Quotes About Sacrifice

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

I thought, ëNow the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.í So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

So Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. And the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off.

In that first assault, Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men over half an acre of land.

Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.

And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath.

Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ëCursed is the man who eats food today.í That is why the people are faint.”

So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it.

Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ëEach man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.í” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD.

As surely as the LORD who saves Israel lives, even if it is my son Jonathan, he must die!” But not one of the troops said a word.

“Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?”

And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”

But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with Godís help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.í”

He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.

Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.

When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORDís instructions.”

But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”

Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.”

So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”