1Ⅳ God commanded Saul to "strike the Amalekites" and to "utterly destroy all that they have" and not spare them, but he did not obey Jehovah's command—1 Sam. 15:3-9:
2一 扫罗灭绝了亚玛力的众民,却怜惜亚甲王,也爱惜上好的羊、牛、肥畜、羊羔,并一切美物—7~9节。
2A Saul killed the Amalekites, but he spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good—vv. 7-9.
3B Saul and the people's sparing the best part of the things that they should have utterly destroyed portrays the fact that, experientially, we treasure the good aspects of our flesh, our natural life, and do not wish to destroy them:
52 Every aspect of the flesh, whether good or evil, is in opposition to grace and God's kingdom and keeps us from enjoying Christ; therefore, we must hate every aspect of the flesh and be absolute in destroying the flesh—Rom. 8:13; Gal. 3:3; 5:2-4.