The First Book Of Samuel. Day 38, Saul Puts Jonathan's Life In Danger, Part One

In Friday's study we learned that Saul had bound all his soldiers by an oath to eat nothing until they had completely won the current battle. This was a foolish oath, for it left his men feeling faint and weak. His son Jonathan didn't know about the oath and ate some honey and immediately felt better, only to be informed by another soldier that Saul had vowed to put to death anyone who ate a bite before the battle was finished. Jonathan pointed out how dangerous this was for the troops and for Israel as a whole because the men would have been able to fight better and longer if they were allowed to refresh themselves.

Saul doesn't yet know about the honey. But his strict rule about food causes his troops to sin against the Lord at the conclusion of the battle. "That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Mikmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, 'Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.'" (1 Samuel 14:31-33a) The Lord commanded the people in Deuteronomy 12:23-24: "But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water." When we studied the book of Deuteronomy we discussed the spiritual reason (blood must not be considered common enough for consumption because the blood represents the blood Christ would shed for mankind) and the health reasons for this rule (pathogens that can be transmitted through blood and through uncooked meat).

The soldiers know better than to eat the meat with the blood still in it but they've been driven almost crazy by hunger. You've probably heard the saying, (or have used it yourself), "I'm so hungry I could eat a cow." These men are literally that hungry, thanks to their commander in chief's unhealthy order. Saul doesn't take any responsibility for their sin but he does at least remedy the situation. "'You have broken faith,' he said. 'Roll a large stone over here at once.' Then he said, 'Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this." (1 Samuel 14:34-35) He made a place for them to be able to drain the blood. Then he built an altar to the Lord where I am sure a sacrifice for atonement was made by the high priest who we have been told is traveling with the army. This acknowledges and atones for the sin of eating blood. 

"Saul said, 'Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.' 'Do whatever seems best to you,' they replied. But the priest said, 'Let us inquire of God here.' So Saul asked God, 'Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will You give them into Israel's hand?' But God did not answer him that day. Saul therefore said, 'Come here, all you leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.' But not one of them said a word." (1 Samuel 14:36-39) Saul is still willing to risk the health and lives of his men. He allowed them to stop long enough to eat but not long enough for their weary bodies to recover. The high priest recognizes the danger of this: not only could many soldiers die but Israel could lose the war and come under the complete control of the Philistines. The priest is not in a position to forbid the king to carry out this plan, but the Lord is. The Lord doesn't answer, which prevents Saul from ordering his troops onward.

Saul interprets the Lord's silence as proof that there is secret sin in the camp. A sacrifice has been made in repentance for the sin of eating blood so Saul knows the Lord's silence has nothing to do with that. He thinks something else has happened, that a sin has been committed that he knows nothing about. He doesn't know Jonathan ate the honey but Jonathan wasn't sinning when he ate the honey because he knew nothing about his father's orders. But Saul thinks someone has sinned against the Lord and brought the Lord's displeasure upon the whole army. He doesn't stop to think that he is the one in the wrong. He's so sure that someone else is to blame, and he's so confident that it couldn't possibly be his own son, that he utters an oath that puts Jonathan's life in danger. That's why no one speaks up. I don't know whether the whole army knows that Jonathan ate honey but at least one soldier saw him do it and you know how quickly news can spread. I am sure many soldiers knew about it by now.

The soldiers like and respect Jonathan. He cares about them and was angry when he found out they'd been forbidden to eat. He's a man who loves the Lord, who loves his fellow soldiers, and who loves the nation of Israel. The men don't want anything to happen to him and they stand before the king in silence and in solidarity, refusing to point the finger at Jonathan. 

When we study the second half of this passage tomorrow we'll find Saul pridefully willing to stand by his word even if it means his son and heir loses his life. It's only because his men will not stand for it that he has to back down.

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 37, Saul Makes A Foolish Oath

Before we begin today's study I'd like to share the good news that the medical test I had yesterday was normal. I had been concerned about it because a screening test had come back positive but it turns out to have been a false positive. I am so thankful to the Lord for that and for keeping me safe under anesthesia.

We are still in Chapter 14 and Israel is at war with the Philistines. The Israelites won a great victory earlier in the chapter when Jonathan and his armor-bearer took brave action in faith and the Lord struck the Philistine army with panic. Now that the enemy is on the run, Israel has the upper hand. Saul wants to take advantage of this upper hand but he binds all his soldiers to an unwise oath.

"Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!' So none of the troops tasted food." (1 Samuel 14:24) He places his whole army on a mandatory fast under threat of death! Now, it would be one thing if the whole army had voluntarily decided, "We are going to observe a fast to the Lord at this time," although I doubt the Lord would have directed them to do such a thing in a time when they need every ounce of energy for battle. The Lord is far more interested in hearts that are yielded to Him than in outward displays of spirituality. For example, a person can observe a religious fast or attend a religious ceremony without being in the right spirit toward the Lord. Saul is not a particularly spiritual man but as a show of deference to the Lord he orders all his men not to eat, thinking this outward display of piety will "convince" the Lord to continue being gracious to the army. 

"The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath." (1 Samuel 14:25-26) Imagine how hard it must have been to see the honey---a quick source of calories and energy---right in front of them but not being able to eat it even though their bellies are growling and their blood sugar is too low and they are feeling sick and faint with hunger! It's only because they know they will lose their lives that they are able to resist eating it. I had to fast before my medical procedure yesterday and my husband was careful not to eat anything in front of me the night before because he knew I couldn't eat. He got himself something at a fast food drive-thru and ate in his vehicle so I wouldn't even have to smell food. But here we have Saul's troops, who are fighting on his command, having to to see and smell food while not being able to have any of it because he foolishly placed them under a mandatory fast.

Earlier in our chapter Saul's son Jonathan sneaked away with his armor-bearer to plot and carry out an attack on a Philistine outpost. He isn't aware of his father's orders. "But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with an oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened." (1 Samuel 14:27) Jonathan does what anyone who is thinking logically would do. He's faint with hunger. There's a source of easily-digestible calories right in front of him. He eats the honey. The only reason the other men haven't eaten the honey is because Saul will kill them if they do. I can only assume that perhaps, when he made the oath, Saul had only been directing the battle and had not been fighting it. Or at least, he may not have been fighting as heartily as his men were. If Saul had been experiencing the faintness of low blood sugar then I have doubts that fasting would have come to his mind.

One of the soldiers nearby sees Jonathan eating the honey and realizes he doesn't know about Saul's oath. He is quick to inform Jonathan about it. "Then one of the soldiers told him, 'Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." (1 Samuel 14:28) Jonathan must have noticed that the men's energy is low but he probably assumed it was due to how fiercely they had been fighting. The soldier says, "No, they're about to drop like flies because they haven't had anything to eat!"

I can just feel the anger and frustration Jonathan is feeling when he says what he says next. He is indignant on behalf of the men who are giving everything they've got on the battlefield as they fight for their country. "Jonathan said, 'My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been greater?'" (1 Samuel 14:29-30) In my opinion, Jonathan would have made a far better king and army commander than Saul. Jonathan is a man of faith and a man of common sense, both of which are extremely valuable qualities in anyone. The Israelites have defeated many Philistine soldiers on this day but could have struck down far more if they'd had the strength some food would have given them. I am sure Saul didn't intend it this way, but by putting his men under a forced fast it's like he's punished them for their hard work instead of thanking and refreshing them.

Jonathan's words tell us that there were foods available to the army other than just the honey in the woods. The Israelite soldiers have taken the belongings of the Philistine soldiers as the spoils of war. And I am sure the Philistines were very well equipped with all sorts of food and drink, including a drink we've studied before called "wine vinegar" that can be compared to some of the sports drinks of today. It was usually supplied to the army because it helped to restore electrolyte levels in the body. But Saul prevented his men from eating or drinking any of the supplies they took from the Philistines and he forbade them to consume any food they found along the way. 

So what does this mean for Jonathan? Will his father make an exception for him because he is his son or because he didn't know about the oath? No! Shockingly, no. As we continue moving through this chapter over the next couple of days we'll find Saul willing to put his own son to death. He'll be willing to do it is to save face, to make a show of power, to prove to the people that he doesn't say anything he doesn't mean, to show he doesn't play favorites---in other words, he's going to be led by his pride. But never fear, the Lord and the army of Israel will be looking out for Jonathan and he will be spared.

