Saul’s Military Successes
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT
⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious. ⁴⁸ He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
⁴⁹ Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. ⁵⁰ Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.
⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. 

Saul Defeats the Amalekites
15 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! ² This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. ³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
⁴ So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵ Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶ Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT

Saul’s Military Successes 

⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne,

took full control of Israel        ERV
had taken control of the kingdom over Israel,           NASB
established his reign over Israel.         NCB
had assumed rule over Israel,              NIV
established his sovereignty over Israel            NKJV

he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines.

“every direction – all of the surrounding nations 

And wherever he turned, he was victorious.  

• At this point in time, Saul’s military campaigns against Israel’s enemies were, for the most part, successful. 

1 Samuel 14:47-52 is a summary of time extending “Throughout Saul’s lifetime.”

⁴⁸ He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.

• Saul’s success was tempered by his lack of complete obedience to God.

More about the Amalekites in chapter 15 

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 

Ishbosheth (Esh-Baal): “man of shame”, “man of Baal”

2 Samuel 2:8-11 NLT
Ishbosheth Proclaimed King of Israel
⁸ But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth. ⁹ There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.
¹⁰ Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. ¹¹ David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.

Saul’s son Abinadad, not listed here, is mentioned in 31:2

Jonathan and David became close friends. (Chapter 18)

Michal was David’s first wife. (Chapter 18)

⁵⁰ Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.

Saul’s concubine Rizpah is mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:7 and in 2 Samuel 21.

2 Samuel 3:7 NLT
⁷ One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.

2 Samuel chapter 21

The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons (or in the case of Saul, grandson) of Abiel.

1 Chronicles 9:39 NLT
³⁹ Ner was the father of Kish.
Kish was the father of Saul.
Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

This information about Saul’s family, placed here rather than at the end of his reign, hints that his reign was essentially over and he would not be succeeded by one of his sons. (NLT Study Bible) 

⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime.

• The Philistines opposition to Israel was constant and lasted throughout the lifetime of Saul.

The Philistines were a well-organized military force and had a monopoly on iron and bronze which they used for military weapons, among other things. 

So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.

1 Samuel 8:10-12 NLT
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
¹⁰ So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. ¹² Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.

• Whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.

David was one of these young men drafted by Saul.

David continued this practice when he became king.

Saul Defeats the Amalekites
^15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel.

Now listen to this message from the Lord! ² This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 

Samuel was speaking for God.

God is using Saul to accomplish His intensions.

 

The Amalekites, a nomadic people of the desert, were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12).

Genesis 36:12 NLT
¹² Timna, the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. 

More about the Amalekites.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 NLT
¹⁷ “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. ¹⁸ They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. ¹⁹ Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!

Exodus 17:8-16 NLT
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
⁸ While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. ⁹ Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
¹⁰ So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. ¹² Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. ¹³ As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
¹⁴ After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). ¹⁶ He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.” 

³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

The time had now come for Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites.

Saul was to destroy everything that breathed.

God’s judgment was severe toward those who wanted to destroy his people.

Genesis 12:3 NLT
³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.

God’s judgment was also severe to those who disobeyed Him. (Achan- Joshua 7)) 

• Saul was instructed to “go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 

⁴ So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵ Then Saul and his army went to a town (an unnamed town) of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.  

⁶ Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.

The Kenites had settled among the Amalekites.

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12), but the Kenites traced their ancestry from Midian, one of Abraham’s sons by Keturah (Gen. 25:2). The Kenites had been friendly to Israel (Exod. 18:9, 10, 19; Num. 10:29-32), whereas the Amalekites had not. There appeared to be friendly relations between the Israelites and the Kenites.

Judges 1:16 NLT
¹⁶ When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law (Jethro), traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.

• The Kenites who had settled among the Amalekites were given the opportunity move away from the Amalekites. They wisely chose to move away from the Amalekites and their lives were spared. 

⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.

Saul partially obeyed Samuel’s instructions:  ³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 

• Saul killed the Amalekite soldiers his army encountered, but he did not kill all of the Amalekite soldiers.

Not all of the Amalekite soldiers were killed.

King David had to deal with the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 27:8 NLT
⁸ David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times.

1 Samuel 30:1 NLT
^30:1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.

• Partial obedience is not obedience. 

 ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. (see the next verse) 

⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them.

Saul had been told: “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

• Saul did not “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

This is clearly an act of selfish disobedience to the Lord’s command.

• Saul clearly, blatantly, and selfishly disobeyed the instructions God had, through Samuel, given to him. 

 

 

Saul’s Foolish Oath
1 Samuel 14:24-46 NLT
²⁴ Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day, ²⁵ even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. ²⁶ They didn’t dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.
²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. ²⁸ But one of the men saw him and said, “Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.”
²⁹ “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed. “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. ³⁰ If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”
³¹ They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint. ³² That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. ³³ Someone reported to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.”
“That is very wrong,” Saul said. “Find a large stone and roll it over here. ³⁴ Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”
So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord.
³⁶ Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”
His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
³⁸ Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. ³⁹ I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
⁴⁰ Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.”
And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”
⁴¹ Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent.
⁴² Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.
⁴³ “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.
“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”
⁴⁴ “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”
⁴⁵ But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
⁴⁶ Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:24-46 NLT

*** How can we apply the content in this lesson to our lives?

Saul’s Foolish Oath
²⁴ Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening

Not permitting a soldier to eat puts the soldier at a serious disadvantage.

In combat soldiers burns a massive number of calories.

Eating calms many people down and well-fed soldiers are more confident.

A good military commander always takes care that everyone eats something before combat. They might even order you to do so.

Saul’s inept leadership left his men weak and fatigued.

• Saul put his soldiers at a serious disadvantage fighting the Philistines (v. 23) when he said, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening …”

Saul was not thinking about the welfare of his soldiers.

—before I have full revenge on my enemies.”

Saul called the Philistines “his” enemies.  Saul perceives the conflict with the Philistines more a personal vendetta than a battle for the honor of the Lord and the security of the Lord’s people.

• Saul perceived the conflict with the Philistines as a personal vendetta, rather than a battle for the honor of the Lord and the security of the Israelites. 

Saul was thinking about himself.

So no one ate anything all day, ²⁵ even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. ²⁶ They didn’t dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.

An oath was an extremely serious matter in the ancient Near East. One did not violate a king’s oath without suffering severe consequences.

• Saul’s soldiers honored the king’s commands. 

