1 Samuel 13-15: The Lord Rejects Saul
IN CHAPTER 13 SAUL FOUND HIMSELF IN A DESPERATE SITUATION.
INSTEAD OF PATIENTLY OBEYING AND WAITING ON GOD, HE TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN DISOBEDIENT HANDS.
THESE THREE CHAPTERS DETAIL THE BEGINNINGS OF SAUL’S SLOW FADE AWAY FROM THE LORD AND ULTIMATELY GOD’S REJECTION OF HIS KINGSHIP.
13:1-8
SAUL WOULD RULE FOR 40 YEARS AND IN THE BEGINNING SAUL WON A VICTORY OVER THE AMMONITES IN CHAPTER 10.
BUT THE PHILISTINES REMAINED THE MAIN ENEMY OF ISRAEL.
THEY STATIONED OUTPOSTS ACTUALLY WITHIN ISRAEL AND IN VERSE 13:19 WE ARE TOLD THEY DOMINATED ISRAEL TO THE POINT THAT THEY FORBIDDED ISRAEL TO HAVE BLACKSMITHS TO MAKE ISRAELI WEAPONS.
WHAT WOULD THE FIRST KING DO ABOUT SUCH A SITUATION?
HE CHOSE 3,000 OF HIS BEST SOLDIERS, POSTING 2,000 WITH HIMSELF AND 1,000 WITH HIS OLDEST SON, JONATHAN.
JONATHAN WON BATTLES AGAINST THIS ENEMY WITH SAUL TAKING THE CREDIT RATHER THAN GIVING THE CREDIT TO GOD AS HE HAD PROPERLY DONE AFTER THE WINNING BATTLE AGAINST THE AMMONITES.
HERE WAS THE BEGINNING OF SAUL’S DECLINE.
THE PHILISTINES WERE DEFEATED INITIALLY AND THEY RESPONDED WITH MASSIVE FORCE, CREATING MUCH FEAR AMONG THE ISRAELI FORCES, WHO HID THEMSELVES AND MANY FLED ACROSS THE JORDAN RIVER.
THEY WERE FOCUSED UPON THEIR OWN FEAR RATHER THAN THE POWER OF GOD WHICH HAD BEEN DISPLAYED SO MANY TIMES BEFORE.
SAUL WAS WAITING UPON GOD’S PROPHET, SAMUEL, TO APPEAR WHILE THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM WERE SCATTERING.
13:9-12
SADLY, SAUL REACTED TO THIS SITUATION INSTEAD OF TRUSTING GOD AND WAITING ON GOD’S PROPHET.
SAUL OFFERED HIS OWN BURNT OFFERING JUST BEFORE SAMUEL ARRIVED, CLEARLY A VIOLATION OF GOD’S LAW.
IN SAUL’S OWN WORDS IN VERSE 12, HE SAID HE FORCED HIMSELF TO ACT IN THIS IMPROPER WAY.
THAT STATEMENT OFFERS INSIGHT INTO THE MINDSET OF SAUL, NOT WORRIED ABOUT PROPERLY WORSHIPING GOD, BELIEVING HE COULD FIND FAVOR WITH GOD WITHOUT GOD’S ACCEPTED HOLY MAN IN AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE.
13:13-14
SAMUEL WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH SAUL.
HE REBUKED THE KING AND INFORMED HIM OF THE CONSEQUENCE OF HIS DISOBEDIENCE, SAYING SAUL’S ACTIONS WERE FOOLISH.
THE RESULT WOULD BE NO LASTING DYNASTY WOULD BE SET UP WITH SAUL IN THE FUTURE.
THE LORD HAD ALREADY SETTLED ON A REPLACEMENT FOR SAUL, WHICH WOULD BE A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART, WHILE NEITHER SAMUEL OR SAUL YET KNEW ABOUT THIS NEXT RULER WHO WOULD BE DAVID.
