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1 Samuel verses 13:1-12
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13:1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.! 5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the
people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.! Saul's Unlawful Sacrifice! 8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”!
! Were we hoping that something good would come from the reign of Saul? The writer in chapter 13 begins to unpack the weaknesses of Saul. “We are unprepared for the a dark story of royal failure and Israelite hopelessness.” (Ralph Davis) In contrast, we can’t help but cheer when Jonathan strikes down the Philistine governor or garrison at Geba. However, Jonathan is not Saul. He is the king’s son. Why didn’t Saul take the initiative? When Saul takes the credit for Jonathan’s victory, it’s a little unsettling. Saul’s passivity in battle and in action, even waiting a year before taking up his responsibility as king, reveal his deficiency as a godly king. When it comes time to take credit for the victory, he is very proactive, blowing his own horn.! ! The most important part of this text begins in verse 8, when Saul fails as a spiritual leader of Israel. He had been instructed by Samuel to wait at Gilgal for seven days. (10:8) Saul was obviously under an incredible amount of pressure. Jonathan’s victory over the Philistines stirred them to action, thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of troops. The Israelites had gone into hiding from the Philistines, and even those with Saul were terrified. Seven days under such circumstances could have seemed like an eternity. These circumstances reveal Saul’s true character. In fear he cannot wait for the word of the Lord. He takes matters into his own hands. This revelation is particularly important because earlier narratives make it clear that Saul has known and experienced the work of the Spirit of God in his life. There are those who have called him in earlier passages a prophet, because he had prophetic experiences. Yet, now when he most needs to hear a word from the Lord about how to defeat his enemies and protect his people, he fails and chooses a path of disobedience that is costly for him, his family, and his people.! ! It is important to note that what Saul used as an excuse, Samuel’s delay and the imminent attack of the enemy, were both bogus. Samuel arrived on the seventh day, immediately after Saul had made the sacrifice. The sacrifice was not the most important thing. Samuel’s instructions about the conduct of the battle was the far more important element. Saul failed to submit, and his sacrifice was insubordinate. His perspective on the situation was off. He failed to understand that Gilgal was a safe place. Without the word of the Lord Saul’s decisions were mistaken.
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1 Samuel verses 13:13-22
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.! And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One
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company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward Bethhoron; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.! 19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel[f] for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.!
Why was it easier to sacrifice than to wait on the word from the Lord? Why would Saul believe that his sacrifice would give him favor with God, when it comes as a result of disobedience to the word of the Lord that he was given? ! ! The situation is dire. Saul had six hundred men against tens of thousands. The text tells us that there were no weapons in the land. Even the farm tools were sharpened by Philistine blacksmiths for there were no Israelite blacksmiths. The odds against Israel are overwhelming. If we understand the patterns of a covenant God, the more hopeless the situation becomes, the more hopeful we become. The only hopeful course of action that the people of Yahweh had was to inquire of the Lord together. The beauty and the mystery of life as the people of God is that when the situation is most hopeless, Yahweh is the ever present hope and help. And the true leader of God’s people emerges as a person of faith who will risk everything for God and for his people, but only if he or she has actually heard from the Lord. Saul is not that leader.! ! It may seem that Saul’s punishment is harsh. “Your kingdom shall not continue,” but Samuel makes clear what the Spirit of God is looking for, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart…” Saul will actually go on to have many victories, but he has failed where it counts. His heart is not after God’s heart. There are serious deficiencies in Saul’s heart. Perhaps in his life before he was king, these may not have mattered, but as a king the cracks in his soul are magnified. His impatience reveals a deep lack of trust in the Lord and in the word of the Lord. One of the many reasons why this is important is because Saul has heard from the Lord before. His early successes were the result of the directive of the Lord. Instead of building on his life in the word, he takes matters into his own hands. He does what is right in his own eyes. His actions reveal a lack of dependence on God and a tendency to trust his own direction and initiative, even when his initiatives are uninformed by the word of God. A self-reliant king is not fit to rule the people of God.! ! In the early days of our walk with God some of our disobedience and ignorance is tolerated. However, the day comes as we move into our calling and assignment when the focus of the Spirit changes. Our deficiencies of character are revealed, and His presence and word are available for healing and restoration of our damaged hearts. What we do and what we bring to Him is not what matters. Who we are and the state of hearts is the Spirit’s priority. He is looking for the man or the woman after God’s own heart. Will we wait on Him and depend on His word?