²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command,

Saul and Jonathan were not always camped in the same location.

Example:

1 Samuel 13:2 NLT
² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. 

• Jonathan ate some honey.

Jonathan felt refreshed after eating some honey.

Eating healthy food provides the energy needed to stay active.

• Since Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, it seems reasonable for him not to be held accountable for not following his father’s instructions. 

²⁸ But one of the men saw him and said, “Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.” 

²⁹ “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed.

This was a strong accusation from Jonathan.

This same verb was used in Joshua 7:25

Joshua 7:25 NLT
²⁵ Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

Jonathan is holding his father accountable for his actions.

 “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. ³⁰ If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”

• Jonathan saw the foolishness of Saul’s command and recognized how it hurt Israel’s cause instead of helping it.

Saul’s foolish oath limited Israel’s victory. 

³¹ They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon,

The Philistines were heading out of the Promised Land on their way back to their homeland. (See verse 46.) Aijalon is near the Philistines own territory.

growing more and more faint.

The men were growing more and more faint as a result of not eating. 

 ³² That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. 

Saul had said, Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening.  It was now evening and the soldiers were permitted to eat.

In their haste to eat, they did not properly drain the blood from the animals.

Leviticus 17:13-14 NLT
¹³ “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. ¹⁴ The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

• After chasing and fighting the Philistines, Saul’s soldiers ate meat without draining the blood. Eating meat with blood is strictly prohibited for any native Israelite or foreigner living among the Israelites. 

³³ Someone reported to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.”

• As a result of obeying Saul’s instructions (fasting all day), the soldiers disobeyed God’s instructions (eating meat without draining the blood..

“That is very wrong,” Saul said.

• Saul recognized the fact that the men were disobeying the law of God but did not seem to see that he was at least partially responsible for their disobedience.

However, this would have never happened had it not been for Saul’s foolish oath.

“Find a large stone and roll it over here. ³⁴ Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”

So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord.

The first and only alter built by Saul mentioned in scripture.

• Saul attempted to prevent more sin by his soldiers by properly draining the blood from the animals slaughtered for food. 

³⁶ Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”

At this point Saul decided to pursue the Philistines all night to kill and plunder them. 

His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

Again, Saul’s soldiers complied with his commands.

But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”

• Ahijah the priest tells Saul that he should seek God’s council before acting.

³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.

• Saul follows Ahijah’s advice, but God does not reply to Saul’s question.

³⁸ Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 

• Saul interprets God’s lack of response a result of someone’s sin. 

³⁹ I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die,

even if it is my own son Jonathan!”

• Saul makes another foolish, irrational oath.

But no one would tell him what the trouble was. 

⁴⁰ Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.”

And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”

“Whatever you think is best.” (Also in verse 36)

More compliance by the people. 

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots,

The practice of casting lots is mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament.

These lots may have been the Urim and Thummim ………

Exodus 28:30 NLT
³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

God allowed the Israelites to cast lots in order to determine His will for a given situation.

Biblical examples:

Distributing land to the tribes of Israel.

Joshua 18:10 NLT
¹⁰ And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord to determine which tribe should have each section.

Duties of the Priests

1 Chronicles 24:5 NLT
⁵ All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. 

⁴² Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.

• Jonathan was guilty of violating, unintentionally, Saul’s oath. He was not guilty of violating a command from God.

It would be hard to say that Jonathan had violated: Children obey your parents.  He had not even known of Saul’s oath.

⁴³ “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.

“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”

Again, Jonathan had more common sense than his father.

⁴⁴ “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”

• Saul wanted to kill his own son for disobeying his (Saul’s not God’s) command.

Saul, full of pride and egotism, was intent on fulfilling his vow. 

⁴⁵ But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

• The soldiers who had gone along with Saul’s requests thus far now refused to follow his orders when he called for Jonathan’s execution.

They recognized that Saul’s rule about abstaining from eating was not divine law. They correctly saw that even though Jonathan had violated Saul’s rule, he had obeyed God’s order to drive Israel’s enemies out of the land.

The “people” recognized the fact that God helped Jonathan do a great dead.

⁴⁶ Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.

The Philistines continued their retreat to their homeland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan’s Daring Plan
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
^14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
² Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. ³ Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.
No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. ⁴ To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. ⁵ The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. ⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
⁷ “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”
⁸ “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
¹¹ When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” ¹² Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”
¹³ So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. ¹⁴ They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
¹⁵ Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

Israel Defeats the Philistines
¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. ¹⁷ “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.
¹⁸ Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. ¹⁹ But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”
²⁰ Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. ²¹ Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. ²² Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. ²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
Jonathan’s Daring Plan 

^14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” (Michmash)

The Philistines were north of the gorge at Micmash and the Israelites were south of the gorge.

Jonathan acted.

• Jonathan took the initiative to do something about Israel’s plight.

Jonathan’s actions were in harmony with God’s plans for Saul.

1 Samuel 9:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man (Saul) from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”

In our previous lesson we learned about Jonathan’s victory over the garrison of Philistines at Geba.

1 Samuel 13:3 NLT
³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. 

But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.

Scripture does not tell us why Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.  We can only speculate why this happened. 

² Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron.

Jonathan was being aggressive whie his father Saul remained in Gibeah, evidently on the defensive.

• Saul’s comfortable position under a fruit tree in secure Gibeah, surrounded by his soldiers, contrasts with Jonathan’s vulnerable and difficult position with only the support of his armor bearer. 

 ³ Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.

The ephod and breastplate (or chestpiece) were two separate items of clothing worn by the high priest.

The Ephod was an elaborate garment worn by the high priest, and upon which the breastplate containing Urim and Thummim, rested.

A breastplate wore over the ephod had pouches that were used by the priests to carry certain devices used in determining the will of the Lord (Urim and Thummim or sacred lots.)

In this way, the high priest will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

• Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.

Read Exodus 28:6-30

Sacred garments for the priests.
Exodus 28:6-30 NLT
Design of the Ephod
⁶ “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁷ It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁸ The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
⁹ “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁰ Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. ¹¹ Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. ¹² Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord. ¹³ Make the settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.

Design of the Chestpiece
¹⁵ “Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ¹⁶ Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. ¹⁷  Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. ¹⁸ The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. ¹⁹ The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. ²⁰ The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree.  21 Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal.
²² “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. ²³ Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. ²⁴ Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. ²⁵ Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. ²⁶ Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. ²⁷ And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. ²⁸ Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash.
²⁹ “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord. ³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord. 

