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valuable enemy

1 Samuel 15:6-9 (JDV)

1 Samuel 15:6 He warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So, the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.
1 Samuel 15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt.
1 Samuel 15:8 He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he annihilated all the rest of the people with the sword.
1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to annihilate them, but they did annihilate all the worthless and unwanted things.

valuable enemy

Saul considered Agag a valuable enemy — too valuable to waste by destruction. The problem is that Samuel had already told Saul to destroy Amalek and all associated with him. Saul was making concessions where he should not have made them, and he would soon learn that he should not have valued what God had already dedicated to destruction.

Much of what we value in our lives will not last into the next life. We would do well to not get attached to so much.