1 Samuel 15:20
“Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.”
What does 1 Samuel 15:20 mean?
Saul is defending himself against Samuel's accusation that he disobeyed God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites. Notice what Saul claims: he obeyed God and destroyed the enemy, yet he's kept their king Agag alive and apparently some of their wealth (as we learn later). This reveals how easy it is to convince ourselves we've followed through when we've actually compromised, keeping "just a little" of what we were told to release. Saul's words sound obedient on the surface, but Samuel's response makes clear that partial obedience, when complete obedience was commanded, is actually disobedience. It's a sobering reminder that our own justifications can blind us to where we're holding back from what God asks of us.