• Ahijah the priest was considered to be a spiritual advisor who could use the items in the breastplate to determine the Lord’s will and give Saul divine guidance. 

Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.

• Saul was keeping company with a priest from a family of priests rejected by God. 

No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 

• Jonathan and his armor bearer were acting without any support from the Israelite army.

⁴ To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. ⁵ The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba.

• The Philistines had secured the area around Micmash.

 ⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

Jonathan had no guarantee of survival.

Jonathan believed that God would work for His people in response to faith, as He had done repeatedly in Israel’s history.

Jonathan had learned that superior numbers were not necessary for God to give victory in battle.

Jonathan most likely knew the story of Gideon.

• Jonathan knew the outcome of his venture was in God’s hands. 

⁷ “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

• Jonathan trusted in the Lord. Jonathan’s armor bearer trusted Jonathan. 

⁸ “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

• Jonathan put out a fleece.

If they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40)

¹¹ When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 

The Philistines knew that many of the Israelites were hiding in caves.

1 Samuel 13:6 NLT
⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.

¹² Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!” 

• When the men from the Philistine outpost shouted, “Come on up here” Jonathan took that as a sign that the Lord would help them defeat the Philistines. (see verse 10)

¹³ So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. ¹⁴ They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre. 

¹⁵ Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck,

and everyone was terrified. 

• Jonathan and his armor bearer killed twenty Philistine soldiers and panic broke out in the Philistine army. 

• Clearly, divine intervention was taking place.

This is similar in many ways to the time when Gideon went up against the Midianite army.

Judges 7:19-22 NLT
¹⁹ It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. ²⁰ Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
²¹ Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. ²² When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

Israel Defeats the Philistines 

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. ¹⁷ “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,”

• Saul suspected someone had invaded the Philistines, but he had no idea who it was.

 Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. 

¹⁸ Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!”

Numerous translations say, Bring the ark of God here.

The language in this passage better fits the ephod rather than the ark.

For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. 

• It appears that Saul was about to ask Ahijah to use the items held in the ephod to determine the Lord’s will for them at this point in time. 

¹⁹ But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”

Saul ordered the priest to stop the inquiry into the will of the Lord.

• Again, Saul chooses not to wait for the word of the Lord.

Saul’s decision rests on his own insights rather than a dependence on the Lord.

²⁰ Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 

• Saul acted after he saw the confusion in the enemy camp. 

²¹ Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 

• Israelite deserters who were fighting for the Philistines changed their allegiance and took sides with Jonathan.

This was not unique to this battle.

1 Samuel 27:1-4 NLT
David Among the Philistines
^27:1 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath (a major Philistine city) with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

²² Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 

²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

• The Lord(not Saul) saved Israel that day.

Samuel Rebukes Saul

1 Samuel 13:1-14 NLT
^13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.
² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” ⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
⁵ The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. ⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. ⁷ Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. ⁸ Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. ⁹ So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, ¹¹ but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
¹³ “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Israel’s Military Disadvantage
¹⁵ Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! ¹⁶ Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. ¹⁷ Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
¹⁹ There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. ²⁰ So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. ²¹ The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad. ²² So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.
²³ The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army.

At this point in history, the Ammonites were a constant threat from the east to Israel, while the Philistines were a threat to Israel from the west.

In 1 Samuel 11 Saul defeated the Ammonites.

Brief summary:
1 Samuel 11:10-11 NLT
¹⁰ The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” ¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.

In this lesson Saul is dealing with the Philistines.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 13:1-14 NLT
Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke

^13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.

A closer look at the numbers used in this verse.  (30 and 42)

Problem: If Saul was 30 years old, would his son Jonathan be old enough to lead 1,000 men into battle? 

Acts 13:21 NLT
²¹ Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

What numbers are used in other translations?

English Standard Version
Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,

Common English Bible
Saul was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled over Israel forty-two years.

American Standard Version
Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

New International Version
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.

Revised Standard Version
Saul was . . .years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel.

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

King James Version
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

New King James Version
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

• It appears that some numbers from the original text are missing.

If we were to use the American Standard Version the verse would look like: 

 Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

If we were to omit verse one it would not change the narrative that follows. 

² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home.

Review:
1 Samuel 11:8 NLT
⁸ When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.

Saul had a “reserve” of 330,000 troops.

1 Samuel 14:52 NLT
⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. 

He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

Refer to a map.

• Saul established a “standing army” of 3,000 men.

2,000 men served under Saul and were stationed at Micmash.

1,000 men served under Jonathan and were stationed at Gibeah.

This is the first mention of Jonathan

Saul would have been aware of the Philistine outpost located at Geba, which was located between Micmash and Gibeah. 

³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba.

A deep gorge separated Geba and Micmash.

This outpost was in the “heart” of Israel.

Indicating the fact that the Philistines exercised some control of the area (more about this in our next lesson).

The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” ⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba

It is not unusual for the “commander in chief” to get credit for what his soldiers accomplished. 

and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever.

So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

• After Jonathan destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba, the Philistines hated the Israelites more than ever. 

⁵ The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!

• The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!

The Israelites did not have chariots at this point in time. (NIV Study Bible)

They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. ⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. ⁷ Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

East of the Jordan River.

Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. ⁸ Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come.

Review:
1 Samuel 10:8 NLT
⁸ Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”

Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 

• Saul’s men were beginning to scatter. 

⁹ So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

• Saul sacrificed a burnt offering to the Lord.

Saul saw his troops rapidly slipping away.

Saul did not respect Samuel’s authority as a priest.

Saul took on the role of a priest without the authority to do so.

Review:
1 Samuel 7:7-11 NLT
⁷ When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ⁸ “Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. ⁹ So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.
¹⁰ Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. ¹¹ The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.

Burnt offerings are a good thing, if done properly.

Look at 1 Samuel 15:22 (a verse we will study in a future lesson).

1 Samuel 15:22 NLT
²² But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 

¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 

Apparently Saul did not realize that he had done anything wrong.

¹¹ but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

This is more a rebuke than a question.

• Samuel rebuked Saul for his actions.

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

• Saul made excuses for his behavior.

Clearly, Saul is not trusting in God at this point in time.

Review a passage where Saul had recognized a time when God rescued Israel.

1 Samuel 11:11-13 NLT
¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
¹² Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
¹³ But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

¹³ “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.

Saul failed to recognize Samuel’s higher role as God’s messenger.

Saul disregarded the instructions of the Lord’s prophet.