SAUL WAS ALLOWED TO BE THE PEOPLE’S KING AS THEY HAD INSISTED, AND HE WAS TALL AND HANDSOME AND PHYSICALLY STRONG LIKE OTHER KINGS IN OTHER LANDS, BUT HE REFUSED TO OBEY AND WAIT ON GOD.
DAVID WOULD LATER PEN DOWN DOZENS OF PSALMS ON THIS ONE FACTOR ALONE, TEACHING THE STRONG TRUTH OF WILLINGNESS TO WAIT ON GOD RATHER THAN RELIANCE ON HIMSELF ALONE.
HE WROTE OF THE LORD DELIVERING HIM FROM ALL ENEMIES IN PSALM 18, SHOWING THE PATIENCE GOD DEMANDED OF A KING TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.
13:15-23
AFTER SAMUEL REBUKED SAUL, HE DID NOT REPENT.
FOR SAUL THERE WAS NO CONTRITION, NOT REGRET, NOR CONFESSION.
SAUL DID NOT EVEN ASK SAMUEL FOR ADVICE OR WISDOM TO OVERCOME HIS FAILURE AND WHEN SAMUEL LEFT, SAUL DID NOT GO WITH HIM AS THE TWO MEN PARTED WAYS.
IN VERSES 15 & 16 THE DANGEROUS SITUATION IS DESCRIBED FOR US IN WHICH SAUL HAD NO ARMY.
OVER 300,000 MEN HAD RESPONDED TO THE CALL IN CHAPTER 11 BUT NOW SAUL WAS DOWN TO 600 MEN WHICH MEANT THE ISRAELIS WERE SEVERLY OUTNUMBERED.
IN VERSES 17 & 18 THE ISRAELIS HAD NO MOBILITY AND THE PHILISTINES SENT RAIDING PARTIES IN EVERY DIRECTION.
HERE SAUL WAS EFFECTIVELY CUT OFF FROM OTHER PARTS OF ISRAEL AND HE COULD NOT BE RESUPPLIED NOR COULD REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE, NOR WAS ANY ESCAPE ROUTE AVAILABLE.
FINALLY IN 19-22 WE ARE TOLD THERE WAS A LARGE SHORTAGE OF WEAPONS AMONG THE SOLDIERS LEFT WITH SAUL.
ACCORDING TO VERSE 22 ONLY SAUL AND JONATHAN HAD REAL WEAPONS WITH THE OTHER MEN FORCED TO USE FARM TOOLS TO FIGHT.
THE SITUATION WAS CLEARLY HOPELESS FOR ISRAEL BUT ONE MAN HAD FAITH AND IT WAS NOT SAUL, BUT WAS HIS SON.
14:1-5
SAUL TOOK A POSITION WITH HIS MEN NEAR GIBEAH AND WHILE GOD’S PRIEST, AHIAH, WAS PRESENT WITH THEM, SAUL DID NOT ASK THE PRIEST TO DO ANYTHING OR TO SEEK GOD’S WILL ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT.
HIS SON, JONATHAN, WAS MOVED BY GOD TO ACT AND IN THIS DANGEROUS MOMENT HE RESPONDED TO GOD’S ANCIENT COMMAND IN DEUTERONOMY 20:1:
“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee.”
THE ENEMY HAD MANY MORE BATTLE ASSETS, HORSES, CHARIOTS, AND WEAPONS, BUT JONATHAN TOOK HIS ARMOR BEARER AND THE TWO MEN ATTACKED.
14:6-10
JONATHAN’S PLAN WAS ONE OF THE WORST BATTLE STRATEGIES OF ALL TIME, AND IT DEFIED ALL MILITARY LOGIC.
HE GAVE UP ANY ELEMENT OF SURPRISE AND IF HIS PLAN WORKED IT WAS BECAUSE THE LORD BLESSED HIS ABSURD BUT FAITHFUL ACTIONS.
HE WAS NOT A BRAVE STRATEGIC GENIUS BUT RATHER WAS A MAN TRUSTING GOD TO LEAD HIM ONWARD.