I suppose one of the main takeaways (for me, anyway) from today's text is that the Lord has blessed us with common sense and that He wants us to use it. Saul's behavior reminds me of the type of thing Jesus found hypocritical in the New Testament which is making a show of doing something religious while withholding mercy from one's fellow man. Saul owed his men a chance to refresh themselves but made a showy oath instead.

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 36, A Battle Won

In yesterday's study we found Jonathan and his armor-bearer bravely attacking a Philistine outpost. Confusion and panic, sent from God, then struck the Philistine army. We were told, "Then panic struck the whole army---those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties---and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God." (1 Samuel 14:15)

Now we pick up our study at verse 16 with King Saul's lookouts informing him that the Philistines are running to and fro in terror. "Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, 'Muster the forces and see who has left us.' When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there." (1 Samuel 14:16-17) Saul realizes someone must have carried out an attack on the Philistines but he doesn't know who until the roll is called. 

We were told yesterday that the current high priest, Ahijah, was with Saul in the camp. (Ahijah's name is sometimes rendered as Ahimelech.) "Saul said to Ahijah, 'Bring the ark of God.' (At that time it was with the Israelites.)" (1 Samuel 14:18) Some scholars believe the second half of verse 18 should be translated as, "Bring the ephod." In yesterday's text we found Ahijah was wearing the ephod (the priestly garment) and since he is the current high priest he would also be wearing the breastplate in which were stored the Urim and Thummim for casting lots to determine the Lord's will. Whatever Saul actually said, his intention is clear: he wants to ask the Lord whether he and his army should swoop down on the panicked Philistines. The answer to that should really have been obvious. It is time to strike; the Lord supernaturally infused the Philistine army with terror and confusion to make it easier for the Israelites to defeat them. 

I don't know about you, but there have been times when I knew what the Lord was telling me to do and I either didn't want to do it or I wanted even more assurances than He'd already given me. I wanted to hear the instructions yet again. In fact, I'd have liked to hear the instructions so many times over that I'd have probably never ended up taking the step of faith at all. The Lord is patient with our weaknesses and there's no doubt about that, but when it's time to act it's time to act. If He has made it clear to us what we are to do and when we are to do it, our response should be to obey. When we were kids it was important for us to learn to immediately obey our parents because our safety might depend on it if our parents needed to call us away from something dangerous. Likewise, we are to be quick to obey our heavenly Father. We must be quick to back away from what He says is dangerous and we must be quick to forge ahead when He's calling us to victories and blessings.

Before the priest can consult the Lord for Saul, Saul realizes that the right thing to do is to take action. "While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, 'Withdraw your hand.'" (1 Samuel 14:19) 

"Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan." (1 Samuel 14:20-21) Even the deserters rejoin Israel in the fight! We had been told that many of Saul's men fled when they saw how many troops the Philistines sent out to the fight. It appears that some of these deserters joined up with the Philistines. But now, seeing they are soon to be on the losing side if they remain with the Philistines, they come back to fight with their fellow Israelites.

The Israelites who did not join the Philistines, but who had instead hidden from the battle to come, are stirred to bravery now. They come out to join the fight. "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit." (1 Samuel 14:22)

"So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven." (1 Samuel 14:23)  

A great victory is accomplished because Jonathan trusted the Lord. His faith encouraged his armor-bearer to attack the Philistine outpost with him. The faith of Jonathan and his armor-bearer encouraged the soldiers of Israel to attack the enemy. Sometimes we say to ourselves, "I'm just one person. What can I really do for the Lord or for my people?" The answer is: a lot! Over and over in the Scriptures we find the Lord telling us to "be strong and courageous". Courage is infectious. When our brothers and sisters in the Lord see us courageously obeying the Lord, they are encouraged to do likewise. The faith of one person can set an example for a lot of other people. So don't tell yourself (or allow the devil to tell you) that you can't do anything for the Lord or for your fellow man. The decision of Jonathan---one person!---to trust the Lord to help him attack the Philistine outpost caused Israel to win a battle even though the Philistines vastly outnumbered them and possessed far superior weapons. What might the Lord do in your life, in my life, and in the lives of those around us if we are willing to trust and obey Him?

(Tomorrow I may not have an opportunity to publish our daily Bible study session. I have to leave home around 6am to have a medical test performed under anesthesia. Prayers are appreciated for all to go well and hopefully I will be back into the study with you on Friday.)

