As a result of their victory over the Phi-lis'tines the children of Is'ra-el were freed from the invasions of these enemies for a number of years, and Saul seems to have taken a renewed interest in the affairs of the nation. He enjoyed once again the confidence of Is'ra-el, and the people rallied to his leadership in wars against various nations on every side of the land.
Saul drove back the Mo'ab-ites who were threatening the security of Is'ra-el from their lands southeast of the Dead Sea. The Am'mon-ites, who were a constant menace to the tribes east of Jor'dan, were routed again, and threats from the E'dom-ites south of Ju'dah and Sim'e-on were also suppressed. To the north, between Da-mas'cas and the Eu-phra'tes River, Saul was successful in a war with the strong, wealthy kingdom known as Zo'bah. Several years were probably spent in intermittent wars against these various heathen nations.
The prophet Sam'u-el, who seems to have avoided Saul after rebuking him for his unworthy conduct in the battle with the Phi-lis'tines, now appeared with a special message from GOD which called for an attack upon the Am'a-lek-ites. They were a fierce, roving people who lived south and southwest of Ca'naan in the A-ra'bi-an Peninsula, and were descendants of Am'a-lek, a grandson of E'sau. The LORD'S command that they be destroyed goes back to their hostility toward Mo'ses in the wilderness. They had allied with the Ca'naan-ites at Ka'desh, with the Mo'ab-ites in the capture of Jer'i-cho in the early days of the Judges, and with the Mid'i-an-ites in the oppression of Is'ra-el prior to the days of Gid'e-on, and were now bent upon robbery and murder once again.
GOD'S command to Saul at this time was that he "utterly destroy" this nation and all their live-stock. Nothing was to be spared or offered for redemption. Such a course, cruel and barbarous as it may seem to us, was justified because of long years of persistent evil doing had removed all possibility of salvation for the Am'a-lek-ites.
Saul organized an army of two hundred and ten thousand men, and proceeded at once into the land of the Am'a-lek-ites. Living among these wild people of A-ra'bi-a was a small tribe of the Mid'i-an nation known as Ken'ites. They had shown special kindness to the people of Is'ra-el on more than one occasion, and a covenant of friendship had been made with them. Saul ordered them to leave, so that they would not be included in the destruction of the Am'a-lek-ites.
Saul then attacked the Am'a-lek-ites and won an overwhelming victory. Their entire land was smitten from the southeast to the west and northwest. The people were slain, and the king, whose name was A'gag, was taken prisoner. But in the destruction of the live-stock the command of GOD was only partially obeyed. The best of the sheep and oxen and fatlings and lambs were spared, and were carried back to Ca'naan as spoils of war. Saul again showed a spirit of self-will and rashness. He placed his own wishes above the direct command of GOD, feeling, no doubt, that his way was better than that of GOD.
The LORD was greatly displeased with the conduct of Saul. He appeared again to Sam'u-el, telling him that He regretted the appointment of such a self-willed, disobedient man to the throne of Is'ra-el. Sam'u-el's anger was kindled against Saul, and he was greatly disturbed by the LORD'S threat to remove him from the throne. He spent the whole night in prayer, asking mercy for the wilful and disobedient king.
Next to Mo'ses, Sam'u-el was the greatest pleader for mercy in Is'ra-el, but his prayers on behalf of Saul could not offset the king's persistent disobedience to GOD'S known commands. The Divine arm was not shortened, nor the Divine ear deaf, but even GOD could do no further mighty works for the unbelieving Saul. No prayer from the greatest saint could now remove the just punishment upon an unrepentant sinner.
