Saul is anointed by Samuel, then rallies the people to fight the Philistines but the Philistines respond with overwhelming forces. Saul’s army is scattering and in 1 Samuel 17:7 “followed him (Saul) trembling”. Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days for him in Gilgal, but the Philistines are right there! The army is dwindling and Saul acts in fear, he acts too soon. Samuel arrives and rebukes Saul, but there is no plan forward until in 1 Samuel 14:6 So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few”. Jonathan has no fear, knowing that the Lord will lead him. Now, as the army of the Philistines is in confusion, Saul begins his pursuit by binding his army with a curse that weakens them all in 1 Samuel 14:24 “Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, when I will have avenged myself on my enemies!”. This is one of the greatest mistakes a leader can make, he requires that they prove their allegiance to him at the very moment they need his support the most. This is the moment when Saul should bless them, but instead, as it says in 1 Samuel 14:28–29 “the army is exhausted … “My father has brought trouble on the land!”.
All Israel Did Hear
I Saw That the Army Was Scattering
1 Samuel 13:5-14
Saul had a small victory over the Philistines who generally occupied the area West along the Mediterranean sea. Now they had made an incursion through Israel to place a garrison at Micmash. And now, the Philistines had the numbers in
1 Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and an army as numerous as sand which is on the seashore. And they came up and encamped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.
This was an overwhelming show of force and in
1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that it was too difficult for them, because the army was hard pressed, the people hid themselves in the caves, in the thorn bushes, in the cliffs, in the vaults and in the wells.
but some in 1 Samuel 17:7 “followed him (Saul) trembling”. It is a relatively short distance from Micmash to Gilgal, maybe ten miles, and Samuel has told Saul to wait for him there in
1 Samuel 13:8 “He waited seven days according to the appointed time Samuel determined, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army started to slip away from him”.
Fear is taking over, and rather than wait for Samuel to give them the word of the Lord and the blessing of the Lord, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” in 1 Samuel 13:9. Samuel responds in 1 Samuel 13:14 “Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his own heart” and Saul has not passed this test. We must trust the Lord. He is faithful. He will deliver if we can hold on to our trust in him even with an army at our door.
There Was Not a Sword or a Spear Found
Perhaps Yahweh Will Act For Us
1 Samuel 14:1-11
Saul is struggling to pull the men of Israel together and in
1 Samuel 14:2 “Now Saul was staying at the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that was in Migron, and the troops that were with him were about six hundred men”.
While Saul seems to be paralyzed, his son acts in
1 Samuel 14:6 So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few.”
and as they encountered the Philistines, Jonathan said in
1 Samuel 14:10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign for us.”
The Lord used their action of faith to route the enemy.
On That Day Yahweh Delivered Israel
Saul Had Made the Army Take an Oath
1 Samuel 14:24-34
Saul has made a series of mistakes. He attacks the Philistines and provokes an overwhelming response of force from them. He impatiently offers a sacrifice to the Lord, not honoring Samuel the prophet because he was fearful of losing the few remaining men in his army. Now, in the heat of battle, as the Lord has confused the enemy and this small army of Saul’s is fighting with all of their strength, Saul binds them with a curse in
1 Samuel 14:24 “Now the men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, because Saul had made the army take an oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, when I will have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the army tasted any food”.
Why would he say this? We can only guess, but it seems he was insecure and required an affirmation from his men so he knew they would follow. This curse only weakened his men making it harder for them especially as their bodies burned through their stored carbohydrates and needed sugar to re-energize. The warriors knew what this oath meant in
1 Samuel 14:28–30 “the army is exhausted. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has brought trouble on the land! … 30 How much more could have been done if the troops had eaten freely”.
Let Us Draw Near to God Here
1 Samuel 14:35-43
Study Verses
- 1 Samuel 13:5-14 I Saw That the Army Was Scattering
- 1 Samuel 14:1-11 Perhaps Yahweh Will Act For Us
- 1 Samuel 14:24-34 Saul Had Made the Army Take an Oath
Today’s Reading
- 1 Samuel 13:1-23
- 1 Samuel 14:1-43