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1 Samuel verses 14:1-15
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel
14:1One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.! 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold,
we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armorbearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.!
“Jonathan was moving; Saul was sitting.” (Davis) Verses 2,3 tell us a good deal about the leadership void in Israel. Saul is sitting under the pomegranate tree on the edge of Gibeah, accompanied by the priest, Ahijah. “Here are the leaders sitting together: Saul, whose royal dynasty has been rejected, assisted by Ahijah, whose priestly line has been rejected. Since Samuel has left Saul with no authorized prophetic direction; he has a rejected priestly line instead. What help can such a king and such a priest give?” (Davis)!
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The writer also tells us of the topography that Jonathan faces. Most sane people would say that the entrance into the Philistine encampment was impassable. The two rocky crags mentioned are Bozez and Seneh. Their names, roughly equivalent to Slippery (Bozez) and Thorny (Seneh) hardly invite approach. However, these obstacles do not deter Jonathan.!
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Jonathan’s Daring Faith Jonathan’s clear conviction about God(“for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving”) produces great expectation of God. (“It may be that the Lord will work for us”) Jonathan recognizes that God’s normal manner of working is through his servants. His daring plan is an expression of his trust in the Lord, a trust rooted in truth about the Lord. Notice the wording of the text in regard to Jonathan’s faith. His faith is not presumptuous. It is not unrealistic. Jonathan recognizes that he does not know the outcome, but he knows the Lord. He confesses the power of God, and he is filled with anticipation about what God will do in this hopeless circumstance.! It is not wrong to seek affirmations as you step out in faith. Faith involves risk. Biblical faith presented here in Jonathan’s life allowed for affirmation. First affirmation, his armor bearer agreed with him. “I am with you heart and soul.” Second affirmation was a sign from the Philistines to come up. The Philistines were convinced of their superior might and said, “Come up and let us teach you a lesson.” All Jonathan cared about was that they said to come up. Jonathan and his armor bearer negotiated old “Slippery,” and together finished off the twenty soldiers, who would never teach a Hebrew another lesson.! The result in the Philistine garrison was terror and confusion. Jonathan had attacked on the belief that God would act, and as he moved in faith, God did as he anticipated. He saved his people.
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1 Samuel verses 14:16-30
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people[m] of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.!
24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”!
This is one of those good news, bad news sections of Scripture. The good news is very good. “So the Lord saved Israel that day.” Jonathan’s daring faith, faith that was willing to say, “Perhaps the Lord will act for us,” had been instrumental in the work of the Lord to defeat the enemies of his people. The Philistines in their confusion turned on each other. The Israelites began to appear in abundance, now that the momentum had shifted. Those who had fled returned, and those who were in the camp of the Philistines joined in the battle and a total rout was on. Once again when everything had seemed hopeless, the Lord proved himself trustworthy.! The bad news begins in verse 24, “But the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day.” Saul shows a strange ability to turn deliverance into distress. Saul makes an unnecessary and unreasonable demand on his troops by disallowing them to eat food during the day of the battle. It is possible that he was trying to create a “holy war” setting, but the result is that his troops are famished and exhausted.! Jonathan knew nothing of the ban of his father and took refreshment. The honey that he ate brightened his condition. (14:27,29) In this narrative again Jonathan proves that he understands the will of God better than his father. He quickly rebukes Saul’s ban and accuses him of making trouble for Israel. Jonathan’s criticism of his father is sharp and honest.! While this is narrative scripture, it is teaching us about life in the Spirit through the sharp contrasts of King Saul and his son, Jonathan. Saul is trying to lead the people of God against overwhelming odds with a mixture of spiritual and fleshly elements, and he is failing utterly. His heart and mind are shown to be unyielded to God or to God’s word. He is what the New Testament would call a double minded man. Jonathan sees the battle through spiritual eyes. He is realistic, shows wisdom, and demonstrates great courage. He trusts that God is with him and will guide him. As he does his part in the battle, God answers and does the things that only the sovereign Lord can do. Jonathan’s life is not his own. He belongs to God and he acts on behalf of his people, not himself. His is a surrendered life, and as such he is a man after God’s own heart.