As the Lord’s prophet, Samuel had spoken “the command of the Lord”.

Saul had disobeyed the Lord. 

Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.

David

• Saul loses the kingship because of his disobedience. The kingship would not be passed on to Saul’s sons.

Application: Trust and obey.

The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Israel’s Military Disadvantage

¹⁵ Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way,

• Samuel’s departure from the battlefield was symbolic of the separation between Samuel and Saul, the prophet and the king.

but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! 

Saul had over 300,000 men to rescue the people of Jabesh Gilead and then had cut it down to 3,000, but now his forces numbered only 600.

• The seven day delay had greatly depleted Saul’s forces.

¹⁶ Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. 

The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. 

Refer to a map.

Geba and Micmash were only one or two miles apart, but the two cities were separated by a deep ravine.

The pass at Micmash was a strategic passage through the canyon that separated Micmash from Geba, Gibeah, and other towns to the south. 

¹⁷ Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness. (Zeboim, only mentioned in 1 Samuel 13, was a ravine located to the east of Micmash.)

Saul’s army was dwindling while the Philistine army was able to move around his capital city, Gibeah, freely.

• The Philistines used raiding parties to plunder the land and demoralize the inhabitants. 

¹⁹ There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days.

• The main physical advantage the Philistines enjoyed was their ability to smelt iron. This advanced technology gave them a strong military edge over the Israelites.

 As in the days of Deborah and Barak (Judg. 5:8),

Judges 5:8 NLT
⁸ When Israel chose new gods,
war erupted at the city gates.
Yet not a shield or spear could be seen
among forty thousand warriors in Israel!

the Philistines still had the advantage of superior weapons and the power to restrict the Israelites’ use of iron implements. “This monopoly continued with some success until the time of David when Israel began to produce iron objects rather freely (cf. 1 Chron. 22:3).”

1 Chronicles 22:3 NLT
³ David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed.

• The Philistines has superior iron and metal-working craftsmen until David’s time. 

The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. 

The Philistines were able to monopolize the iron industry.

• The Philistines had a distinct military advantage over the Israelites.

²⁰ So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. ²¹ The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad. 

• The Philistines charged high prices to sharpen instruments that could be used in battle.

²² So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.

They did have bows and arrows, slingshots, picks, axes, and sickles.

²³ The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army. 

Samuel’s Farewell Address (Part 2)

1 Samuel 12:12-25 NLT
¹² “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. ¹³ All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.
¹⁴ “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. ¹⁵ But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.
¹⁶ “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. ¹⁷ You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”
¹⁸ So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. ¹⁹ “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”²⁰ “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. ²¹ Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! ²² The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.
²³ “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. ²⁵ But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

xamine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 12:12-25 NLT
Samuel’s Farewell Address (Part 2)

¹² “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon,

Review:

The Ammonites were a nomadic race descended from Lot’s youngest daughter.

• At this point in history, the Ammonites were a constant threat from the east to Israel, while the Philistines were a threat to Israel from the west. 

you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. 

The Israelites wanted a human king to protect them from their enemies.

1 Samuel 8:5 NLT
⁵ “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

1 Samuel 8:20 NLT
²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

Israel wanted a king for all of the wrong reasons.  Israel was rejecting God.

1 Samuel 8:7 NLT
⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 

Man’s way

• Israel was turning away from God and was putting their trust in a king and his army.

God’s way:

Isaiah 41:10 NLT
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 

¹³ For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. 

¹³ All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.

God granted the people’s request.

From previous lesson.

How did it go with Saul, David, and Solomon?

Saul and his sons were killed in battle.

David was a man after God’s own heart.

Solomon’s wives turned his heart to worship other gods.

After these three kings, the nation is divided into Israel and Judah.

The history of both kingdoms is a litany of ineffective, disobedient, and corrupt kings.

Judah – 20 kings – 8 good some or all of the time

Israel – 19 kings – all bad

Hosea the prophet talks about this:

Hosea 13:9-11 NLT
⁹ “You are about to be destroyed, O Israel—
yes, by me, your only helper.
¹⁰ Now where is your king?
Let him save you!
Where are all the leaders of the land,
the king and the officials you demanded of me?
¹¹ In my anger I gave you kings,
and in my fury I took them away. 

• God’s response: In my anger I gave you kings, and in my fury I took them away.

Two choices.

¹⁴ “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. 

Granting the people a king did not change God’s expectations of the people.

These were not new expectations for the Israelites.

Joshua 24:14 NLT
¹⁴ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.

Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT
¹² “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

• The correct response would be to fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the Lord’s commands.

¹⁵ But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, 

• • The wrong response would be to rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him.

Consequences.

then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.

The Sinai covenant (conveyed to the people of Israel by Moses)

Exodus 19:5-6 NLT
⁵ Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. ⁶ And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NLT
¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Joshua 24:20 NLT
²⁰ If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”

Leviticus 26: Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

The Sinai covenant demanded obedience to God. 

• “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.

This applies with or without a king!

• Samuel asks for a sign from the Lord.

¹⁶ “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. ¹⁷ You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest.

The wheat harvest occurred in late spring or early summer, when little or no rain fell in Israel.

Leviticus 26:4 NLT
⁴ I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 

I will give you rain at the proper time, CEB

I will send you rain in its season, NIV

then I will give you your rains in their season, ESV

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NLT
¹³ “If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, ¹⁴ then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.

I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”

Rain and thunder at this time of year was unheard of.  It just did not happen.

Thunder and rain would demonstrate God’s power as a sign of the people’s wickedness in asking for a king.

¹⁸ So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.  

God sent rain and thunder to authenticate Samuel’s words to the people.

God got their attention.

The people were terrified.  They recognized their sinful motives.

¹⁹ “Pray to the Lord your God for us,

The people turned to Samuel.

Samuel, you pray for us.

“your God”

or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

Idol worship (verse 21)

Asked for a king with wrong motives.

Having a king is not necessarily wrong.  Asking for the wrong reasons was sinful.

Asking for a King – rejecting God

• The people realized that their sin could result in their death.

²⁰ “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong,

Idol worship and asking for a king with wrong motives. 

but

Addressing the central issue in the controversy surrounding the establishment of a king.

make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT
⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT
¹² “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 

• Make sure that you worship the Lordwith all your heart. 

²¹ Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! 