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 35, Jonathan Attacks The Philistines

Earlier in Chapter 13 we found Saul's son Jonathan being the first to go on the offenseive against the occupying Philistines. He and his men attacked a Philistine outpost at Geba which was located within the northern borders of Benjamin. Upon hearing of this, the leaders of the Philistines put on a massive show of force, sending thousands of charioteers and thousands of foot soldiers into Israel. 

King Saul only has six hundred men with him and among them only he and his son Jonathan have swords. Saul and most of his troops are trembling in fear but Jonathan, who is a man of faith, along with his armor-bearer, also a man of faith, believe that the God of Israel is able to give victory no matter how badly the Israelites are outnumbered and no matter how few weapons the Israelites have at their disposal.

"Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, 'Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.' But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left." (1 Samuel 13:23, 1 Samuel 14:1-3) We don't know why Jonathan said nothing to his father. It might have been to avoid worrying him, for no doubt Saul would have considered it foolhardy if he had known what Jonathan had in mind.

"On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north near Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba. Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let's go over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.'" (1 Samuel 14:4-6) Jonathan didn't know for certain whether the Lord would give the Philistines into his hands or not, but he knew that the Lord could. And because he knew that the Lord could, he was willing to be used by the Lord to subdue the enemy.

His young armor-bearer bravely agrees with him. "'Do all that you have in mind,' his armor-bearer said. 'Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.' Jonathan said, 'Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.'" (1 Samuel 14:7-10) Jonathan has either asked for one of these specific signs from the Lord or the Lord has told him what to watch for. They are to allow the Philistines to see them and wait to see how they respond. The Philistines may say, "Stop right there! Don't come any closer. We'll send some men over to speak to you." In that case, Jonathan and the armor-bearer are not to go on the attack. But if the Philistines tell them to approach, this is the signal that the Lord is going to give them victory in battle. 

Why would the Philistines not be alarmed at the sight of these two Israelites? They probably assume these two men are deserters, come to surrender in exchange for preserving their lives. Or it could be they assume King Saul has sent these two men to deliver a message of surrender on behalf of all Israel. The Philistines have too much strength in numbers to worry about two men appearing on the scene. They arrogantly believe they have nothing to fear.

"So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. 'Look!' said the Philistines. 'The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.' The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer,' Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.'" (1 Samuel 14:11-12a) This taunt is exactly the sign Jonathan was waiting for. "So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, 'Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.'" (1 Samuel 14:12b)

"Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre." (1 Samuel 14:13-14) By faith these two men slay twenty Philistines in a surprise attack. They catch the soldiers off guard, likely because the soldiers thought they were there to surrender, not there to fight. They could hardly have expected two men to mount such a ferocious attack.

"Then panic struck the whole army---those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties---and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God." (1 Samuel 14:15) Philistines who aren't even at the outpost on the cliff and who don't even know about the attack are struck with panic. They are thrown into confusion. They can't think what to do. Because two men had the faith to believe the Lord could give victory in the face of such great obstacles, the Lord now moves in a mighty way. He throws the entire Philistine army into such a state of fear that they are useless as a fighting force.

The Lord promised that if the Israelites would be obedient to Him, "The enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven." (Deuteronomy 28:7) Jonathan and his armor-bearer have taken these words to heart. Though they are but two men, their faith benefits their whole nation. The Lord rewards their faith by causing their fierce enemy to tremble in fear.

It is our enemies---not us---who should be trembling in fear. I am ashamed to admit I am prone to giving in to fear. I wish that wasn't the case. I have the tendency to imagine the worst-case scenarios and to fall prey to anxiety. I'm having a difficult week right now, in fact. Something I am trying to keep in mind is that fear does not come from God. It comes either from our own worried minds or from the devil himself. But it is not God's will for his children to run to and fro in a blind panic: that's something He's reserved for our enemies. If we find ourselves in a panic, it wasn't sent to us from the Lord, for His holy word assures us that He has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) We live in a scary world where things take us by unpleasant surprise. We see and hear terrible things on the news. A good way to combat those things is to focus on the God for whom no problem is too big to handle. I hope to be able to do that today to combat my own anxious thoughts. I think that's why Jonathan and his armor-bearer were able to be so brave in our text today: they focused their thoughts on God and not on the enemy. 