IN VERSE 6 HE REFERS TO THE PHILISTINES AS “THE UNCIRCUMCISED” SHOWING THAT THE PHILISTINES WERE NOT ONLY ENEMIES OF ISRAEL BUT WERE ALSO ENEMIES OF GOD, NOT HAVING THE MARK OF ABRAHAM COMMANDED BY GOD.
DAVID WOULD LATER USE THE SAME LANGUAGE AS HE FACED AND KILLED THE GIANT GOLIATH.
14:11-14
THE TWO MEN CLIMBED A CLIFF UPWARD ON HANDS AND FEET TO CONFRONT THE PHILISTINES WHO COULD HAVE SHOT ARROWS OR EVEN ROLLED STONES OVER THEM.
THE BATTLE WAS GIVEN TO JONATHAN BY THE LORD AND THE TWO MEN KILLED AROUND 20 ENEMY MEN.
14:15-17
BEFORE IN 13:7 WE WERE TOLD THAT SAUL’S MEN WERE TREMBLING.
BUT THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY SHAKING EVIDENT.
THE EARTH BEGAN TO SHAKE UNDERNEATH THEM AS THE LORD ENTERED THE BATTLE AND THE ENEMY TROOPS SCATTERED IN FEAR WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PERFECT TIME FOR SAUL TO ATTACK HAD SAUL SOUGHT THE LORD’S WILL.
14:18-19
SAUL CALLED FOR AHIAH THE PRIEST BUT WHEN HE HEARD THE PANIC OF THE ENEMY TROOPS HE TOLD THE PRIEST TO “WITHDRAW THINE HAND”, AND JUST AS IN CHAPTER 13, SAUL WAS IMPATIENT AND UNWILLING, CONTINUING IN DISOBEDIENCE.
14:20-23
WHEN SAUL REACHED THE BATTLE GROUND THERE WAS MUCH CONFUSION WITH THE PHILISTINES FIGHTING THEMSELVES, AND JEWISH COWARDS WHO HAD EARLIER FLED FOUND COURAGE AND ENTERED THE BATTLE.
VERSE 23 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT VERSE OF ALL FOR US BECAUSE IT TEACHES US “THE LORD SAVED ISRAEL THAT DAY”.
ISRAEL WAS SAVED FROM A SUPERIOR ARMY, WITH SUPERIOR WEAPONS AND MOBILITY, BECAUSE OF THE LORD.
GOD WAS STILL FIGHTING FOR HIS PEOPLE.
14:24-30
SAUL CONSIDERED THIS MOMENT TO BE RIPE FOR HIS PERSONAL REVENGE AGAINST HIS ENEMIES AND HE PUT HIS MEN UNDER A VOW OF BEING CURSED IF ANY MEN ATE BEFORE EVENING EVEN THOUGH THEIR FATIGUE BROUGHT MUCH HUNGER.
HIS OWN SON HAD NOT HEARD THE VOW AND WAS PHYSICALLY REVIVED BY EATING HONEY FOR STRENGTH AND JONATHAN SAID IN VERSE 29 THAT HIS FATHER HAD TROUBLED THE LAND.
14:31-35
NOT ONLY DID STARVING THE SOLDIERS DAMPEN THE VICTORY, BUT IT WAS SO OPPRESIVE THAT IT CAUSED THE MEN WHO WERE SO NEEDY TO VIOLATE THE LAW OF MOSES BY EATING MEAT WITH BLOOD STILL WITHIN IT.
SAUL’S LEADERSHIP LED TO CARNAL ANIMAL WAYS, NOT POSITIVE SPIRITUAL WAYS.
SAUL STILL DID NOT ASK THE LORD’S WILL TO REMEDY THIS AWFUL TIME.
THERE IS NO RECORD OF PRAYER, OF ASKING ADVICE FROM THE LORD, OF RELIANCE UPON ANY PRIEST OF GOD, BUT SAUL DECIDED TO BUILD THE FIRST ALTAR IN HIS LIFE.
