The answer is: Samuel

1 Samuel 15:32-33 - Samuel completed the job that Saul failed to do

Ah, the story of Agag in 1 Samuel is a wild ride! To set the scene a bit, God instructed Saul, the first king of Israel, to completely wipe out the Amalekites and their king Agag due to their past sins against Israel. Saul, however, spared Agag and the best livestock. Talk about a plot twist!

It's Samuel who steps in with a firm hand—and a brutal finish. After confronting Saul and laying it all out for him, Samuel goes above and beyond to ensure Agag's fate. Their meeting isn’t just brutal; it’s intensely symbolic—it represents the conflict between divine sanction and human disobedience. Samuel’s act of execution is less about personal glory and more about restoring the covenant order that Saul disrupted.

An interesting tidbit here: Agag is often viewed in prophetic circles as a representative of human opposition to God's plans. His name has echoes in the literary tapestry of biblical narrative, though he’s posthumously infused within themes of judgment and mercy. In some Jewish traditions, Agag is used as a character that symbolizes arrogance—from his privileging of a royal demeanor in the face of total annihilation to his chilling last words, insinuating a kind of false victory even in impending doom.

Saul juggled kingship under divine command—but it was Samuel, the prophet with a clean head and steady hand, who ensured that what had to be done, was indeed done, showcasing his pivotal role as a mediator between God and His chosen people. The story gets you thinking, doesn't it? How often do we wrestle with our responsibilities versus what we feel pressured to spare?