I Samuel 13:1-15
“Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.” (I Samuel 13:1-3)
Two years after being anointed king, Saul established Israel’s first standing army, a security force of three thousand men. Keeping two thousand for his personal guard, he assigned a thousand to his son Jonathan, sending everyone else home. The Philistines had established several military posts in Israel to prevent uprisings against them. Jonathan took his thousand men and attacked the outpost in Geba, destroying it.
“And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.” (I Samuel 13:3b-4)
Saul immediately had the victory publicized, taking credit for it. Rumors that the Philistines were going to invade began to circulate. Saul called the people together to Gilgal, where he’d been anointed king to get ready to fight.
“And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.” (I Samuel 13:5-7a)
When the Philistine came, they had ten times as many tanks(chariots) as Israel had in their army, and twice as many cavalry men. They couldn’t even guess how many ther were in the main army. They came straight to where Saul normally held court, blaming him for the uprising and determined to take him out. If they did so, they would crush the new government.
The Israelites were terrified when they saw the forces arrayed against them. Many deserted their homes, hiding out in caves or in the cliffs and forests in hopes of escaping detection. Some even fled across Jordan to escape.
“As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:7b-9)
Gilgal was one of Samuels regular circuit courts and places of worship. He had promised to be there in seven days, so Saul and his followers waited for him in fear. When they saw nothing happening, the people began to gradually slip away. Panicked that he would lose his entire army, Saul decided he had to do something to inspire them. He decided to offer sacrifices to God as a way of convincing the people God would be on their side.
When he went against the Ammonites, Saul had depended on human motivation rather than the power of God to produce followers. Here he does the same thing, trying to use psychology to motivate them, rather than depending on the Spirit of God. Just as he had ignored God’s command about who was required to fight when he fought the Ammonites, he ignored God ‘s command about who should offer the burnt offerings when threatened by the Philistines.
In Numbers 16, Korah and several of the Levites decided they could perform the priest’s office. In Numbers 16:8-10, Moses rebuked them. “And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?” By taking the priest’s office and offering the offering himself, Saul was doing the same thing.
“And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
And Samuel said, What hast thou done?
And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:10-12)
Saul had just finished making the offering when Samuel showed up. When Samuel asked him what he’d done. He blamed the people for not being more faithful and Samuel for being late. He hadn’t spent the time in prayer and he just had to do something, so he forced himself to offer the burnt offering. He really hadn’t done thing wrong, he just had to do something.
“And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” (I Samuel 13:13-14)
Because Saul didn’t trust the Lord enough to obey him, the kingdom that could have been his and his family’s forever will be taken away and given to someone else, a man who will put God above all. How many times do we as Christians get worried that something has to be done and forget what God has said?
James 1:2-8 addresses this situation. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
A person who isn’t committed to obeying God even when it seems like God doesn’t understand the urgency of the situation is not fully trusting God, and cannot be depended on to obey God in any circumstances, because one never knows when he will get impatient and disobey again. He shouldn’t expect God’s blessings until he learns to walk by faith. I’ve spent a lifetime learning this lesson and I still struggle with it.
“And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin.” (I Samuel 13:15a)
“Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.” (I Samuel 13:1-3)
Two years after being anointed king, Saul established Israel’s first standing army, a security force of three thousand men. Keeping two thousand for his personal guard, he assigned a thousand to his son Jonathan, sending everyone else home. The Philistines had established several military posts in Israel to prevent uprisings against them. Jonathan took his thousand men and attacked the outpost in Geba, destroying it.
“And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.” (I Samuel 13:3b-4)
Saul immediately had the victory publicized, taking credit for it. Rumors that the Philistines were going to invade began to circulate. Saul called the people together to Gilgal, where he’d been anointed king to get ready to fight.
“And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.” (I Samuel 13:5-7a)
When the Philistine came, they had ten times as many tanks(chariots) as Israel had in their army, and twice as many cavalry men. They couldn’t even guess how many ther were in the main army. They came straight to where Saul normally held court, blaming him for the uprising and determined to take him out. If they did so, they would crush the new government.
The Israelites were terrified when they saw the forces arrayed against them. Many deserted their homes, hiding out in caves or in the cliffs and forests in hopes of escaping detection. Some even fled across Jordan to escape.
“As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:7b-9)
Gilgal was one of Samuels regular circuit courts and places of worship. He had promised to be there in seven days, so Saul and his followers waited for him in fear. When they saw nothing happening, the people began to gradually slip away. Panicked that he would lose his entire army, Saul decided he had to do something to inspire them. He decided to offer sacrifices to God as a way of convincing the people God would be on their side.
When he went against the Ammonites, Saul had depended on human motivation rather than the power of God to produce followers. Here he does the same thing, trying to use psychology to motivate them, rather than depending on the Spirit of God. Just as he had ignored God’s command about who was required to fight when he fought the Ammonites, he ignored God ‘s command about who should offer the burnt offerings when threatened by the Philistines.
In Numbers 16, Korah and several of the Levites decided they could perform the priest’s office. In Numbers 16:8-10, Moses rebuked them. “And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?” By taking the priest’s office and offering the offering himself, Saul was doing the same thing.
“And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
And Samuel said, What hast thou done?
And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:10-12)
Saul had just finished making the offering when Samuel showed up. When Samuel asked him what he’d done. He blamed the people for not being more faithful and Samuel for being late. He hadn’t spent the time in prayer and he just had to do something, so he forced himself to offer the burnt offering. He really hadn’t done thing wrong, he just had to do something.
“And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” (I Samuel 13:13-14)
Because Saul didn’t trust the Lord enough to obey him, the kingdom that could have been his and his family’s forever will be taken away and given to someone else, a man who will put God above all. How many times do we as Christians get worried that something has to be done and forget what God has said?
James 1:2-8 addresses this situation. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
A person who isn’t committed to obeying God even when it seems like God doesn’t understand the urgency of the situation is not fully trusting God, and cannot be depended on to obey God in any circumstances, because one never knows when he will get impatient and disobey again. He shouldn’t expect God’s blessings until he learns to walk by faith. I’ve spent a lifetime learning this lesson and I still struggle with it.
“And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin.” (I Samuel 13:15a)
Saul's actions only too clearly reflect our present day plight as Christians and why we so often seem incapable of yielding anything that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We're not listening; either we are too busy or hurried to listen or we have never been taught how to, to take God on His word rather than rush ahead and do something. Some of us simply prefer not to listen and think our way of "getting it done" will please God. With a church full of Sauls so to speak its easy to see why the church is faltering as it is.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Ian.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many are being taught to be like Saul. As a result sin is regularly passed off as obeying God.