But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
God does not change His mind as we do; He wills an alteration in His method when the creature turns away. Saul turned back from following Him through covetousness and partial obedience, and made himself God's enemy. Samuel spent the whole night wrestling with God in prayer for Saul's restoration, grieving not for himself but that any sinner should forfeit God's favor.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Samuel 15:10-23
But the people took the spoil, the sheep and oxen,.... Still he continues to lay the blame on the people, when he, as king, ought to have restrained them: the chief of the things, which should have been utterly destroyed; this betrays him, and is an evidence against him; he could not plead ignorance, he knew and he owns, that according to the command of...
To sacrifice unto the Lord - Thus he endeavors to excuse the people. They did not take the spoil in order to enrich themselves by it, but to sacrifice unto the Lord; and did not this motive justify their conduct?