Deuteronomy 4:28 NLT
²⁸ There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

Jeremiah 10:3-5 NLT
³ Their ways are futile and foolish.
They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
⁴ They decorate it with gold and silver
and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
so it won’t fall over.
⁵ Their gods are like
helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

Psalm 135:15-17 NLT
¹⁵ The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
¹⁶ They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears but cannot hear,
and mouths but cannot breathe.

Hosea 4:12 NLT
¹² They ask a piece of wood for advice!
They think a stick can tell them the future!
Longing after idols
has made them foolish.
They have played the prostitute,
serving other gods and deserting their God.

• Idols are totally worthless. Israel was slow to learn this lesson. 

²² The Lord will not abandon his people,

because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

Isaiah 43:25 NLTBR>²⁵ “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.

• God will always keep His covenant promises, even if His people do not. 

²³ “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. 

1 Timothy 2:1 NLT
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
Never stop praying. 

• Samuel was taking his role as a prophet to Israel very seriously. He will continue to instruct and pray for the Israelites. 

And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.

Samuel will continue to serve as a prophet, even though the people of Israel have a king. 

Samuel summarizes his instructions. 

 ²⁴ But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 

“I will continue to teach you what is good and right” quoting Samuel.

Fear the Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.

Exodus 19:5 NLT (repeated from verse 15)
⁵ Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

(remember also the Deuteronomy passage referred to in verse 15)

• Fear the Lord. Serve Him faithfully.  Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 

²⁵ But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

Sin has consequences.

“Swept away” but a remnant will always remain.

Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites.

Joshua 24:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

• Sin has consequences.

This was not an easy lesson for the Israelites to learn.

 

Samuel’s Farewell Address (Part 1)

1 Samuel 12:1-11 NLT
^12:1 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. ² Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. ³ Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”
⁴ “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”
⁵ “The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
⁶ “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.
⁸ “When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. ⁹ But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.
¹⁰ “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’ ¹¹ Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel  to save you, and you lived in safety.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 12:1-11 NLT
Samuel’s Farewell Address 

^12:1 Then Samuel addressed all Israel:

“I have done as you asked and given you a king. 

• With some personal reservations about a monarchy, Samuel, obeying the will of the Lord and the people, set the king of God’s choice over them.

1 Samuel 8:4-7 NLT
⁴ Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ⁵ “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
⁶ Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. ⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 

Application:

The people of Israel wanted a king.

“Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 

The people of Israel were rejecting the Lord.

Psalm 118:8 NLT
⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people.

Isaiah 2:22 NLT
²² Don’t put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath.
What good are they?

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. 

• Don’t put your trust in politicians (of either party). God might give you what you are asking for.

² Your king is now your leader.

The age of Kingship has begun in Israel.

Only three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon rule the entire nation of Israel.

Saul reigned 40 years.

Acts 13:21 LT
²¹ Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

David reigned 40 years.

1 Kings 2:11 NLT
¹¹ David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

Solomon reigned 40 years.

1 Kings 11:42 NLT
⁴² Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

After these three kings, the nation is divided into Israel and Judah.

From this point on, there would be two kingdoms.

Israel in the north with their capitol in the city of Samaria

and Judah in the south keeping their capitol city of Jerusalem.

These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years.

The history of both kingdoms is a litany of ineffective, disobedient, and corrupt kings.

 

Samuel will no longer serve as a judge in Israel, but he will continue to be a prophet, who gives the word of God to the king and people of Israel.

Later Samuel anoints David as the King of Israel.

 

 

 Samuel stands before the people of Israel.

I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 

• Samuel stands up for himself.

³ Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one (Saul). Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice?

Unlike his sons who did these things.

1 Samuel 8:3 NLT
³ But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 

Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”

⁴ “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

⁵ “The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”

Samuel’s life and leadership before Israel had been above reproach.

He never used his position for personal gain.

“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.

Samuel is innocent.  The nation is guilty.

A Judge or Prophet can be a good leader.

Samuel could be trusted in the future.

This could be an example for Saul in his new role.

• There are times when it is o.k. to defend ourselves.

In the scriptures we read how Paul defends has apostleship for the sake of the Gospel.

 

Samuel shifts from talking about himself, to talking about the nation of Israel. 

⁶ “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 

• When the “prophet” Samuel says “It was the Lord,” he is reminding the people of Israel to look to God for leadership rather than putting their hope and trust in an earthly king.

Psalm 121 expresses this well.

Psalm 121 NLT
¹ I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
³ He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

God is sovereign

Romans 13:1 NLT
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 

⁷ Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.

Samuel rebuked the people foe ignoring and rejecting all that God had done for the Israelites during the time they had no king.

“Remember”

• Remember the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.

Psalm 105:1-5 NLT
¹ Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
² Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
³ Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
⁴ Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
⁵ Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,

Teach

Psalm 78:1-7 NLT
¹ O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
²     for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
³     stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵ For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
⁶ so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

An example of what the Lord has done.

The cycle of Apostasy. 

⁸ “When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. ⁹ But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.

(this is a partial list of enemies)

¹⁰ “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth.

1 Samuel 7:3-4 NLT
³ Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.

The cycle of Apostasy.

• In the book of Judges, the Israelites repeated the cycle of apostasy (turning to idols), oppression (being placed into slavery), repentance, and restoration at least seven times. 

But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’ 

• God deserves obedience and worship because He is God, not because of favors He can perform.

Isaiah 43:7 NLT
⁷ Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”

Psalm 99:5 NLT
⁵ Exalt the Lord our God!
Bow low before his feet, for he is holy! 

1 Chronicles 16:29 NLT
²⁹ Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. 

¹¹ Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan (this name is only found here. Possibly it is another form of the name Abdon or Barak), Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.

The Lord

“It was the Lord,” verse 6

• The Lord repeatedly used judges or prophets to deliver Israel from her enemies during the time they had no king.

Repeated deliverance (restoration). 

Without me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 NLT
⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 

 

Samuel’s farewell address is continued in the next lesson.

 

 

 

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

1 Samuel 10:27-11:15 NLT
²⁷ …
[Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.]
Saul Defeats the Ammonites
^11:1 About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. “Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants,” they pleaded.
² “All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”
³ “Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.”
⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. ⁵ Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, “What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh.
⁶ Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. ⁷ He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one. ⁸ When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.
⁹ So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, “We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!” There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!
¹⁰ The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” ¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
¹² Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
¹³ But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”
¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” ¹⁵ So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.

Examine the Scriptures

Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1 Samuel 10:27-11:15 NLT
²⁷ … [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.]

