Text: 1 Samuel 15:32-33
Saul was sent on a mission to destroy the Amalekites, yet spared their king – Agag (1 Samuel 15:2-3,8). Saul was condemned and punished for his sin (1 Samuel 15:14-15, 18-20, 22-23), yet Samuel did not forget to deal with Agag. Even though Agag thought he would be spared, justice was finally meted out to him
There are 4 lessons we can learn from Agag:
Sin Deserves Punishment
- As he did with Saul, Samuel explained Agag’s sin & its penalty (1 Samuel 15:33) – worthy of death (Genesis 9:6)
- Yet murder is not the only sin that will cause one to be worthy of death (Romans 1:28-32) – this is not just physical death, but spiritual death (Romans 6:23)
- Punishment comes for sin, not for factors that are out of our control (2 Corinthians 5:10)
All Men are Equal
- Tendency for men to elevate rulers to a higher level than other men – Saul killed all the Amalekites, but spared the king (1 Samuel 15:3,8); Agag didn’t seem to care much for his people since he thought he would be spared (1 Samuel 15:32)
- All men are equal before God (Acts 10:34) – this equality applies to rulers (Proverbs 16:12)
- Equal standard of justice for all (Ezekiel 18:20)
Another’s Disobedience Does Not Excuse Your Sin
- Saul had just been rebuked for his sin – Agag thought he would then be spared (1 Samuel 15:32)
- We can never use the sins of others as an excuse for our own sins or as a reason to avoid punishment (1 Samuel 15:20-21; Genesis 3:8-13; Ezekiel 18:2-4,20)
- We will be held accountable for the things we do (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Sin / Judgment Must be Taken Seriously
- Agag was a wicked man – yet he took sin & judgment lightly (1 Samuel 15:33)
- Sin is a serious matter (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23)
- Judgment is a serious matter – it is final (Matthew 25:10-13)
- We will not escape judgment, no matter how much time passes (2 Peter 3:9-10)
