The First Book Of Samuel. Day 39, Saul Puts Jonathan's Life In Danger, Part Two

After the soldiers were finally allowed to eat, Saul wanted to continue pursuing the fleeing Philistines during the night. The high priest wisely suggested they consult God first, probably because he could clearly see what Saul can't: that he's in danger of pushing the men beyond their endurance. The Lord did not answer. Rather than taking this to mean they needed to stay put, Saul took it to mean there was secret sin in the camp. He began accusing the men of having sinned against the Lord and he made the unwise oath that as soon as he found out who the guilty party was, even if it was his own son Jonathan, the guilty party would be put to death.

Earlier in our chapter Saul forbade any of the men to eat a bite until that day's battle was won. Jonathan didn't know about his father's orders and ate honey he found in the woods. Because he didn't know about the orders, he is not guilty of any disobedience. But Saul will have the high priest cast lots and the lot will fall on Jonathan. It will fall on Jonathan not because he's done anything wrong but to teach Saul a lesson about making foolish oaths. It was foolish to bind all his soldiers under an oath that compelled them to fast at a time when they needed all their strength. It was foolish to make an oath that condemned to death anyone who broke the order about fasting.

"Saul then said to all the Israelites, 'You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.' 'Do what seems best to you,' they replied." (1 Samuel 14:40) In yesterday's passage we found these men standing mute, refusing to reveal the identity of the person who ate the honey. They are still standing firm in their support of Jonathan. They don't know how the Lord is going to handle this situation but are waiting to see what He will do. 

"Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Why have You not answered Your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.'" (1 Samuel 14:41) You'll recall that the Urim and Thummim are two objects carried in the breastplate worn by the high priest and that these objects were prayerfully used to determine the will of the Lord. These objects are theorized to have been a white stone and a black stone but the Bible never describes them for us. The exact method used for casting lots with these objects is never described for us either. 

The lot falls to Saul and Jonathan. "Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul said, 'Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.' And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, 'Tell me what you have done.' So Jonathan told him, 'I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!' Saul said, 'May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.'" (1 Samuel 14:41b-44) Saul is trying to sound super spiritual here by claiming he cannot break the oath he made that any man who tasted food during that day's battle would be put to death. But Jonathan wasn't even in the army camp when Saul made this rule; Jonathan and his armor-bearer were busy attacking a Philistine outpost. Saul will not be breaking his oath if he doesn't execute his son because his son is not guilty of any disobedience or sin. 

But Saul wants to save face. He's prideful. If he goes back on his word he thinks the people will regard him as a weak and ineffective king. He thinks the people will accuse him of treating his son differently than he would have treated anyone else. He reminds me of Herod (in Matthew 14 and Mark 6) who rashly made an oath to give the sultry Salome anything she asked for if she would dance for him and his dinner guests. What she asked for was the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was distressed, for he regarded John as a prophet and both liked and reverently feared him. The Bible says that Herod recognized John to be "a righteous and holy man", yet "because of his oaths and his dinner guests" Herod didn't want to refuse to grant Salome's request. Pride kept Herod from saving the life of John the Baptist. Pride almost keeps Saul from saving the life of his son. But thankfully the troops will not stand for Jonathan being executed. Their outcry on his behalf allows Saul to spare Jonathan's life while saving face at the same time.

"But the men said to Saul, 'Should Jonathan die---he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help.' So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land." (1 Samuel 14:45-46) The men are about to revolt. I don't know how far they would have gone to save Jonathan. It could be they'd have assaulted or killed the king in order to protect him. Or it could be that every fighting man present would have deserted Saul and refused to ever obey his orders again. But it's clear to Saul that if he insists on putting his son to death he will be losing not only his son but his army. No one will stand with him if Jonathan is executed. So he relents. He also relents in regard to continuing to pursue the Philistines at this time. They are already on the run and headed back to their own territory as quickly as they can go; there's nothing more to be gained at the moment by chasing them into their own land and striking them down there.

Saul can give in while appearing gracious at the same time, as if he is honoring a request made by his soldiers who want to show their appreciation for Jonathan's bravery. I wish I could say Saul learns his lesson about making unwise oaths or about making decisions in the heat of the moment or about giving in to anger and violent tendencies. But he doesn't. As time goes on we'll find him becoming more and more unpredictable and unstable. He is the type of person whose character Jesus' brother James deplored, who does not ask for wisdom from God, who is filled with doubts and pride, and who is double-minded and unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8) Saul is a man who follows his own emotions, not the wisdom of the Lord. He does what his own carnal mind wants to do instead of doing what God's word says to do. No one can prosper mentally, emotionally, or spiritually when living this way. We have to fill our minds with the truth of God's word instead of following every inclination of our hearts, for the Bible assures us that the human heart is "deceitful above all things". (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts will lie to us. Our emotions will lie to us. Our minds will lie to us. But the word of God will never lie to us. If we seek the wisdom of the Lord and meditate on His word, we can make wise decisions and live stable lives.