14:36-37
IN THESE VERSES A PRIEST SUGGESTED TIME TO PETITION GOD WHILE THE UGLY SIN OF MEN EATING BLOODY MEAT WAS EVIDENT.
SAUL DID FINALLY SEEK GOD’S COUNSEL AND GOD REFUSED TO ANSWER THE KING, A FORESHADOW TO COME OF GOD FULLY REJECTING ISRAEL’S FIRST MONARCH.
14:38-42
SAUL HAD FURTHER VOWED TO KILL ANY SOLDIER WHO HAD BROKEN HIS VOW OF EATING AND THIS MEANT THAT BASED UPON THE ABSURD VOW, HIS OWN SON, JONATHAN, SHOULD DIE AS HE DID EAT SOME HONEY.
IN VERSE 45 THE PEOPLE RESCUED JONATHAN, CREATING A KINGSHIP OF CONSTANT TURMOIL FROM THIS TIME ONWARD.
THE WARNINGS GIVEN BEFORE BY SAMUEL OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH A HUMAN KING WERE COMING TRUE AND THERE AROSE DISCORD IN ISRAEL UNDER SAUL.
15
WE HAD TO REVIEW CHAPTERS 13 & 14 TO ESTABLISH THE TRUE CHARACTER OF SAUL AND THE RESULTS WERE POOR.
IN ONE OF THE SADDEST STORIES OF THE ENTIRE OT GOD RAISES UP A MAN FROM THE SMALLEST TRIBE, BENJAMIN, AND MAKES HIM KING OF ISRAEL (1ST SAMUEL 9:21).
SIX CHAPTERS LATER THE LORD REJECTS HIM BECAUSE OF HIS DISOBEDIENCE AND ANOTHER KING WILL BE CHOSEN. SUCH WAS A FALL FROM GRACE NOT EQUALED IN SCRIPTURE.
THE SINFUL DISOBEDIENCE OF SAUL WAS SO DISPLEASING TO GOD THAT SAMUEL TOLD HIM IN 13:13-14 THAT HIS ACTIONS WILL COST HIM HIS THRONE.
YEARS PASSED IN DISCORD AND GOD THEN COMMANDED SAMUEL TO PROVIDE A NEW ORDER TO SAUL TO MAKE WAR AGAINST THE AMALEKITES, NOT JUST TO GAIN VICTORY BUT TO UTTERLY DESTROY THEM.
15:3 WAS MORE THAN SPECIFIC AS TO THE LORD’S COMMAND AND SAUL WAS TO KILL ALL LIVING THINGS, MAN AND WOMAN, INFANT AND NURSING BABIES, OX AND SHEEP, CAMEL AND ASS.
HE MADE THE ATTACK BUT DID NOT OBEY THE COMMAND.
HE ALLOWED THE KING OF THE AMALEKITES, KING AGAG, TO LIVE AND TOOK HIM PRISONER.
HE ALLOWED HIS MEN TO KEEP ALIVE THE BEST OF THE LIVESTOCK CONTRARY TO THE COMMAND, SAYING HE KEPT THEM FOR SACRIFICE TO THE LORD.
HE WAS CONFRONTED BY SAMUEL OVER HIS DISOBEDIENCE WAYS.
IN SCRIPTURE SAUL APPEARS TO REPENT IN 15:24: (SPEAKING TO SAMUEL)
“I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”
HIS WORDS DID NOT TRULY REFLECT HIS HEART.
FIRST, SAUL GREETS THE PROPHET WITH A BLESSING & A LIE. (15:13), TRYING TO COVER EVIL DONE WITH GOOD BUT EMPTY WORDS.
WHEN CONFRONTED THE FIRST TIME SAUL BLAMES HIS SOLDIERS AND TRIES TO DEFLECT HIS DISOBEDIENCE BY APPEARING RELIGIOUS. (15:15)
WHEN CONFRONTED THE SECOND TIME SAUL AGAIN LIES (15:20-21), MIXING LIES WITH TRUTH, ADMITTING HIS CAPTURE OF KING AGAG.