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 34, Israel Without Weapons Of War

As we closed yesterday's study we found Samuel saying some very serious words to Saul over his disobedience and lack of faith. As we begin today's passage we find Samuel taking his leave of Saul at Gilgal but he isn't deserting him. He's going up to Gibeah, Saul's hometown, where we will find Saul and his son Jonathan and their soldiers camping.

"Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred." (1 Samuel 13:15) This is a very small army. The Philistines have come out with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and so many foot soldiers that the author of 1 Samuel didn't even try to guess their number. 

"Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying at Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness." (1 Samuel 13:16-18) Saul is camped to the south. The raiding parties enter Israel in the north, east, and west.

The purpose of these raiding parties appears to be to prevent the Israelites from fashioning any new metal weapons of war and to make it very difficult to even get their farm implements sharpened. "Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, 'Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!' So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads." (1 Samuel 13:19-21) The Philistines must have captured the Israelite artisans whose occupations were to forge swords, spears, and knives and who would sharpen weapons and farm implements for their fellow citizens. (There are historic accounts of nations other than the Philistines using this practice of capturing the metal workers of the people they are trying to subjugate.) No one is left in Israel who can make a metal weapon of war. To get farm equipment serviced, the Israelites must visit their artisans who are in the custody of the Philistines where the Philistines can supervise what is being done so that no weapons of war can be made or sharpened on the sly. Not only that, but the price for having the farm equipment serviced is outrageous and not everyone can afford it. This helps to prevent a large number of people from sharpening their farm implements enough to use them as weapons.

We don't know how long it took for the Philistines to put the Israelites in the dire situation of having no weapons other than bows and arrows, slingshots, and clubs. But as the day of battle approaches we find that the only two men at Gibeah with metal weapons of war are King Saul and his son Jonathan. "So on the day of battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them." (1 Samuel 13:22) 

The Philistines have a great many metal weapons at their disposal. They do a lot of trading with a number of other nations, which means they possess the latest and best technology available. Also they are skilled iron workers themselves and are believed to have been the first nation of Canaan to manufacture items of iron. The Philistines are doing everything they can to ensure an easy win for themselves in the coming battle. Their soldiers outnumber Israel's soldiers and their weapons are superior to Israel's weapons.

But none of this hinders the Lord who is mighty to save! Even if the Israelites had no weapons at all, the Lord would be able to give them the victory. We have seen before, and will see again, Him striking an enemy army with confusion or plague before a battle can even begin. We have seen Him enabling the Israelites to fight on the battlefield far beyond the point where human strength usually gives out. The Lord is never limited in any way. It doesn't matter how few weapons His people have at their disposal. It doesn't matter how few in number they are. It doesn't matter how feeble their strength may be. The battle is the Lord's and He has never lost a battle---it is not possible for Him to lose a battle! As David will proclaim in faith later in the book of 1 Samuel when he faces down a giant with nothing but a slingshot, "It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's." (1 Samuel 17:47) In the book of 2 Chronicles, when the Lord's people find themselves so outnumbered in battle that all appears lost, the Holy Spirit will influence a man named Jahaziel and he will stand and say to the fearful assembly, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15) 

It is when the battle appears impossible to win, through human strength, that the Lord's helping hand is most visible. We cannot take the credit or the glory for winning this kind of battle; we must give the credit and the glory to God. This, in turn, increases our faith in Him. Seeing Him fight our battles for us causes us to trust Him more and to love Him more. 

Our study today reminds me of a song I've been hearing on the radio off and on over the past year and I'm going to include a link to it below. It has been a blessing to me in reminding me that the battle is not ours but the Lord's. I hope it will bless you too.

Battle Belongs

 

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 33, Saul Makes A Big Mistake

The Philistine army has come out to fight against Israel after King Saul's son Jonathan and his troops attacked a Philistine outpost within the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord had said that Israel's first king would be useful in pushing back against the Philistine oppressors and in yesterday's text we found Jonathan the son of Saul, in faith, taking the first step toward removing the Philistines from the land of Israel. 

