Obey Pass Sacrifice

One king stand up with pride to greet di prophet. I don do everything wey Di Lord command. And just dat time, from somewhere behind am, one sheep cry.

Saul don be king for some years now. E don win battles, and e don make mistakes. One time before, Samuel don warn am say impatience and disobedience go cost am. Now di old prophet come with another message, and e start with one reminder. Na Di Lord send me to anoint you as king. So listen to di words of Di Lord. Di command na about di Amalekites, people wey dey raid for di desert for south, di first nation wey attack Israel after dem comot from Egypt.

Di command clear well well. Saul must destroy Amalek finish, and e no go take anything for imself. No plunder. No animals. Nothing wey dem go keep back. Saul gather one very big army. Before e attack, e send message to di Kenites, wey dey live among di Amalekites. Make una comot from their middle, because una show Israel kindness when we comot from Egypt. So di Kenites leave. Then Saul defeat di Amalekites. But e no do wetin dem tell am. E spare Agag, their king. And im and di people keep di best of di sheep and di cows, di fat calves and di lambs, everything wey good. Na only di things wey no get value dem destroy.

Dat night, di word of Di Lord come to Samuel. E pain me say I make Saul king. E don turn back from following me. Di matter trouble Samuel well well. E cry to Di Lord di whole night. Early di next morning e go find Saul, and dem tell am say Saul don go Carmel go set up one monument for there, to honour imself, and then e move go Gilgal.

When Samuel reach, Saul greet am with warm face. Di Lord bless you! I don do wetin Di Lord command. Samuel talk, Then wetin be dis sheep wey dey cry for my ear, and di cows wey I dey hear? Saul don get answer ready. Na di soldiers bring dem. Dem spare di best ones to sacrifice to Di Lord your God. Di rest, we destroy. Notice di words. Na di soldiers do am. For your God. And di rest, na we destroy am. Samuel stop am. E don do. One time, you dey small for your own eye. No be Di Lord make you head of di tribes of Israel? Why you no obey? But I obey, Saul talk, and e tell di story again.

Then Samuel talk di words wey people dey remember dis story for. Di Lord dey happy with burnt offering and sacrifice reach how e dey happy when person obey im voice? To obey better pass sacrifice. Because Saul don reject di word of Di Lord, Di Lord don reject am as king. At last Saul talk, I don sin. I fear di people, so I listen to dem. E beg Samuel make e come back with am. As Samuel turn to go, Saul hold di edge of im robe, and e tear. Samuel look di cloth wey tear. Di Lord don tear di kingdom from you today, and e don give am to your neighbour, wey better pass you. Even dat time, wetin Saul dey worry about na how e go look for people eye. Honour me in front of di elders. Samuel go back with am, and Saul worship. Then Samuel imself kill Agag, e cut am to pieces before Di Lord for Gilgal. E go back to im house for Ramah, and e no go see Saul again. But e mourn for am.

Who be di Amalekites? Di Bible remember dem as people wey dey move from place to place for di desert for di south of Canaan. Di book of Deuteronomy talk say when Israel comot from Egypt, Amalek attack dem for road, dem dey kill di ones wey dey back, di ones wey don weak and tire. Di command for dis chapter use one serious word, herem, wey mean something wey dem don give to God completely, so dat nobody go fit profit from am. Jewish and Christian readers don dey struggle with commands like dis one for long time. Wetin di chapter imself dey stress na say Saul keep di spoil.

Obey pass sacrifice. You go find am for First Samuel, chapter fifteen. Saul do part of wetin God ask, then e dress di rest up like say na worship. But na never di sheep God want. Na Saul heart e want. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey wey God don ask you to do, wey you only do half?