阅读经文 

神吩咐祂的子民去击打亚玛力人，因为当他们从埃及为奴之地出来时，亚玛力人曾无情地攻击他们。（参申 25:17-19）设下埋伏后，扫罗快速并猛烈地攻击亚玛力人，在几乎毫无抵抗的情况下，扫罗的军队攻占了很多地土，他们击溃了亚玛力人，并且生擒了他们的王亚甲。

扫罗见到亚玛力人上好的牲口，便决定不灭绝它们。他这样做有什么问题呢？扫罗相信，凭借自己对战争的知识、而不必神的要求，他便能够作出更明智的决定。

撒母耳来到时，他看见两件令他非常惊讶的事：活生生的牲口和活生生的亚甲王。这就是神曾说祂对扫罗非常失望的原因了。

在他自己的世界和神的世界中，以色列第一任君王选择了他自己的世界。他带领百姓时，并非单单亚玛力人是不尊崇神的人，扫罗也一样抗拒神和尝试为自己牟利。

怪不得撒母耳要向耶和华哀求了，在那个晚上，耶和华和先知或许一起在为扫罗哭泣呢。

God gave instructions to attack the Amalekites because they had ruthlessly attacked his people coming out of slavery from Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Setting up an ambush, Saul attacked Amalek with great speed and force. Saul’s army gobbled up territory without much pushback. They destroyed the Amalekites and took their King Agag alive.

Saul looked at the Amalekites’ good livestock and decided to keep them alive too. What could be wrong with that? Saul simply believed he could make better decisions based on his knowledge of war than on God’s knowledge of obedience.

When Samuel came, he was shocked to see two things: alive animals and an alive King Agag. And because of this, God had said he was greatly disappointed with Saul.

Israel’s first king had chosen his world over God’s world. The Amalekites were not the only ones who dishonored God as he worked to lead his people. Saul too had worked against God and tried to take advantage for his own gain. No wonder Samuel cried out to the Lord. Maybe both the Lord and his prophet cried together that night.