her rejection of God as their king. We should not be blind to Israel’s faults, but nor must we sit in judgement over them, that is God’s job.
So the Kenites moved away, while Israel attacked the Amalekites.
15:7-9
Saul was carrying out the sentence on God's behalf, but then took matters into his own hands. He took king Agag alive, and spared the best of the flocks. Saul was now deciding who should live and who should die. They destroyed or killed “everything that was despised and weak”. This is how human judgement works. Tyrants will use judicial systems not to implement justice, but to further their own ends.
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