ḥerem and ḥesed — Saul, Amalek, and the Cost of Partial Obedience. Few chapters in Scripture confront religious self-deception as sharply as 1 Samuel 15. Saul defends his actions using the language of worship, sacrifice, and devotion, yet God rejects him. The dividing line between obedience and rebellion is drawn not in motives or emotions, but in submission to the word of the Lord.