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel Reflection day Over the past week, the script6res have drawn a stark cont7ast bet9een t9o different kinds of leaders. Saul leads as a fear filled man who t7ies to take cont7ol of spirit6al blessing on his own terCs. While, Jonathan leads as a faith-‐filled man who Geely receives spirit6al blessing on God’s terCs. Saul began his leadership by intentionally shirking the authoritJ he had been given for one year before taking on his role as king. Then, when he didn’t bring forLh the victorJ in baMle, he took his son, Jonathan’s glorJ for himself. Saul was so focused on stacking up
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accomplishments for himself and t7Jing to access his own blessing that he lost the blessing the Lord had intended for him. What the Lord desired was for him to depend on Him and wait on His word in order to bring forLh the f6ll blessing of the Lord. The texL makes apparent that the Lord is not looking for what accomplishments we can claim or skills we can bring to Him. He is looking for the men and women whose hearLs are dependent on the Lord.
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In cont7ast to Saul, the script6res lay out the positive example of Jonathan. “ Jonathan said to the young man who car7ied his arCor, ‘Come, let us go over to the gar7ison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord Gom saving by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6. Jonathan has cerLain hope in what God can do, but he is not too proud or presumpt6ous to claim that God will do it. He steps out in faith of what God can do with g7eat anticipation to see if God will indeed move in the miraculous, giving over the Philistines to t9o faith-‐filled men. Our God loves this kind of faith and pours out his blessing on Jonathan, the faith-‐filled man who Geely receives His spirit6al blessing.
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God had positioned Saul as a leader, but when Saul fit his head into that crown his own visions of success and power pushed out God and mag[ified the flaws in his character. Now that you have taken several weeks to draw prayer circles it is time to evaluate how you are using those prayer circles. Maybe the Lord, has shown you visions of a pur^ose or calling. Maybe He has made new promises about your f6t6re or family or revived old promises that you had once given up on. In the book The Circle Maker, Mark BaMerson calls to our aMention that as we begin looking at f6lfilling the God-‐ordained goals in our life, it is easy for our focus to shiſt, “our eter[al priorities get subjugated to our temporal responsibilities.” BaMerson charges us to “Do the best with what you can where you are. Success in not circumstantial. We usually focus on what we’re doing or where we’re going, but God’s primarJ concer[ is who we are becoming in the process. Look at the examples of Saul and Jonathan. Which kind of leader do you want to identified with? As you draw your prayer circle, question yourself and ask the Lord, “Am I using this circle to t7J to cont7ol the blessings I receive Gom you? Or am I ready and willing to receive the blessing of your promises in your own time and way?”
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Saul did not get the spirit6al blessing that was rightf6lly his, because he took his success into his own hands. Jonathan received miraculous blessing in baMle because he stepped out in faith and t76sted the Lord with his own success or failure. “Success has nothing to do with how giſted or how resourced you are; it has everJLhing to do with glorifJing God in any and everJ sit6ation by making the most of it.” Mark BaMerson
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1 Samuel verses 14:31-46
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14:31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.! 36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in
Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41 Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.! 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.!
