War continued on with the Philistines. Saul’s son Jonathan defeated the garrison at Geba which antagonized the Philistines to attack Israel with great fury. Saul summoned the entire army of Israel to arms. The Philistines were able to muster 3,000 chariots and an army of countless numbers. The Israelites army was breaking up with fear. Samuel had instructed Saul to wait at Gilgal for seven days. Samuel’s instructions came from the LORD. When Samuel didn’t come, Saul took matters into his own hands and ordered a burnt offering and peace offerings to be made to the LORD. After the offering was made, Samuel arrived and demanded of Saul, “What have you done?”
1 Samuel 13:11-14 KJV And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; (12) Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. (13) And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. (14) But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
Because the Philistines had been oppressing Israel, they didn’t permit blacksmiths among the Israelites. Anytime the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles; they had to take them to the Philistines, who charged high prices for the service. It also limited the Israelite from making swords and spears. After Samuel left Saul at Gilgal, most of the army had deserted Saul. There were only 600 who stayed and only Saul and Jonathan had swords.
1 Samuel 13:22 KJV So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
Without telling Saul what he was going to do, Jonathan took his armor bearer and went over to the Philistines garrison. He believed that the LORD would be with them. The Philistines saw them and taunted them to climb up to them and they did. When they reached the enemy, they slew twenty men and the Philistines trembled, then the LORD caused an earthquake. Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah watched the multitudes of the Philistine army melt away with fear and confusion and they were actually killing one another. Israelites who had defected to the Philistine army, revolted against the Philistines.
1 Samuel 14:13-16 KJV And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. (14) And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. (15) And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. (16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
Even the Israelites who had deserted; came out of the rocks and caves and joined the battle along with those who had fled to the hills of Ephraim and they pursued the Philistines as they fled from Israel.
1 Samuel 14:20-22 ESV 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.
Now the army of Israel was exhausted. Saul had made the army take an oath, that any man who tasted food before evening would be cursed and surely die. As the army pursued the Philistines into the woods, there was honeycomb all around, but no one touched it for rear of the oath. Jonathan was not present when Saul made them take the oath and he ate some honey and was refreshed. When his fellow soldiers saw him eat, they told him of his father’s oath. Jonathan then said that his father “troubled the land,” meaning that his army would have been refreshed and able to pursue the Philistines with greater fervor.
1 Samuel 14:27-30 ESV 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."
Finally, the men were so hungry, that they began to kill sheep and oxen; and eat the meat raw, with the blood. This was forbidden by God’s law.
1 Samuel 14:32-33 ESV 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."
Saul had done foolishly by not allowing his army to eat and be refreshed. He broke a principle that God had given Israel through Moses. It was concerning livestock, but how much more should it not be done to human laborers and soldiers?
Deuteronomy 25:4 KJV Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Seeing the men of Israel defiling them selves, by eating blood; Saul commands the men to bring their animals to him and they were properly slaughtered. Then Saul built an altar and this was the first altar that Saul built. The priest had the men draw together to worship. Saul asked council of the LORD; whether he should pursue the Philistines further, if the LORD would give him a greater victory; but the LORD did not reply.
1 Samuel 14:34-36 ESV 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 asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
Then Saul inquired about who had broken the oath; and when he found out that it was Jonathan, he said that he would have to die. But the army said that not one hair would be touched because of the great victory God gave them through Jonathan.
1 Samuel 14:43-45 ESV 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.
From there, Saul ceased to pursue the Philistines and the Philistines went back home; but he had enemies all around. He had secured his grasp on the throne of Israel then fought against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.
1 Samuel 14:47 ESV 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.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have promised me the victory over all of my enemies. I have that victory because the Holy Ghost dwells in me. Thank you for your presence in my life and protect me from all evil, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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