1 Samuel 18:1-16 - Be Godly Wise and Righteous

1 Samuel 18:1-16

Saul Resents David

1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. 7 So the women sang as they danced, and said:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”

8 Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

10 And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11 And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

12 Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. 15 Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

The lesson we learn from king David here is to be wise and behave rightly in the face of threats and opposition to God’s calling of us to serve Him.  Saul observed the LORD in David and had heard he lost the kingdom to him (1 Samuel 15:28-29, 28:17-18), and therefore sought every opportunity to end David before he even began to rule.  He saw how his own son Jonathan who he imagined taking over the throne from him when he was old, this son had become best friends with David.  These two made a covenant agreement of mutual support and protection as well.  David behaved with wisdom as he went out to battle and gained more victories than Saul as he also gained the favor of all the people of Israel, even Saul’s servants.  When Saul heard the women across the land singing victory songs exalting David over him he grew livid and feared losing the kingdom to him, and began to keep a very close eye on David.  Then when David played soothing music to calm Saul when the evil spirit harassing Saul stirred him up, he tried to pin David to the wall with his spear to kill God’s anointed one as his new master aimed to do to end God’s work (Revelation 12:17) and lineage of the Messiah through him.  David had the LORD with him who was no longer with Saul, and protected him twice from being impaled by that fiery dart (Ephesians 6:16) aimed at him.  Then fear overwhelmed Saul and he sent David away to lead an army; David con to behave wisely in obedience so as not to incite further wrath, yet still achieved victories and loving fame for his proven calling and blameless name.  Do we likewise act wise as serpents yet harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16) as we live godly with righteous lives of wisdom in the face of the opposition that tries to defame or even harm us to stop proclaiming the gospel?  

1 Samuel 17:31-58 - Whose Son is This?

1 Samuel 17:31-58

31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?”

And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

56 So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

57 Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, ”I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

David trusted God to fight his battles and told Saul and the others who cowered before the giant opponent defaming God and His people that he would fight Goliath in that trust overcoming the overwhelming fear.  His perspective looked to one higher (Psalm 61:2-3) and more powerful than himself.  He had protected his flock entrusted to him in defending them against the roaring lion prowling after them and the massive bear attempting the same.  He now looked to defend the more important flock of the sheep of God’s pasture (Psalm 100:3) by facing down the one who had defied the armies of the living God in that same strength and anticipated victory by faith in God’s proven strength and enabling.  David faced the arrogant blasphemer without worldly protection, carrying only the shield of faith (Psalm 28:7, Ephesians 6:16, 1 Peter 5:8) and proven sling tested in previous times.  He proclaimed the Lord’s victory over the ungodly man towering over him with a sword, with a spear, and a javelin.  He had a weapon far greater than those wielded by one defying the sovereign and omnipotent God of all creation.  It was faith, trust in God’s power to defeat evil, and in His holy name.  He announced this by saying, “the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”  That is faith that looks to God to fight the battles of victory (2 Chronicles 20:15, Ephesians 6:13) and to stop the mouths of those opposed to God to whom they will bow in defeat of the will and in subservience (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10) as all others will also in due time.  The enemy ran with sword in hand to slay David the anointed of God and was met with a stone in his head that dropped him to the ground and lost his head by his own sword in David’s hands.  Their reliance on giants ended, the Philistines ran away in fear and were overtaken and slain all along their way back to Ekron.  When they were so scattered, Israel stopped pursuing them and plundered all they left behind.  Saul observed all these things and queried about this ruddy youth who had turned the tide of a seemingly hopeless battle to a great victory.  David approached the outgoing king carrying the head of the feared Goliath and told Saul he was the son of Jesse.  I wonder if Saul knew the prophecy of the son (1 Samuel 16:1, 13, Isaiah 11:1-2) to become the anointed king chosen by the LORD and not man.  This one would branch out to bring a descendant to be the Messiah-Christ to defeat all enemies, foreign to the world like fallen angels and domestic like earthly kings and kingdoms with their armies.  Our victory is now in that same faith in the Branch who is Christ the Lord (John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 15:55, 57, 2 Corinthians 2:14, Colossians 2:15, Revelation 12:11), the one who fights our battles because they are His and so are we.  May we be as valiant for the truth (Zechariah 7:12), unlike those of the world opposing God (Jeremiah 9:3) of the gospel of the Anointed One and as trusting as king David for ultimate victory (1 John 5:4, Hebrews 2:14) in battle.  The onlookers will echo Saul’s words, “Whose Son is this?”  Our answer is, “He is the Son of God (1 John 4:15, 5:13) come among us!”  In Him alone we find complete and eternal victory over all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

1 Samuel 17:1-30 - Is There a Cause to Stand for God’s Name?

1 Samuel 17:1-30

David and Goliath

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. 8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. 15 But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. 22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