! Saul’s ban on food for the entire day of the battle was foolish. “Saul’s oath belongs to those superstitions which think that God is more likely to listen if men indulge in unnecessary self-denial.” Saul has alienated himself from Samuel. Then by his inaction against the enemy he has alienated himself from his army, and with this ban of food he has caused them great distress on a decisive day of battle and salvation from the Lord. His actions in this passage will alienate him from his son.! ! Saul wanted to destroy the Philistine threat for good. By striking at night he believed that the attack would so destroy Philistine manpower to an extent that the war would be over. However, the priest persuades him to inquire of the Lord before taking such a dramatic step. Remember, this is a rejected king and a rejected priest inquiring of the Lord. This is religion, not relationship with God. Actually Saul’s actions are based in superstition, not true devotion to Yahweh. He believes by self-denial God will take him more seriously. One commentary describes the scene this way: ‘If God withheld the answer, it was because He often takes our stupidities as seriously as we mean them.” (Ellison) To Saul’s request Yahweh gives no response. The divine silence is tantamount to divine displeasure, and Saul begins an investigation to see who the cause is. When Jonathan proves to be the guilty party, Saul is faced with revolt in his own party.! ! A word on the use of Urim and Thummim: These were sticks or stones that were used to divine the will of God. Carried by the priest, they were used in this narrative to point to Jonathan as the one who broke the ban on food. These instruments were merely an accommodation to the people and were not used later as God raised up his prophets to speak his word to the kings. Saul, having alienated God’s prophet, has to revert to a simplistic form of divination. Through his foolish decisions, he endangers the life of his son, the very one that Yahweh has used to save Israel. In order to save Jonathan and save himself from his troops, he puts his own life under a curse. (44) The vivid contrast of the life of faith and a life of religious fear is an important one for those of us living in the twenty-first century. A life of faith works. Religious fear and superstition do not.
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1 Samuel verses 14:47-15:9
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 14:47 When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48 And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.! 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.! 52 There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.! 15 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted
what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction[q] all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”! 4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.!
! Here (verses 47-52) is the wrap up of Saul’s reign. “What surprises us about this summary is that it is so positive. It is pro-Saul.” (Davis) Up to now the narrative has portrayed Saul in negative tones, and the end of the story will intensify that negativism. Why the positive summary then? This is what could be called the judgment of history. This is an assessment of Saul’s achievements, contributions, and relative successes. It is an external, not internal assessment of a person’s life and work. By such a standard, Saul measured up. The text explains that whether he turned east to Moab and Ammon, southeast to Edom, northeast to Zobah, or west to Philistia, he succeeded in war, he defeated enemies, and he delivered Israel. History’s assessment is not the decisive verdict. Only God is the righteous judge. “God is not looking for winners, but for disciples.” (Davis) ! ! The second part of this passage beginning in chapter 15 continues to reveal the fallen nature of King Saul’s spiritual judgement and character. “Because of their opposition to God and his people early in biblical history, the Amalekites are consistently portrayed in the Old Testament as vigorous enemies of Israel and of Yahweh. They apparently came to represent any group or nation who defied Yahweh and his purposes.” Samuel appears in this chapter to deliver “holy war” instructions. This is God’s war, but because Saul is King, he will use him to fight it. God’s instructions are clear “totally destroy” the Amalekites. The Biblical term used, “denotes a special act of consecration of a city or its population to destruction” ( Arnold). ! ! Saul selectively disobey’s the Lord by saving the Agag, the King of the Amalekites, as well as the best sheep, cattle, and lambs. Through this disobedience, Saul is partaking in the infamy of the Amalekites by defying Yahweh’s word and purposes in this battle. The representation of a group who defied Yahweh and his purposes is now acting as a curse upon Saul’s head as well. He has taken that which was banned in to his own society. Further, by taking Agag alive, this was Saul’s attempt to make the battle victory a “monument to his own honor”. He is not giving honor to the Lord for this “Holy War” but trying to take the honor for himself (Arnold).
