Today covers a lot of ground as God gives Israel their first king that trails a bumpy road for them to follow. I am intentionally passing over 1 Samuel 12 to take a deeper dive next time. With that, let’s begin!
God knew Israel had their eyes set on a particular type of king. A king who outwardly represents a strong, valiant leader. Now, we pick up where Saul enters the story. On the outside, Saul is taller than all the other men and is attractive to the ladies. As I read through the passage, the camera lens readjusted to pick up on Saul’s doubt in God and lack of self-confidence. Saul is very honest in 9:21 telling Samuel that God has the wrong person for the king of Israel because Saul is from the least of the tribes with nothing to offer. Saul weighs the task of king against his limited abilities. God is nowhere in the equation for Saul.
Q: Why do we take God out of the equation? What is lost by doing that?
As the story continues, Samuel is obedient to God to anoint Saul as king. If I was Samuel in that moment, I imagine my left hand covers my eyes because this is a mistake by Israel and my right hand pours the flask of oil on Saul’s head. Nevertheless, God is faithful when Israel is not as the Spirit of God falls on Saul and his heart changes to the point where people who know Saul really well wonder whether he is now a prophet (v. 6-13). Then to commemorate King Saul, Israel gathers at Mizpah where they confessed their sin to God and set an ebenezer to remember God’s faithfulness to them. Can you see the celebration unfold that day? With excitement and hopeful expectation on their way to Mizpah to meet King Saul, Israel walks by the ebenezer set up and maybe pauses for a beat but blazes ahead to their king.
The strength of King Saul carrying the weight of responsibility to protect and lead Israel is tested when the Ammonites and then the Philistines attack in 1 Samuel 11, 13, and 14. Does Israel remember back in 7:14, how God secured peace with the Ammonites? The fact that we are a people quick to forget blows my mind. The city of Jabesh-gilead, northeast of Mizpah and Gibeah where Samuel and Saul reside, received a threat by Nahash the Ammonite. King Saul rallies men for battle and defeats Nahash. The victory builds the confidence of Israel. See God, we can do this with our own king.
Then, fast forward to 1 Samuel 13 where King Saul has been leading Israel for 2 years. He assembles the army of Israel with 3,000 men of valor. They divide between King Saul in Bethel and his son Jonathan in Gibeah. It is time to fight the Philistines who came in a multitude of 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen. You could say the opponent match-up is a little imbalanced. The Philistines are not just any other enemy. They are the long rival to Israel that causes trembling (13:6-7) because of the history between Israel and the Philistines. Israel reveled victory in the past, but also experienced the depravity of defeat. And the downward spiral of King Saul takes off.
I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
1 Samuel 13:12
While his son Jonathan leads by trusting God to discern when to wait and when to attack, King Saul takes action that dismisses the reverence of God. Doubtful men would still be there by the time Samuel showed up, King Saul “forced” himself to step in to make the sacrifices to God (13:12). Let’s rush through this formality so that we can move on to the preparation for battle. My impatience or anxiety can look very similar to King Saul. I give God “enough” time if it does not interfere with my plans. And I tell God I think I have waited enough for this “thing”, but I do not see it coming, like Saul did not see Samuel, so I step in to make it happen. From my experience the results are temporary and less satisfactory.
After the exchange between Saul and Samuel when Saul learns his reign as king is cut short because God found a man to be king who has a heart for God, the story moves to Jonathan in Geba. We pick up in 1 Samuel 14. Jonathan’s motivations to defeat the Philistines looks very different than King Saul. He is not prideful, not banking on accolades, and does not rely on his 600 men to be strong enough to get the job done. Jonathan asks God to do the work. Nothing can keep God from a victory. After the defeat of the Philistine garrison, which is a fortified military outpost of 500 soldiers, Jonathan praises God for the victory (14:23).
Even though it pains me to skip over several things to tease out and ponder, the place I want to land today is 14:27-30 where the eyes of Jonathan become bright when he tastes the honey in the land of the enemies God defeated by his hand. First, do not let the drama of King Saul’s rash vow blind you from the moment Jonathan experiences. Second, imagine how delicious the honey tastes to Jonathan. Did Jonathan know how the day would end? God did not always give Israel victory over the Philistines.
Jonathan reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
1 Samuel 14;27
Remember when the ark of the covenant of God was taken by the Philistines? We watch a progression in 1 Samuel 14 of Jonathan. He is faced with this huge opposition (or enemy). He takes faithful steps guided by God closer and closer to the enemy. He trusts God to make a way even when he cannot see it. Jonathan’s eyes become “bright” when he enjoys the goodness of God’s victory over the Philistines. I think the brightness Jonathan calls out to his fellow men (v. 29) is accredited to the progression. Jonathan was all-in with God. He savored the faithfulness that God made a way.
Q: When you see opposition do you react like Saul (turn to your strength) or Jonathan (turn to God’s strength)?
Q: What is a situation in your life where you tried to taste victory without going through the battle? (I want community, but I don’t want to be vulnerable with others. I want a spouse, but I don’t want to die to self. I want financial comfort, but I don’t want God touching my finances. I want to be closer to God, but I don’t want to lay down my sin.)
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