1 Samuel 14:1-23
In our previous lesson (1 Sam 10), Samuel anointed Saul as king and presented him to the Israelites in Mizpah. He had reminded them of God's goodness to them and how requesting a king, instead of trusting him, was a mistake. Nevertheless, God allowed it and provided for it, so they chose to move forward from there.
About a month after Saul's installation, the Ammonites attacked one of the Israelite towns. Instead of fighting back, they requested peace. The Ammonites agreed, but with the condition of disgracing them by gouging out every one's right eye. (Eww!) So the people stalled and told the Ammonites to give them seven days to find someone in Israel to rescue them. If they couldn't find anyone, they would surrender. Enter Saul. When he heard of their plight, Saul became angry and agreed to fight for the small town. He demanded that all the warriors in Israel fight with him, and they did.
They staged a surprise attack and defeated the Ammonites, and the people organized a solemn ceremony to proclaim Saul as king. Everybody was happy, the end...not so fast. Now that Saul had been confirmed as king over Israel, Samuel said his goodbye as judge. He reminded the Israelites, again, of God's position regarding their decision to have a king. He also encouraged them to continue to worship God and acknowledge his true rule over them. After calling forth rain out of season, Samuel promised to continue praying for Israel.
So now, Saul was set. He was anointed and appointed king over Israel and God was with him, despite his intention. But Saul was still a man, and he had a bit of a problem with arrogance, which is detailed later in the book. As they continued to war with Philistia, Samuel instructed Saul to wait for him at Gilgal for seven days before they went into battle. But Samuel was a little late coming, so Saul became impatient and decided to sacrifice his own burnt offering.
When Samuel arrived and saw what he had done, he chastised Saul, telling him his disobedience brought an end to his kingdom, which could have otherwise been established forever. Granted, this would not happen immediately, but he pretty much just added insult to injury. Israel wasn't supposed to have a king in the first place, and now he's just doing what he wants! Well, now they have to battle against the Philistines with their rag-tag warriors with makeshift weapons.
Perhaps fortunately, Saul's son, Jonathan, was as impatient as his father. As the Israelites were camped in preparation for war, Jonathan and his armor bearer snuck away from camp and conducted their own attack on the Philistine's outpost. Jonathan asked the Lord for a sign that he would be with them and give them victory. When God gave it, Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated the 20 or so Philistines, creating confusion and distress among the rest of their troops. That gave the Israelites the advantage they needed to defeat the Philistines.
Even though Israel had defied and disobeyed him at practically every turn, God showed them grace in his protection of them. He even went so far as to give them victory over their enemies, despite the fact that they had insisted on going about it their own way. And that is a testament to his character - sovereign and gracious. God's will shall be done, regardless of our actions. And, thankfully, God's love will remain, regardless of our actions.
Lord, please forgive us for our sins. Forgive our disobedience and rebellion. Give us a repentant heart to acknowledge our sins and vow to do your will. Thank you for your grace when we go astray. Thank you for your love when we make mistakes. You are so awesome and kind, God. We don't deserve your goodness and you don't deserve our grief. But you are our creator and first love - even before time began. Thank you for your immutability. Keep us on your righteous path, so that we can bring you glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
In our previous lesson (1 Sam 10), Samuel anointed Saul as king and presented him to the Israelites in Mizpah. He had reminded them of God's goodness to them and how requesting a king, instead of trusting him, was a mistake. Nevertheless, God allowed it and provided for it, so they chose to move forward from there.
About a month after Saul's installation, the Ammonites attacked one of the Israelite towns. Instead of fighting back, they requested peace. The Ammonites agreed, but with the condition of disgracing them by gouging out every one's right eye. (Eww!) So the people stalled and told the Ammonites to give them seven days to find someone in Israel to rescue them. If they couldn't find anyone, they would surrender. Enter Saul. When he heard of their plight, Saul became angry and agreed to fight for the small town. He demanded that all the warriors in Israel fight with him, and they did.
They staged a surprise attack and defeated the Ammonites, and the people organized a solemn ceremony to proclaim Saul as king. Everybody was happy, the end...not so fast. Now that Saul had been confirmed as king over Israel, Samuel said his goodbye as judge. He reminded the Israelites, again, of God's position regarding their decision to have a king. He also encouraged them to continue to worship God and acknowledge his true rule over them. After calling forth rain out of season, Samuel promised to continue praying for Israel.
So now, Saul was set. He was anointed and appointed king over Israel and God was with him, despite his intention. But Saul was still a man, and he had a bit of a problem with arrogance, which is detailed later in the book. As they continued to war with Philistia, Samuel instructed Saul to wait for him at Gilgal for seven days before they went into battle. But Samuel was a little late coming, so Saul became impatient and decided to sacrifice his own burnt offering.
When Samuel arrived and saw what he had done, he chastised Saul, telling him his disobedience brought an end to his kingdom, which could have otherwise been established forever. Granted, this would not happen immediately, but he pretty much just added insult to injury. Israel wasn't supposed to have a king in the first place, and now he's just doing what he wants! Well, now they have to battle against the Philistines with their rag-tag warriors with makeshift weapons.
Perhaps fortunately, Saul's son, Jonathan, was as impatient as his father. As the Israelites were camped in preparation for war, Jonathan and his armor bearer snuck away from camp and conducted their own attack on the Philistine's outpost. Jonathan asked the Lord for a sign that he would be with them and give them victory. When God gave it, Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated the 20 or so Philistines, creating confusion and distress among the rest of their troops. That gave the Israelites the advantage they needed to defeat the Philistines.
Even though Israel had defied and disobeyed him at practically every turn, God showed them grace in his protection of them. He even went so far as to give them victory over their enemies, despite the fact that they had insisted on going about it their own way. And that is a testament to his character - sovereign and gracious. God's will shall be done, regardless of our actions. And, thankfully, God's love will remain, regardless of our actions.
Lord, please forgive us for our sins. Forgive our disobedience and rebellion. Give us a repentant heart to acknowledge our sins and vow to do your will. Thank you for your grace when we go astray. Thank you for your love when we make mistakes. You are so awesome and kind, God. We don't deserve your goodness and you don't deserve our grief. But you are our creator and first love - even before time began. Thank you for your immutability. Keep us on your righteous path, so that we can bring you glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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