The leaders of the Philistines regarded the attack on their small outpost at Geba as an act of war, responding with so many chariots and troops that Saul could not call up enough fighting men in time to match their numbers. Many of those who did show up saw how vastly outnumbered they were and "hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns". (1 Samuel 13:6) Some even fled across the Jordan to take refuge in the areas of Gad and Gilead. (1 Samuel 13:7)

A lot of Saul's men are deserting him and this is a heavy blow because he didn't have enough soldiers to begin with. Though the Bible doesn't spell this out for us, about a week prior there were messages exchanged between Saul and Samuel. We don't know whether Saul sent a message for Samuel to come quickly because the Philistines were amassing their troops or whether Samuel, upon hearing of the coming conflict, sent a message to Saul. But during this exchange the prophet Samuel instructed Saul to stand by and take no action until he arrived on the scene. Evidently Samuel was a seven day's journey away at the time he gave these instructions. "Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter." (1 Samuel 13:7b-8)

Earlier in the book, after Saul was privately anointed by Samuel as the king of Israel, Samuel told Saul to go down to Gilgal ahead of him and to wait there until he arrived with further instructions. Saul obeyed Samuel that time. But he won't obey him this time. We will find Saul being a man who always tries to defend and justify his poor decisions. He likes to blame his poor decisions on the circumstances around him as if he were given no choice but to do whatever he chooses to do. It was easy for him to wait at Gilgal for Samuel the first time he was instructed to do so because he wasn't standing in front of his soldiers with the enemy army approaching. It was easy for him to wait at Gilgal the first time because he didn't have men shaking in fear or deserting him. But that's no excuse for failing to obey Samuel's instructions---and we must keep in mind that as the Lord's prophet, Samuel's instructions are the Lord's instructions. 

On the seventh day, when Samuel doesn't appear early in the day, many of the soldiers who haven't already lost heart lose heart now. Saul himself is losing heart. In order to bolster the confidence of his men, and in order to prevent more of them from deserting him, he will take matters into his own hands. We'll see in a moment that Samuel planned to make a burnt offering and a fellowship offering to the Lord when he arrived and no doubt he intended to also call upon the Lord on behalf of the troops and on behalf of all Israel. This was to take place before the soldiers of Israel engaged the Philistines in battle. But Saul thinks he's going to have to engage the Philistines in battle at any moment, before the sacrifice has been made, so he will unlawfully perform a religious rite that kings are not to perform. In Israel kings could not be priests and priests could not be kings. But Saul is going to perform some priestly duties here in Chapter 13.

 

Samuel (who is a Levite though not a priest) was not in the wrong whenever he performed a sacrifice for the people because there are instances in the Bible where judges or prophets were allowed to do so. For example, the Lord instructed Gideon to make a sacrifice when He called him to be a judge. We'll also find the prophet Elijah making a sacrifice on behalf of the people, with the Lord's blessing. But we do not find the Lord's blessing upon kings for taking on priestly duties, for if a man could be both priest and king he would have too much control and influence over all the people. If he was not a man whose heart was wholly committed to the Lord, he would be in a position to influence the people to turn away from the proper worship of the Lord. A man who was both the head of the government and the head of the established religion of the nation could influence the whole nation into worshiping false gods or he could even force the people to worship himself and call him "lord", which indeed happened in many ancient cultures. 

When Samuel doesn't arrive at daybreak on the seventh day, Saul gives in to fear and impatience and decides to wait no longer. "So he said, 'Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.' And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.'" (1 Samuel 13:9-10) Saul unlawfully offers the sacrifice and in deciding not to wait for Samuel he's deciding not to wait for the Lord's instructions regarding the battle ahead. Part of the reason Samuel was coming to Gilgal was to tell Saul what to do. Because Samuel was a prophet of the Lord, the instructions he would be relaying to Saul would be the Lord's instructions, not Samuel's own human opinion about what Saul should do. But Saul's faith is weak. He thinks his troops are going to be attacked before he received further instructions. He thinks all his men are going to run away before Samuel arrives. Perhaps he thinks Samuel isn't coming at all, that maybe something has happened to him or that maybe Samuel has deserted him like some of his own troops have. He's so overwhelmed by doubts and fears and all the "what ifs" that are attacking his mind that instead of waiting, as he's been instructed to do, he takes action. 

It's a common human reaction to stress to feel like we must do something. It makes us think we're getting somewhere even when we aren't. You've probably heard the expression, "Don't just stand there. Do something!" But the Lord's ways are not man's ways. He often tells us the opposite of what our human natures tell us. He instructs us to be still. He instructs us to wait. He says, "Don't just do something. Stand there!" 