This well known account of the encounter of David and Goliath has deeper lessons for us than just felling a giant with a sling and a rock.  It is a account of one who heard the slanderous blasphemy of the enemy of God and answered with the question, “is there not a cause to stand for God’s name” to give a defense (1 Peter 3:15-16) for Him who is the omnipotent and sovereign God over all?  The Philistine army taunted the armies of the LORD God from their mountain on one side of the valley and maligned His name by saying He had no power to defend Israel who was set on the opposing mountain before them.  This defiance meant defamation and blasphemy in belittling God and His people who were challenged to meet and defeat their immense champion and have the Philistines serve Saul and his people, or be def and serve them.  That was the ultimatum of the ungodly.  Nobody was brave or seemingly foolish enough to face such a giant opponent in battle until little David the shepherd and secretly anointed future king heard these offenses and went on the offense to offer himself as the one to stop the mouth of this arrogant blasphemer.  This challenge had gone on for forty days until David was delivering supplies to his brothers on the front line and asked what reward there was to take on this uncircumcised Philistine who continued to defy the armies of the living God.  The offer of riches and a king’s daughter as wife did not entice David, but provided a cover for the part he would play to defeat the enemy and defend God’s good name for all history.  His brothers derided him for speaking out, no doubt to mask their own fear.  David answered them with, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”  The brothers accused him of abandoning his task over the sheep and of pride and insolence of his heart to really just come to see the battle since he was too young and small to fight.  David just ignored them and kept saying to all who could hear how this uncircumcised and ungodly warrior had to be silenced because righteous indignation welled up on him to fight against such defamation of the LORD and threatening of His people.  We must ask ourselves in fighting the good fight of the gospel for the souls of those called to hear and become God’s people through the message preached for repentance and faith in God’s word and work on the cross to deliver them from the enemy, “is there not cause to stand and fight the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18, 6:12) for God’s good name?”  We are called to don the spiritual armor of readiness to engage the enemy in steadfast (Ephesians 6:10, 11, 13) hope and assurance of our calling to wield the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) to set them free from the taunting affront of the enemy. 

1 Samuel 16:1-23 - The Anointed Chosen One

1 Samuel 16:1-23

David Anointed King

1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”

But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.”

19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

Though Samuel still grieved over the direction Saul took after being coronated and misled the people he was supposed to lead under God, he was shaken from the emotions of the situation by the LORD with a reminder that He had rejected him from reigning over Israel due to Saul’s unfaithfulness to His word and will.  He would choose another, this time without the consent of a prophet like Samuel or the congregation of Israel.  It would instead be the man chosen by the LORD this time, one whose heart was completely (1 Samuel 13:14, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 89:20-21, Acts 13:22) His.  Out of fear for Saul to stop Samuel from anointing the future king, he gathered to sacrifice in a low key manner and waited for God to point out the man chosen by Him when he would be revealed there.  Unlike towering handsome Saul, the prophet was to look past the physical appearance.  He was reminded that “the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance (Psalm 147:10-11), but the LORD looks at the heart.”  Then Jesse had seven of his sons present themselves before Samuel but none of them were the one chosen by God, despite their outward appearance of suitability.  Samuel asked if that was the entity of them because the LORD told him the chosen would be of the family of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) as we now look back and acknowledge (Romans 15:12) the choice of any of us is God’s (Deuteronomy 7:6, 1 Peter 2:4, 9-10, John 15:16, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, ) and not our own.  The youngest son David was tending sheep and was called from that lowly task to stand before the prophet to be anointed as God’s choice for a godly leader to rule the people in due time.  From that day forward the Spirit of the LORD came upon David to enable him to take his place in that time to come as Saul decreased and he increased in favor (1 Samuel 2:26) with God and men as Samuel before him and the Christ to come (Luke 2:52) from his lineage.  As for Saul, his decline was fueled by a distressing evil spirit after the Spirit of the LORD left him, for before Christ came to regenerate us with a new birth, the Spirit did not remain permanently (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:5, Romans 8:15-16, 17) on anyone as He does now.  The temporary calming for Saul ironically was to have this same anointed David, the man who would be king, come and play soothing harp music to subdue the demon afflicting Saul who was no longer king in God’s eyes.  The LORD was with this young valiant man of war and peace as well as good looks because God chose him, not for these qualities, but to use them for His long range plan and glory.  We now have the offspring of the king, the King of kings, to comfort us with His Spirit who ever lives in us and keeps the demons at bay from us forever, never more to enter us or keep us from Him.  David was the earthly anointed chosen one who God used to bring His Son, the eternal Anointed Messiah-Christ, into the world to rule as our King forever and to drive and keep evil (Matthew 6:13, John 17:11) from us.  May we learn from this example of king David to humbly aim the direction of our lives to be men and women after His own heart, loyal and devoted to following our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 1:1, 3:17-18, Titus 2:13) Jesus Christ.  Amen.

1 Samuel 15:1-35 - To Trust and Obey is Better than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Saul Spares King Agag

1 Samuel also said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Saul Rejected as King

10 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”

15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”

And he said to him, “Speak on.”

17 So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

20 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

22 So Samuel said:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.”

26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously.

