‘Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament’ will help pastors and well-informed Bible teachers understand and explain the Old Testament’s contents better, as they lead others to love God more.
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Somewhere on the list of stories rarely included in children’s Bible storybooks is Samuel hacking Agag, the Amalekite king, “to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal” (1 Sam. 15:33). For many, God’s command to kill all the Amalekites and their livestock raises questions about the morality of Scripture. When Saul only partially obeys and Samuel has to finish the job, anyone could be forgiven for wondering whether that violence was necessary.
Yetastoryfromcenturieslater,inthebookofEsther,revealswhySaul’spartialobediencewassodangerous.Haman,whonearlysucceedsinexterminatingtheJewsinPersia,is“theAgagite,thesonofHammedatha,theenemyoftheJews”(Est.3:10).ItseemsthatSaulsparedmorethantheking.Asaresult,thebloodfeudthathadstartedgenerationsearlier,duringIsrael’sescapefromEgypt(Ex.17:8–16),threatensGod’scovenant.WhenweconnectmultipleOldTestamentpassages,thebasisforGod’s