Saul goes out to greet Samuel heartily but Samuel is not pleased. He can smell the burnt sacrifice and he knows what has happened. "'What have you done?' asked Samuel. Saul replied, 'When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against met at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.'" (1 Samuel 13:12) Not only does Saul refuse to accept any responsibility in the matter (blaming the decision on the troops who ran away and on Samuel who didn't show up as early in the morning as Saul would have liked) but he puts on a pious air. He says, "The men were losing heart and leaving. Plus we thought you'd be here first thing this morning and you weren't. And it looked like the Philistines might show up at our very door at any minute. How could we let that happen without the sacrifice having been made? How could we expect success in battle if we didn't offer a sacrifice to the Lord first? I had no choice but to go ahead and do it myself."

Later in the book of 1 Samuel we will find it being said that, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Saul has disobeyed Samuel and, by extension, he has disobeyed the Lord. The Lord was far more concerned with Saul being obedient than with whether or not anybody made a sacrifice. The Lord was far more concerned with what was in Saul's heart than with what he did with his hands. 

Samuel is going to have some harsh words for Saul and we don't want to make the mistake of thinking these words are based solely on one poor decision Saul made in our text today while he was under duress. The primary problem here is Saul's character. Saul has no desire to yield to the Lord and be obedient. He also does not have a penitent heart when caught doing something wrong. He wants to do what he wants to do and when taken to task for it he does not want to admit any wrongdoing. This is just who he is and who he always will be. It's not that he couldn't have changed; the Lord will give him a number of opportunities to be a better man. I think it's that he doesn't want to change. And I think it's that he doesn't feel he needs to change. He sees nothing wrong with being the way he is and he doesn't feel bad about it. When a person feels no guilt over their actions or attitudes, they will feel no need to confess and repent. That's why we find Saul blaming everyone and everything but himself.

"'You have done a foolish thing,' Samuel said. 'You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command.'" (1 Samuel 13:13-14) There will be no dynasty formed of the family of Saul. His descendants won't sit on the throne of Israel. If Saul had had a heart for the Lord, the Lord would have blessed his family line by making it the royal line of Israel. But the Lord, who knows all things, knew everything about Saul long before he was born. Way back in Genesis we saw Jacob prophesying that the line of Judah would be the royal line of Israel, not the line of Benjamin to which Saul belongs. The Lord always knew that the first king to have a heart like His would be David of the line of Judah. This is the person to whom Samuel is referring when he says that the Lord has appointed a man after His own heart to rule Israel. Samuel doesn't yet know the identity of this king but the Lord has revealed to him that He already has this person picked out. In that sense, Samuel can rightfully say that the Lord has already "appointed him ruler" because the Lord has already made His choice even though that choice has not been revealed to Samuel or to anyone else.

David won't always do the right thing but, unlike Saul, he will always be willing and ready to acknowledge and repent of his sins. He won't try to shift the blame onto someone else. He won't try to make excuses for his mistakes. In addition, he will have a heart for the people in a way that Saul does not. David will care about his fellow citizens like the Lord cares about them. David will also be willing to yield to the Lord and be obedient to Him. He won't be perfect because no one is, but he will love the Lord and will place more importance on having close fellowship with the Lord than on anything else. He'll stumble sometimes but he won't stay down because the Lord means too much to him for him to feel content with wallowing in sin. David will never be happy when there's any distance between him and the Lord, which is why the Lord will choose him to be the next king of Israel and why the Lord will make a dynasty of David's family line.

The First Book Of Samuel. Day 32, Saul's Son Jonathan Attacks The Philistines

Saul is forming a regular, full-time army as we begin Chapter 13. Until now it was the practice of the Israelites to just muster their troops together whenever needed. But from now on there will be a regular army in addition to fighting men who can be called up as needed. 

Before discussing the army we are given some personal information about the king. "Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years." (1 Samuel 13:1) He was referred to as a "young man" earlier in the book of 1 Samuel but we weren't informed of his age when he was anointed king. For all we knew he could have been anywhere from age twenty to forty. But now we know that he was thirty years old when he became king of Israel and that he reigned for forty-two years which means he lived to be seventy-two years old.

