Avoid a Rash Oath

1 Samuel 14:24-52 

    24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint.  29 But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened 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 which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
    31 Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. 32 And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!”  So he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day.” 34 Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man's ox and every man's sheep, 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 slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
    36 Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.”  And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”  Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”  37 So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. 39 For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.”  And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
    41 Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. 42 And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”  And Jonathan told him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!”  44 Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”  45 But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.  46 Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
    47 So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. 48 And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.  49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.  52 Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.

Here we find king Saul making a very rash oath, that nobody should eat until that night and a battle was finished, and that whoever broke that command would be put to death.  His vow was for vengeance on his enemies, but at the harsh price of death for this ill-devised command for all to fight without pause or the chance to eat for strength to wage war.  The army naturally became very weak and hungry, eventually at the day’s end after a successful battle charged on the spoil and began to eat animals with the blood, which God forbade.  Saul even built his first altar there, presumably to offer to God and eat cooked meat of the sacrifices.  Only Jonathan his son had stopped in battle to taste some honey for strength, ignorant of the rash oath’s command, but justifying his action once it was told him after eating.  It came out what Jonathan did after Saul had no answer from the LORD on whether to fight again the next day, and lots were cast to reveal who had eaten.  Jonathan was to die until the people stood in his defense and stayed that order to preserve his life, for he had helped win the battle, being used by God.  Then Saul continued to win victory in battles against Israel’s enemies, and established his reign.  He was wise in building his army as well, capturing and enlisting all valiant strong men into the army.  This passage then shows us that vows to the LORD should be a yes or no, not a conditional promise to God for His work if a certain thing is or is not done as a work to earn His favor for victory in a situation (James 5:12, 4:14-16, Mathew 5:37, 2 Corinthians 1:17-20).  We should avoid rash oaths, especially when used to influence God.