This paragraph, which is not included in the Masoretic Text, is found in Dead Sea Scroll 4QSam^a.

The Masoretic Text refers to the authoritative Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament.

Whether it is part of the original text is uncertain.

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

^11:1  About a month later, 

In chapter 10 Samuel anoints Saul as king and Saul is acclaimed king by the people. 

King Nahash of Ammon

The Ammonites were a nomadic race descended from Lot’s youngest daughter.

At this point in history, the Ammonites were a constant threat from the east to Israel, while the Philistines were a treat to Israel from the west.

(King Nahash) led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead.

 (The location of Jabesh-gilead) were located east of the Jordan River.

The Ammonites were nomads living east of Gad, Ruben, and Manasseh.

You may want to refer to a map. 

But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. “Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants,” they pleaded.

² “All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”

Mutilation of captured soldiers was a common practice in the ancient Near East at this point in time.

These disfigured soldiers would have lost all depth perception and would be rendered useless in battle.

The people of Jabesh had to choose between mutilation if they surrendered or death if they refused to surrender. 

³ “Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.”

⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul

Probably a two day’s journey.

Saul’s hometown, belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. (Remember its history of violence and perversion.) 

and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. 

Why would the people of Gibeah care about the people of Jabesh?

It was highly likely that there were close family ties between Jabesh-gilead and the tribe of Benjamin, which would have prompted the inhabitants of Jabesh to seek help from the tribe of Benjamin.

Read Judges 19-21.

Judges 21:12-14 NLT
¹² Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
¹³ The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. ¹⁴ Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them. 

The people of Gibeah would be closely related to the people of Jabesh. 

⁵ Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen,

Saul was working as a farmer, not yet fulfilling his role as king of Israel. 

 and when he returned to town, he asked, “What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh.

⁶ Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. 

The Spirit of God had come on Saul previously. See 1 Samuel 10:10

1 Samuel 10:10 NLT
¹⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.

Saul cared about the people from Jabesh. 

⁷ He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one. 

Anyone not participating would be rejecting Saul as king and Samuel as prophet. 

⁸ When Saul mobilized them at Bezek,

West of the Jordan River, in striking distance of Jabesh-gilead.

Refer to a map.

he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.

The book was written after 931 B.C. when the kingdom had been divided. (?)

⁹ So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, “We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!” There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!

¹⁰ The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” 

A setup for a surprise attack? 

¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments.

Good thinking on Saul’s part. 

He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.

¹² Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”

 Saul’s military victory made him look good to the people. 

¹³ But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

This was a time for celebration, not revenge.

Saul recognized that the Lord has rescued Israel 

¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” 

Israel was now going to be ruled by a king.

But

Samuel most likely saw this as the appropriate time for the people to renew their allegiance to the Lord and to restore the covenant relationship between God and His people. 

¹⁵ So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.

Refer to a map.

The peace offerings were a form of celebration.

A recognition of God’s role in this event.

Saul is recognized as God’s chosen king and formally assumes the privileges and responsibilities of this office.

Saul’s kingship was confirmed through a military victory, the very reason the people wanted a king.

1 Samuel 8:20 NLT
²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 

 

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Introduction

Isaiah 55:8 NLT
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

 Samuel 10 NLT
Samuel Anoints Saul as King

10 Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession. ² When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’
³ “When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine. ⁴ They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.
⁵ “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. ⁷ After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. ⁸ Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”

Samuel’s Signs Are Fulfilled
⁹ As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. ¹¹ When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”
¹² And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?”  So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”
¹³ When Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship. ¹⁴ “Where have you been?” Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant.
“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.”
¹⁵ “Oh? And what did he say?” his uncle asked.
¹⁶ “He told us that the donkeys had already been found,” Saul replied. But Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.

Saul Is Acclaimed King
¹⁷ Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. ¹⁸ And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. ¹⁹ But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”
²⁰ So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. ²¹ Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! ²² So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”
And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” ²³ So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
²⁴ Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
²⁵ Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.
²⁶ When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. ²⁷ But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?” And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them.

Examine the Scriptures

 

1 Samuel 10 NLT

Samuel Anoints Saul as King 

^10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. 

Samuel anoints Saul in a private ceremony.

Signifying a setting aside for God’s choice for God’s service.

He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his  (The Lord’s) special possession.

Note: The people of Israel belong to God, not to Saul.

Deuteronomy 4:20 NLT
²⁰ Remember that the Lord rescued you (Israel) from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

The King of Israel is to act as a manager, not an owner.

• God appointed Saul to be ruler over Israel.

• Israel was God’s special possession.

² When you leave me today,

• Saul was told that he would experience three signs.

The first sign:

you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin.

Saul is told what will happen and where this will take place.

The precise location is unknown to us.

They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’

The second sign:

³ “When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine. 

Most likely the items they were bring were intended for the sacrificial meal.

⁴ They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.

Giving a portion of this food to Saul symbolizes a recognition of Saul’s divine appointment as king.

Again, Saul is told what will happen and where this will take place.

The third sign:

⁵ “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located,
you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. 

Again, Saul is told what will happen and where this will take place.

Praising God.

Declaring the Word of the Lord.

⁶ At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 

Saul will be changed into a different person.

God can change lives.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

See verse 9

Saul was being equipped to carry out a new role.

• For each of the three signs, Saul was told what would happen and where this event would take place.

• These three signs were to convince Saul that he in fact had been chosen to be Israel’s king.

Again, God’s sovereignty is clearly seen throughout this story.

FYI (some interesting details about Gibeah)

Gibeah:

Gibeah “of God” (this city belongs to God even if it is occupied by the Philistines.)

Also called: Gibeah, Gibeah of Benjamin, Gibeah of Saul.

Gibeah is located in the land given to the tribe of Benjamin.

Gibeah was Saul’s birthplace and continued to be his residence until he became king.

Gibeah had a history of being a perverted and lawless city according to Judges 19-21.

A man, his concubine, and his servant decided to spend the night in Gibeah.

Judges 19:22 NLT
²² While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.” 

Unbelievable perversion and violence takers place.

The story ends with:
Judges 20:48 NLT
⁴⁸ And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to.

Later in the narrative Saul’s sons and grandsons were executed by the Gibeonites.

2 Samuel 21:6 NLT
⁶ So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the Lord at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord.”

Gibeah was occupied by the Philistines. 

⁷ After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. 

This is directed to Saul but is also a message for each of us.

