DBG - April 1 - I Samuel 12-14

In this chapter Samuel gives a farewell address to the nation as he fades into the background.  Saul is now the national leader, for better or worse.

vs. 1-5 – Samuel begins his address by appealing to his testimony among the people.  He is blameless.  The people absolve him from being the reason they demanded a king.

vs. 6-12 – Samuel gives a history review of Israel’s dealings with God.  He reminds them of their failures and God’s faithfulness.  In vs. 11 he calls Gideon by his other name, Jerubbaal, and mentions another judge named Bedan (“servile”?).  We are not sure who this second judge is.  Some speculate it is another name for Barak or Abdon.  We may not know who it is, but doubtless the gathered people knew exactly who it was.

vs. 13-15 – Samuel reminds the people that they chose to have a king instead of trusting in God.  The same promises apply as before: if Israel serves God, they will enjoy his blessings; but if not, they will face His judgment.

vs. 16-19 – To emphasize his point, Samuel calls on God to send a thunderstorm.  The wheat harvest took place in early summer, so this would be a rare occurrence for such a storm to come.  But God sent it in answer to Samuel’s prayer.  It has the intended effect on the people.

vs. 20-25 – Israel is again challenged to serve the Lord fully.  I find vs. 22 especially moving as it says God will not forsake His chosen people.  Yes, they may face His purging judgement; but they are still His people, and He will not utterly forsake them.

In this chapter Saul leadership fails in battle against the Philistines. 

vs. 1-7 – Saul is in the second year of his reign.  He has a standing army of 2,000 under his command and 1,000 under his son Jonathan (“the gift of Jehovah”).  The Philistines at this time would invade into Israel’s territory and establish strongholds on top of fortified hills to control the area.  Saul fails to take the initiative, but Jonathan seizes the opportunity and captures one of these Philistine strongholds.  Saul knows the fury of the Philistines was coming so he sounds the trumpets to assemble the full army of Israel.   The Israelites see the gathered Philistines and lose hope.  They flee to hide in caves or even seek refuge east of Jordan.  Saul and his army camp at Gilgal.

vs. 8-14 – in 10:8 Samuel told Saul that he would go to Gilgal and await Samuel to arrive in seven days and offer sacrifices.  Saul knows this plan, but his impatience causes him to act before the seven days were up.  Saul usurps the role of priest and offers the sacrifices himself.  Samuel appears on the seventh day as he had said.  Saul makes excuses but the damage is done.  In only the second year of his reign, Samuel pronounces that Saul’s kingdom would not last.

vs. 15-23 – The remaining troops that witnessed the exchange between Saul and Samuel mostly melt away.  Only 600 remain.  The Philistines are so confident that they have won that they send raiding parties to spoil the abandoned territory.  We note in vs. 19 that the Philistines enforced a monopoly on blacksmiths, so that there were no metalworkers in Israel.  Furthermore, there were not standard weapons.  The people at this time are literally fighting with farming tools, except for the two swords that Saul and Jonathan held.

In this chapter Jonathan ignites a great victory that Saul’s ineptitude squanders. 

vs. 1-23 – Saul is safe at home while Jonathan makes a bold move on his own, attacking a Philistine garrison with only himself and his armorbearer.  The Philistines make light of the boldness of the two men and allow them to climb to the top of the hill.  Once there, Jonathan knocks the enemies down and the armorbearer finishes them off.  20 men fall in this post.  God sends an earthquake at this time.  The combination of the bold victory of Joshua and the earthquake causes the Philistines to panic.  Meanwhile, Saul sits at home surveying the situation.  He first seeks the person to blame for whatever has happened and finds Jonathan and his armorbearer are the ones missing.  He then calls to the priests to bring the Ark of the Covenant, surely placing trust in it as a talisman for victory.  Saul cancels that command and finally joins the fight.  It is a complete rout of the Philistines.  The Israelites that had gone into hidden find courage and the forces of Israel swell.

vs. 24-30 – Saul makes a very foolish and rash order that no man should stop and refresh themselves with food until nightfall lest they lose the momentum in the battle.  The people grow weary because of this.  Jonathan did not know about this command and eats some honey, upon which he is informed of Saul’s order.  He recognizes the terrible error in the order.

vs. 31-34 – The rout continues and the Israelites come upon some livestock.  They fall on these like beasts and eat them without removing the blood (Leviticus 3:17 etc.) or cooking them.  Saul is informed of this, but instead of recognizing his fault in the matter he blames the people.  He sets up a butchering station and the people are fed, properly following the dietary laws. 

vs. 35-46 – Note that Saul, some 40 years old and having reigned at least two years finally builds his first altar.  Saul wants to continue the fight into the night, but the priests advise asking God.  This is undoubtably using the Urim and Thummim.  He is not supposed to carry on the attack and God is silent on what his next move should be.  Saul blames the people for sinning and proclaims a death sentence upon whoever was guilt.  Lots are cast to determine the blame, whether it was the assembled army or Saul and Jonathan.  Saul must be shocked to see it was him and Jonathan indicated in the lot.  A second is cast and Jonathan is marked.  Jonathan, the hero of the day, confesses to unknowingly breaking the foolish command not to eat.  Saul is ready to kill his son, but the people intervene and save him.  After this infighting, Saul ceases his pursuit and the two armies retreat to their homes.  The chance of the knockout blow against the Philistines is squandered.

vs. 47-48 – Saul was not a completely failure in his reign.  He did a few things right, and among those are various campaigns against the Canaanite tribes.

vs. 49-52 – An overview of Saul’s family.  There is an intermission here of 15-20 years in the narrative. 

If you want a case study in what not to do as a leader, these chapters a great place to look for information.  From his lack of initiative to his readiness to blame others, Saul fails almost every test he is given.  The root of this I believe is his lack of faith in God.  He acts in his own power and wisdom.  How many victories has our own lack of faith caused us to miss?

Our hymn today is “Only an Armor Bearer” by Phillip Bliss.   It was written in 1873 for use in Sunday Schools.  It challenges us to be like Jonathan’s faithful armorbearer and bravely follow our Captain.

1 Only an armor-bearer, proudly I stand,
Waiting to follow at the King's command;
Marching if "onward" shall the order be,
Standing by my Captain, serving faithfully.

Chorus:
Hear ye the battle cry! "Forward," the call!
See! see the faltering ones! backward they fall!
Surely the Captain may depend on me,
Tho' but an armor-bearer I may be.
Surely the Captain may depend on me,
Tho' but an armor-bearer I may be.

2 Only an armor-bearer, now in the field,
Guarding a shining helmet, sword, and shield,
Waiting to hear the thrilling battle-cry,
Ready then to answer, "Master, here am I." [Chorus]

3 Only an armor-bearer, yet may I share
Glory immortal, and a bright crown wear;
If, in the battle, to my trust I am true,
Mine shall be the honors in the Grand Review. [Chorus]