EVEN WHILE ADMITTING GUILT SAUL CONTINUED TO BLAME HIS SOLDIERS RATHER THAN HIMSELF.
WHEN SAMUEL TURNED TO LEAVE, SAUL GRABBED HIM, TEARING HIS CLOTHING, DARING TO LAY HAND ON GOD’S PROPHET.
HE CONTINUES TO ASK SAMUEL TO APPEAR WITH HIM TO HONOR HIM CONCERNING THE BATTLE. (15:30)
EVEN WHEN TOLD EXACTLY WHAT HIS SIN WAS, SAUL MAKES NO ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE PROBLEM BETTER.
SAUL BRINGS KING AGAG OUT TO PRESENT HIM TO SAMUEL, AND SAMUEL IS SO DISTRESSED BY SAUL’S UNWILLINGNESS TO KEEP GOD’S COMMAND TO UTTERLY DESTROY THAT SAMUEL HIMSELF
TAKES A SWORD AND CUTS THE KING INTO PIECES, DOING GOD’S WORK THAT SAUL HAD REFUSED TO DO.
GOD HAD EARLIER GIVEN ALMOST THE IDENTICAL COMMAND TO JOSHUA CONCERNING THE DESTRUCTION OF JERICHO AND JOSHUA OBEYED LEAVING ONLY RAHAB AND HER FAMILY ALIVE WHICH HAD BEEN COMMANDED BY THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOR HER SERVICE.
GOD HAS PERFECT FORESIGHT AND HE KNEW THAT LATER, IF ANY FAMILY OF AGAG WERE LEFT ALIVE, THERE WOULD BE CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR HIS PEOPLE.
WE SAW IN ESTHER THAT A MAN NAMED HAMAN TRIED TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS AND WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL HAD ESTHER NOT RISKED HER OWN LIFE TO SAVE HER PEOPLE.
HAMAN WAS AN AGAGITE, A DESCENDANT OF THE KING SAMUEL KILLED, SO CLEARLY SOME PEOPLE HAD BEEN LEFT ALIVE AGAINST GOD’S WILL.
GOD HAD GIVEN THE DESTRUCTION ORDER AGAINST THE AMALEKITES NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE:
EXODUS 17:8-15
NUMBERS 24:20-25
DEUTERONOMY 25:17-19
WE MUST NOT OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WERE PAGAN BELIEVERS IN IDOLS AND WOULD NEVER SEEK OR WORSHIP YAHWEH.
THEY WERE THE WALKING DEAD, SUBJECT TO BOTH MORTAL DEATH AND THE SECOND DEATH IN THE FINAL DAYS.
SAUL’S PERSONAL COLLAPSE SHOWN BY HIS CONTINUED DISOBEDIENCE WAS FOUND IN HIS SADDEST WORDS TO SAMUEL GIVEN TO US IN 11:13 & 13:12 & 14:33 WHERE HE SPEAKS THREE TIMES TO SAMUEL OF “YOUR GOD”, NOT “OUR GOD”.
GOD HAD PROMISED ABRAHAM IN GENESIS 15:16 THAT THE PEOPLE COMING FROM ABRAHAM MUST SERVE 400 YEARS OF BONDAGE AND THEN GOD WOULD GIVE THEM THE PROMISE LAND OF CANAAN.
HE TOLD ABRAHAM THE REASON FOR THE DELAY WAS THAT “THE INIQUITY OF THE AMORITE IS NOT YET COMPLETE.”
GOD CHOSE TO LET THE SIN OF THOSE PEOPLE RIPEN, REACH ITS FULL MATURITY, AND THEN BRING HIS JUDGMENT UPON THEM.
THE TIME FOR HIS JUDGMENT HAD ARRIVED AND HE INTENDED HIS WILL TO BE COMPLETED BY HIS OWN CHOSEN PEOPLE AS THEY DROVE OUT AND UTTERLY DESTROYED THOSE THE LORD WISHED TO NO LONGER EXIST IN THE LAND HE HAD RESERVED FOR HIS OWN.