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1 Samuel verses 15:10-23
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told to Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”! 17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king
over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,! “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.! 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,he has also rejected you from being king.”
“Partial obedience is really only disobedience made to look acceptable. Saul obeys God’s word to a degree in that he does in fact attack the Amalekites and win a great victory against them. But he convinces himself that he has satisfied the divine injunctions. Samuel is then sent to expose Saul’s actions as unacceptable. The text narrates an extended dialogue between the prophet and the king, in which Saul’s sin gradually becomes insurmountable. The reader is forced to conclude that Saul must go! He can no longer serve as king of Israel” (Arnold). !
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The extent of Saul’s inability to take responsibility for his actions is rather remarkable. First, he is clearly in denial. He has already taken time to construct a monument for his victory, and now he greets Samuel with a cheery self-pump “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions!” It is as if he is looking to say, “Aren’t you so proud of me and how good I am!” This is where Saul continues to fall short. His attention is on his victories and successes. He has little regard for what the Lord wanted or intended to do through Him. !
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Next, when Samuel brings to light his disobedience the evidence of the livestock in the camp, “Saul tries deflection, hoping to divert the blame onto the soldiers. Such recrimination is as old as the Garden of Eden, where the strategy of deflecting guilt onto someone else was first tried. But Saul is no more successful than Adam and Eve. Samuel reminds the king that is Yahweh’s command that made him king and that it is also Yahweh’s command that he has now rejected.” (Arnold) Saul has lost sight that the assignment of the Lord is not Saul’s to adjust or Saul’s victory to be had. !
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“Once deflection of blame fails, Saul’s next strategy is argumentation (‘But I did obey the Lord,’ 15:20-21). He is trying to justify his actions by redefining Yahweh’s command. Saul argues that he did in fact execute the terms of holy war and bring back Agag the king. This action is a self-condemning contradiction. In the face of exposed disobedience, many have attempted to redefine what it actually means to obey” (Arnold). “Yahweh desires obedience over everything else. Even sacrifice is unacceptable if it becomes only a ruse for real submission to God’s will” (Arnold).
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1 Samuel verses 15:24-35
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of
my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.! 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully.[t] Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.! 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
This text begins with what sounds like a confession. Technically, he uses the right words: ‘“I have sinned.” But this is followed by many more words revealing the compulsory and obligatory nature of that confession. His confession is contrived and motivated by self-interest to save face before the people (Arnold). “Saul’s confession is really nothing more than an acknowledgement of wrongdoing. He displays no contrition and gives no indication that he will act differently in the future” (Arnold). Grabbing Samuel’s robe was an attempt to entreat Samuel to reconsider, “but it’s unexpected tearing provided a parable: so Yahweh had torn the kingdom from Saul and that was final” (Davis). !
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Saul’s is willing to acknowledge that he screwed up on the Lord’s command, but he is not willing for his people to know. His second confession reveals the true nature of his concern. “He has replaced ‘forgive my sin’ with ‘honor me before my people’’’ (Arnold) and he goes on to say in verse 15:30, “come back with me so that I may worship your God”. Saul is so concerned with his own image and the national order of Israel that he has “lost contact with the word of God and is not able to perceive his own condition before God. In order to know himself, one needs to know God” (Tsumura). He is so disconnected from the God that ordained him as king, that he now refers to him as your God, Samuel. Because of his sin and prideful self-focused nature, Saul is no longer connected in a personal relationship with Yahweh. !
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However, Davis reminds us, “If Saul’s repentance is superficial we must not be too quick to pick up the first stone, for we ourselves have stood among those who love the praise of men more than the praise of God.” In what ways have we found ourselves more concerned with the politics, the image, and saving face than the repentance and relationship God desires? !