Take the appropriate action.  God’s presence in your life will enable you to do the right thing.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 

⁸ Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. 

You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”

Samuel’s Signs Are Fulfilled
⁹ As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 

As prophesied in verse 6:

⁶ At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 

God changes hearts.

1 Samuel 16:13 NLT
¹³ So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

All of Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 

• God gave Saul a new heart 

¹⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. 

Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. 

A big change was taking place in Saul. 

¹¹ When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”

The people were surprised to see Saul acting like a prophet.

¹² And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?”  So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”

Just a reminder:

Jeremiah 32:17 NLT
¹⁷ “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

• Nothing is too hard for God!

¹³ When Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship. ¹⁴ “Where have you been?” Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant.
“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.”
¹⁵ “Oh? And what did he say?” his uncle asked.
¹⁶ “He told us that the donkeys had already been found,” Saul replied. But Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.

Saul Is Publicly Acclaimed King

¹⁷ Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. 

Previously at Mizpah

Judges 21:1 NLT
^21:1 The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.” 

¹⁸ And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. ¹⁹ But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’

Israel was rejecting God’s ability to protect and save them. 

Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.” 

²⁰ So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 

²¹ Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them.

In spite of this process of casting lots, we know that Saul was chosen by God.  God simply used the process of casting lots to fulfill his will.

(Not all translations say “by lot”.)

But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! ²² So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”
And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” ²³ So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
²⁴ Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”

• Samuel tells the people that the Lord has chosen Saul to be their king. 

And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

Here the people are accepting Saul as their king.

However, in the eyes of God Saul was disqualified.  Remember the passages from our previous lesson:

Genesis 49:10 NLT
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor. 

A long line of kings from Judah would retain the scepter. 

1 Chronicles 5:2 NLT
² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation,

²⁵ Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were.

• Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were.

The people had a wrong understanding of what the king’s role and function should be.

Israel’s king would not be like the kings of the other nations.

He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord.

Presumably in the Tabernacle.

Deuteronomy 17:16-20 NLT
Guidelines for a King
¹⁵ … be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
¹⁶ “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ ¹⁷ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
¹⁸ “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. ²⁰ This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. 

Then Samuel sent the people home again.

²⁶ When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 

God changes hearts.

²⁷ But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?”

They wrongly believed that their national security would come from a human being.

 And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts.

These men were scoundrels because they scorned God’s chosen king.

But Saul ignored them. 

• Many of the people accepted Saul as their king, some did not.

 

Introduction:

Don’t miss the subtleties in this passage. *

Once again, notice God’s sovereignty.

1 Samuel 9 NLT
Saul Meets Samuel
^9:1 There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
³ One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” ⁴ So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.
⁵ Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!”
⁶ But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”
⁷ “But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
⁸ “Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” ⁹ (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)
¹⁰ “All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.
¹¹ As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”
¹² “Yes,” they replied. “Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. ¹³ Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”
¹⁴ So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.
¹⁵ Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
¹⁸ Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
¹⁹ “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. ²⁰ And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
²¹ Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
²² Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests. ²³ Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor. ²⁴ So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. “Go ahead and eat it,” Samuel said. “I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
²⁵ When they came down from the place of worship and returned to town, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a bed for him there. ²⁶ At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, “Get up! It’s time you were on your way.” So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together. ²⁷ When they reached the edge of town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead. After the servant was gone, Samuel said, “Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God.”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 9 NLT

Saul Meets Samuel

^9:1 There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.

• Kish, Saul’s father, was a wealthy influential man from the Tribe of Benjamin.*

The first subtlety.

Genesis 49:10 NLT
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor. 

• A long line of kings from Judah would retain the scepter. 

1 Chronicles 5:2 NLT
² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation,

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin.

The promised Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. 

He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. 

The second subtlety.

• Saul’s qualifications listed here in the scriptures: (all external appearance)*

Handsome
Tall

Compared to David’s qualifications.

1 Samuel 16:18 NLT
¹⁸ One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”

A talented harp player.
A brave warrior.
A man of war.
He has good judgment.
Also, He a fine-looking young man.
The Lord is with him. 

³ One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” ⁴ So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.

• Saul was sent on a mission to find some lost donkeys belonging to his father.

Lost donkeys meant lost wealth.  Saul was chosen to oversee the task of finding these lost donkeys.

Lost donkeys straying from home.  Perhaps symbolizing the Israelites straying from God.*

Saul looking for his dad’s lost donkeys.

David, a shepherd, caring for his fathers’ sheep.

⁵ Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!” 

⁶ But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true.

In the O.T. a messenger of God was referred to as “a man of God”.  This phrase is use over 70 times in the O.T.  This title would be used for a prophet of God.

To be a true prophet means “everything he says comes true”. 

• When they were Unable to find the donkeys, Saul’s servant suggested that they get some help from a prophet of God.

Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”

This suggestion came from Saul’s servant, not from Saul. *

Saul’s servant appears to be more perceptive than Saul. 

⁷ “But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.” 

It was a common practice to give a gift to a prophet for his service.

Saul must have been under the impression that the prophet (Samuel) would not help them if they didn’t give him something.

Saul may have been thinking that advice from a prophet of God could be purchased. 

⁸ “Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” ⁹ (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)

• Saul’s servant was seeking guidance from God. *

¹⁰ “All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived. 

¹¹ As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”

¹² “Yes,” they replied. “Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. ¹³ Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”

The role of the prophet (bless the sacrificial meal). *

¹⁴ So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.

The worship of the Lord at “high places” was acceptable at this point in time. 

¹⁵ Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”

God’s sovereignty.

• God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul to be the leader of His people, Israel.

God is going to give the people what they are asking for. *

Remember: Be careful what you ask for.

¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.” 

• The Lord revealed to Samuel that Saul was the divine choice for king of Israel.

¹⁸ Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹ “I am the seer!” Samuel replied.

God’s sovereignty.

“Go up to the place of worship ahead of me.

For “a public sacrifice up at the place of worship” (verse 12). 

We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way.  

• Saul met Samuel and Samuel invited Saul to eat with him at the place of worship. 

²⁰ And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.” 

Not particularly a good thing. 

1 Samuel 8:19-20 NLT
¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. ²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 

• The hope of Israel was that someone would rescue them from the Philistines. *

He will rescue them from the Philistines. (Verse 15)

²¹ Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”

At this point in the story Saul is being humble. 

²² Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests. ²³ Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor. 

