What Isn't Read

Yesterday's story was about God's order to Saul to exterminate all the Amaleks including their animals. However, Saul doesn't follow the order and spares Agag, the king of the Amaleks, and some of the choicest animals which he planned to offer to God as a sacrifice. So God tells Saul that his reign as king is over.

The reading for today is taken from the next chapter of the book of Samuel about Samuel choosing David but what I find interesting is what will not be read in mass (or what was not read in mass yesterday) from the same chapter as yesterday. Here it is:

Afterward Samuel commanded, "Bring Agag, king of Amalek, to me." Agag came to him struggling and saying, "So it is bitter death!"And Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." Then he cut Agag down before the LORD in Gilgal.Samuel departed for Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.Never again, as long as he lived, did Samuel see Saul. Yet he grieved over Saul, because the LORD regretted having made him king of Israel.

The version on the U.S. Catholic Bishops site is even more graphic. It reads: "Then he cut Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal."

Just as in yesterday's reading, the lesson my Theology teacher from long ago really helps. That the Old Testament represents incomplete revelation. That the people in the Old Testament probably misunderstood God's commands.

And that Jesus is the fullness of revelation. So we come a long way from exterminating the Amaleks and cutting Agag to pieces to turning the other cheek and loving your enemy.