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For the extent of Saul’s sin, rejection as king is still not enough. “‘The Lord’s communion with Saul as king through the prophet Samuel was also broken.’ No more direction for Saul from Yahweh’s word; no more counsel, no more commands, no more encouragement. Without Yahweh’s prophet, Saul is without Yahweh’s word—an unbearable silence.” (Davis). !
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This isolation from Samuel and disconnect from Saul’s relationship with Yahweh is not harsh or cold. The text makes clear that it is filled with grief and sorrow. It is a tragedy when Saul refuses to be Yahweh’s disciple; it grieves Yahweh. He longs for us to desire His words, depend on Him, and obey His will. His heart is not cold or hard when we do not. It is filled with longing sorrow for us to come back to Him.
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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel Reflection Day The texL this week has drawn a stark cont7ast bet9een the life of faith and the life of religious fear and superstition. The nar7ative of Saul outlines how different and difficult our ex^eriences with the Lord will be when we chose religious fear and superstition over relationship with him. On and off the baMle field Saul, aMempted to apply religious fear to make up for the lack of his faith and relationship with the Lord. Saul’s superstition and fear revealed that he did not know nor t76st the t76e character of God. This fear ran so deep within him that it nearly
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cost him his own son. He was willing to let Jonathan die in order to appease the superstitions within him.
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Saul did have many victories on the baMlefield, but those victories were merely exLer[al. They did not reflect the inter[al deterioration of his character and relationship with God. In fact, with each exLer[al victorJ Saul seems to g7ow f6rLher and f6rLher Gom being the man God desired him to be. Saul has replaced his God-‐ordained pur^ose for his self-‐ordained successes.
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When the Lord calls Saul into holy war to totally dest7oy the Amalekites, it seems that He is prepared to give Saul another chance to listen to his command and obey. Sadly, once again Saul disobeys and then fails to take up responsibilitJ for his sin. His hearL has become so disconnected Gom the Lord that he does not even acknowledge his wrongdoing. This kind of result can happen to any of us if we let sin remain and unconfessed with a repentant hearL. Saul aMempts false repentance, but this only serhes to drive him f6rLher Gom the Lord. He was focused on restoring his own image rather than restoring his relationship with God. It is clear that sin and an unrepentant hearL disconnect us Gom the Lord and prevent us Gom perceiving our condition before the Lord. But the good news is that if we can humble ourselves and repent before the Lord, this is where He loves to meet us! The Lord is g7ieved by our sin, and He longs to forgive us, then pour out His blessings upon us. Rather than taking Saul’s st7ategJ of religious acts, superstitious fear, and false repentance, let’s receive Jesus’ model. In Luke 7:36-‐50 Jesus shows a self-‐righteous Pharisee what t76e repentance looks like through a prostit6te. This woman has sinned much, but with her hearL f6ll of repentance she washes Jesus’ feet with her tears. Jesus commends her saying she loved him so much because she has been forgiven so much; but he who has been forgiven liMle, loves liMle. While our sin g7ieves us, let us lear[ to face it and not scor[ it or hide it. The Lord loves to forgive a repentant hearL. While sin is our g7eatest disconnect Gom God, repentance is our g7eatest connection to God. Mark BaMerson claims, “I don’t want easy answers or quick answers because I have a tendency to mishandle the blessing that come too easily or too quickly. I take the credit or take them Gom g7anted. So now I pray that it will take long enough and be hard enough for God to receive all of the GlorJ. Change your prayer approach Gom as soon as possible to as long as possible.” In light of this quote, evaluate your prayer circles. Where do you need to let go of the timeline and enjoy the process of connecting with God? Also, consider again where there might be sin disconnecting you Gom the blessings and relationship you desire with the Lord. Remember how the Lord loves to forgive you and set you Gee Gom sin. Where could you step into repentance today?Samuel says, “Has the Lord as much delight in bur[t offering and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is beMer than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquitJ and idolat7J. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you Gom being king.”