One of the first things Saul had to do as king was fight the Ammonites in Chapter 11. In order to do that he had to send out messengers to call up soldiers from all over the nation of Israel. If King Nahash of the Ammonites had not granted the city of Jabesh Gilead a week in order to decide to fight or surrender, troops could not have arrived there in time to save the city and its people. I am sure that incident impressed upon Saul the need for having some of Israel's fighting men ready at all times. He sets about establishing a full-time military force. "Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes." (1 Samuel 13:2) 

Jonathan has not been mentioned previously but it will be made clear to us later on that he is Saul's adult son and is his firstborn son. I presume that the author of 1 Samuel did not think it necessary when penning the words of Chapter 13 to inform his readers of Jonathan's identity; the readers of that era and of many generations afterwards would have been well aware that Jonathan was Saul's son. He is a famous character of the Bible because we will find him being a great hero in battle and being a great hero of the faith.

"Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it." (1 Samuel 13:3a) The Lord said He would use Saul to help the Israelites in their fight against the Philistines and it may be that Jonathan and his troops attacked the outpost at Geba upon the orders of Saul. If this move against the Philistines was not made upon the orders of Saul but was made instead at Jonathan's own discretion, the Lord is still using Saul to push back against the Philistines because Jonathan would not have been in a position to lead troops in an attack against the Philistines if his father had not been king.

Geba lay just within the northeast border of the tribe of Benjamin and it was a city of the Levites according to the book of Joshua. The fact that there is a Philistine military garrison in Geba tells us that the enemy took control of the city during one of their previous incursions upon the nation of Israel. It makes sense that Jonathan would begin stirring up war with the Philistines by attacking an outpost within the tribe of Benjamin because he is a Benjamite and his family lives within the borders of Benjamin. Jonathan begins "cleaning house" at the Philistine outpost closest to him.

Verse 3a tells us that news of the attack is quickly relayed to the leaders of the Philistines. Saul knows the Philistines will consider this an act of war and he calls Israel's troops together. "Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, 'Let the Hebrews hear!' So all Israel heard the news: 'Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.' And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal." (1 Samuel 13:3b-4) The wording of verse 4 suggests Saul told Jonathan to attack the outpost but whether or not Saul gave Jonathan these orders it could still be rightly said that, "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost", because the attack was carried out during his reign by his son who is one of his army generals. Saul is responsible for anything that happens during his watch, so to speak, because he is the king of Israel.

"The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, the soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear." (1 Samuel 13:5-7) The Israelites who came up to this battle are vastly outnumbered. Realizing they are vastly outnumbered has completely demoralized these fighting men. Perhaps they did not anticipate how many troops the Philistines would send, but the Philistines want to nip the boldness of the Israelites in the bud. They want to make such a show of strength that the Israelites will either surrender without fighting or, if they do choose to fight, they want to cause such mass casualties among the Israelites that they will not consider ever attacking a Philistine outpost again.

Jonathan has the faith to believe the Lord will give victory no matter how many Philistines come to fight against Israel. We know he has this kind of faith because in Chapter 14 we'll find him courageously attacking a heavily fortified Philistine outpost by climbing a cliffside, saying, "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." But right now, in Chapter 13, Saul and the men he called up for battle do not have the courage of Jonathan. Instead of saying, "The Lord will give victory no matter how badly we are outnumbered," they are saying, "We have no chance of winning this battle because we are badly outnumbered."

This is what focusing on our problems does to us! When we place more attention on our problems than on our God, we become demoralized. We begin quaking with fear like the men with Saul. We begin telling ourselves, "I have no chance of winning this battle. The problem is too big. The obstacles are insurmountable. There's no way this can turn out for my good." But that's a lie: It's a lie our human minds tell us and it's a lie Satan tells us. Nothing is too hard for God! It doesn't matter if we're outnumbered. It doesn't matter if the problem appears too big or if the obstacles appear too many. Nothing is bigger than our God. As the Apostle Paul proclaimed, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) As David said in a hymn of praise when the Lord delivered him from a mortal enemy, "With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (Psalm 18:29) Like David, no matter who or what comes against us, we can bolster our faith and keep ourselves from quaking in fear by boldly testifying to the strength of the Lord by saying in the face of our problem: "I love You, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:1-2)