Saul’s Fist Official Action

A short time after Saul became king, the Ammonites attacked Jabesh Gilead, a small city on the east side of Jordan but well inside Israel’s borders. Outnumbered, and unsure of Saul’s response, the people wished to make a treaty with the Ammonites, as we see in I Samuel 11:1-2.  “Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.”

The Ammonite king demanded total surrender, even to the point of allowing them to put out their right eyes as a sign of their submission and acknowledging their inferiority.  The terms were so harsh the men of the city requested time to think it over and see if they could get some help, in I Samuel 11:3.  “And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.’  They sent messengers to Saul in Gibeah to see if he would be willing to help them, in I Samuel 11:4.  “Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.”

New at being a king, Saul had not yet developed the sense of superiority and entitlement many political leaders have and was out herding cattle when the message arrived.  The people who heard the message were upset about what had happened.  When Saul got home and heard what had happened, he immediately took action, in I Samuel 11:5-7a.  “And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.  And the spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.  And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen…”

The Spirit of the Lord moved Saul to defend Jabesh Gilead.  Unfortunately Saul set out to make victory happen in his own power.  In an effort to motivate the people, he declared that anyone who did not come out to help would have their work animals killed, essentially bankrupting them.  In doing this he went directly against the command of God in Deuteronomy  20:1-8.  “When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.  And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.  And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.  And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.”

God caused three hundred thirty thousand men to show up voluntarily, according toe I Samuel 11:7b-8.  “And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.  And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.”  Sau’s threat accomplished nothing.  Time after time before, God had given victories with much smaller forces when confronted by much larger ones. 

They sent a message ahead to tell jabesh Gilead not to sign the treaty because help was on its way, in I Samuel 11:9-10.  “And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.  Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.”

Believing that the People of Jabesh Gilead were going to surrender, the Ammonites were caught off guard by Saul’s army, as I Samuel 11:11 tells us.  “And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.”  The Ammonites were completely demoralized by the defeat.  Unfortunately Saul thought the people had come because of his threat, and would use such motivation again.  Far too often, like Saul, we try to motivate people using earthly means instead of simply obeying God and trusting him to give the victory, and if God gives the victory, we assume it was the result of our motivational efforts.