This took place at the place of worship where public sacrifices were offered.  (verses 12, 19, 25)

This piece of meat was frequently intended to be used as an offering and would have been eaten by the priest. (Samuel?) *

This indicates a distinct honor and the sacredness of Saul’s kingship.

Exodus 29:27 NLT
²⁷ “Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the Lord as a special offering.

Numbers 18:8 NLT
⁸ The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron: “I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share.

²⁴ So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. “Go ahead and eat it,” Samuel said. “I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 

• Saul was given the finest cut of meat that had been set aside for the guest of honor.

 ²⁵ When they came down from the place of worship and returned to town, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a bed for him there. 

Saul spent the night at Samuel’s house.

²⁶ At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, “Get up! It’s time you were on your way.” So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together. ²⁷ When they reached the edge of town, 

Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead. After the servant was gone, Samuel said, “Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God.”

Special revelation from God, given to Samuel and intended for Saul.

At this point in time, revelations from God were rare.

• Samuel received a special message from God for Saul. (Next lesson)

 

 

Introduction:

Israel Requests a King.

Israel’s transition to a monarchy.

From Judgeship to Kingship.

1 Samuel 8:1-22 NLT
Israel Requests a King
^8:1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. ² Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. ³ But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
⁴ Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ⁵ “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
⁶ Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. ⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. ⁸ Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. ⁹ Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
¹⁰ So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. ¹² Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. ¹³ The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. ¹⁴ He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. ¹⁶ He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. ¹⁷ He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. ²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
²¹ So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, ²² and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 8:1-22 NLT

Israel Requests a King 

^8:1 As Samuel grew old,

• In this passage Samuel is growing old.

When Samuel was 65-70 years old. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
60 years of age (Mac Arthur)
65 years old (NIV study Bible)

he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. ² Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.

Samuel’s two oldest sons functioned as judges in Beersheba.

Beersheba is 57 miles south of Ramah.

 ³ But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

• Samuel’s sons were a lot like Eli’s sons.

They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Scripture addresses these issues.

Exodus 23:8 NLT
⁸ “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. 

Deuteronomy 16:19 NLT
¹⁹ You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.

Proverbs 17:23 NLT
²³ The wicked take secret bribes
to pervert the course of justice.

• Scripture strictly forbids Samuel’s sons’ actions. 

⁴ Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ⁵ “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you.

• The elders of Israel used Samuel’s age and the corruption of Samuel’s sons as reasons to ask for a king to rule the nation.

Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

Even though the elders of Israel used Samuel’s age and the corruption of Samuel’s sons as reasons to ask for a king to rule the nation, the primary reason for their request was a desire to be like the surrounding nations. (verse 20)

• The primary reason for their request was a desire to be like the surrounding nations. (verse 20)

They wanted to be like everyone else.

The nations surrounding Israel had kings.

Kings, as national leaders, were more capable of uniting a whole nation. Judges tended to be local leaders.

Having a king is not evil in itself.  The people’s reasons for wanting a king were wrong.

Israel was rejecting God as their king. They wanted to exchange their unique position as the people of God to be like all the nations.

Scripture anticipates kings ruling the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 NLT
Guidelines for a King
¹⁴ “You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ ¹⁵ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
¹⁶ “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ ¹⁷ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
¹⁸ “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. ²⁰ This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

• David served the Lord well as king.

Acts 13:22 NLT
²² But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

1 Chronicles 18:14 NLT
¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

⁶ Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 

CEB    It seemed very bad to Samuel
CEV    Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say
ERV    Samuel thought this was a bad idea,
EHV    But in Samuel’s eyes, their request to receive a king to judge them looked evil,
TLB     Samuel was terribly upset
MEV   But the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel,
NOG   But Samuel considered it wrong

Most likely, Samuel felt that the people were rejecting him.

Verse seven: … “they are rejecting me, not you.” 

• Samuel was displeased with the people’s request.

• The rejection of Judgeship was a rejection of God’s rule and sovereignty.

⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied,

Be careful what you ask for.

See Numbers 11 

¹³ They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 

¹⁸ “And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. ¹⁹ And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. ²⁰ You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’” 

³¹ Now the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. ³² So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. ³³ But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 

The Psalmist talks about this in:
Psalm 106:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ In the wilderness their (the Israelites) desires ran wild,
testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
¹⁵ So he gave them what they asked for,
    but he sent a plague along with it.

• Be careful what you ask for. You might get what you ask for along with some negative consequences. 

(⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied,) repeated
“for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 

Rejecting God for a human king is clearly a form of idolatry.

An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God.

This was not God’s timing for giving Israel a king. 

⁸ Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 

⁹ Do as they ask,

• Be careful what you ask for. You might get what you ask for along with some negative consequences.

but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

Samuel Warns against a Kingdom

¹⁰ So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.  

• Samuel explained the disadvantages of kingship.

The disadvantages of kingship. 

¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 

¹² Some will be generals and captains in his army, 

The king will draft your sons for military service.

some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 

The king will take your sons from you to work for him.

¹³ The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 

The king will take your daughters from you to serve him.

¹⁴ He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 

The king will take your possessions and give them to his officials. 

¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 

A tenth of the harvest was already required to support God’s Temple and servants.

Deuteronomy 12:4-6 NLT
⁴ “Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. ⁵ Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored. ⁶ There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks.

The king would demand an additional tenth of the people’s harvest. 

¹⁶ He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. ¹⁷ He will demand a tenth of your flocks,

The king will take your possessions for his own use.

and you will be his slaves. 

The Israelites would be subject to any of the king’s wishes. 

¹⁸ When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”

• Samuel warned the people that they would live to regret their decision for a king and would later cry out for freedom from his rule.

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 

• In spite of Samuel’s warning, the people demanded a king.

²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us.

This motive is definitely contrary to the Lord’s will.

• Israel’s motive for wanting a king was definitely counter to the Lord’s will. 

Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

Up to this point the Lord had fought the battles for Israel and had given them victory over their enemies.

Just previous to this time.

1 Samuel 7:10 NLT
¹⁰ Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.

Joshua 10:6-14 NLT
⁶ The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”
⁷ So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. ⁸ “Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
⁹ Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. ¹⁰ The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword. 

¹⁴ There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!

Judges 6-8 NLT The story of Gideon
Judges 6:14
¹⁴ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

Judges 7:7 NLT
⁷ The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”

¹⁴ His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”

²² When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. 

²¹ So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, ²² and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.”

• Israel was replacing God with a human being.

Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.