And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Saul misused his power and position as king by not trusting and obeying the LORD in wiping out the evil of Amalek for ambushing Israel on the way when out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17-18, 19) into the promised land.  Instead, Saul spared Agag and the best of all that was good, willingly refused to utterly destroy what he took for profit; the only things he destroyed were what was despised and worthless to eat or sell.  Samuel was cut to the heart at putting Saul on the throne of Israel and heard God’s regret for allowing him to be crowned and then refusing to trust and obey His words of command.  Saul’s arrogant pride even caused him to erect a monument as a statue to his greatness and victory in Carmel and then met Samuel with boasting about doing God’s will as commanded, which he most certainly did not!  The man who should not be king was then told to shut up and listen as he was confronted with God’s word through the prophet Samuel and heard this question, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”  Saul made an excuse of saving the animals to offer sacrifices to the LORD, but that was not what God had commanded him.  By swooping down on the spoil instead of destroying as commanded and killing their king Agag, he did evil(sin) against God in disobedience and now would suffer the consequences.  The words echoed for all to hear, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?”  Disobedient rebellion against His word was equated with witchcraft and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry!  He heard that it is better to obey God’s word and have nothing in hand to offer than to offer any sacrifice in a way that had no obedient heart behind it.  The final pronouncement hot hard; because Saul rejected God’s word, God rejected him and took away the right to be king.  Likewise, those now who reject the commandment of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) will be rejected from becoming kings and priests to Him (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10, 20:6) to reign with and serve Him in the final judgment.  Saul afterwards tried to act contrite and repent, but did not really mean it, and then Samuel left him, rejected, to his fate for rejecting God by not trusting and obeying His word.  Samuel drove the point of obedience home by finishing what Saul did not by killing Agag as commanded.  Saul was left alone and rejected as king with no more support from Samuel as his previous source of God’s word and counsel which he had rejected.  His downfall and defeat began until a new king would replace him who would be a man after God’s own heart with a desire to trust and obey Him and not offer empty and unlawful sacrifices.  Do we prioritize our heart obedience to His word over mere outward shows of good works that are presented to seem like true sacrifices, or do we offer ourselves wholeheartedly as that true (Romans 6:13, 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5) sacrifice to rule with Him?  

1 Samuel 14:24-52 - Consequences of a Rash Vow

1 Samuel 14:24-52

Saul’s Rash Oath

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.

Saul’s Continuing Wars

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.

A rash vow or oath leads to dire consequences.  Saul vowed to kill anyone who stopped to eat before they could smite all their enemies who had come against Israel until they were filled with the fear of God by Jonathan who attacked them and who then fled from Jonathan and his armorbearer as the LORD set them running.  Saul did not trust God to fight the battle not his people of the armies of the LORD (Exodus 12:41), therefore, he put a curse of death on anyone who did not fight through until the Philistines were obliterated.  This was so extreme as to apply even if they just stopped to renew their strength by taking a bite to eat along the way.  This rash vow had Saul face the dire consequences of that lack of faith and reliance on threats to win the battle that was not his; his own son had stopped for honey to invigorate himself for battle and was almost killed for it.  Jonathan let everyone know how that had helped him fight better and would have had a greater victory if the others had been do the same as he.  One consequence was that the army was so exhausted and starving after they pushed the enemy back that they began to eat the spoil of sheep, oxen, and calves, slaughtering and eating  them with their lifeblood (Genesis 9:4-5) as was for by God as a reminder of the life of Abel that was taken, whose blood was shed by Cain.  Any lifeblood shed was only for an atoning sacrifice before the LORD and was poured out (Leviticus 5:9, 17:13, 14), never allowed to be eaten lest the sacrifice was sullied by sin.  They were stopped from sinning further by Saul when he saw this and set up an altar to sacrifice properly and offer the meat to the people in a way honoring God.  This was the first altar he built.  He then wanted to continue the pursuit of the enemy and polled the people who responded with, “Do what seems good to you.”  The priest then cast lots for God’s will to be known and found a hindrance of some hidden sin.  God did not answer Saul for the question of whether to go after the Philistines.  He swore that even if his own son was guilty, he would die for disobeying the king’s order, not the order of God, however.  He put himself and Jonathan against the rest and the lot fell on them, not the army.  The lot then showed his son had done the deed of eating the honey and was to die for it, yet it was not sin against God their Father, but against the rash oath of his father.  The people stood up with indignation at this because Jonathan had defeated many of the enemy by working with God for their deliverance.  Saul relented from both killing his son and pursuing the enemy further, adding to his sins of bad judgment and rash self serving actions.  His hesitancy allowed the Philistines to continue to harass Israel as much as they harassed them instead of achieving the victory of humble obedience that God had intended for their king and nation.  They had demanded a king over the King of kings and the results were beginning to show.  This was but the beginning of the consequences of a rash vow without regard to God’s word.  We should learn that this means we are to allow the Lord to lead us (James 4:15, 16-17) and not our decisions apart from His word.  We also only partake of the lifeblood of our sacrificial Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, and not take the life of another as (Acts 15:29, 21:25) these did under bad leadership.  May we then enjoy the food given us (Romans 14:14, 1 Timothy 4:3, 6:17) lawfully by Him without their lifeblood for our sustenance to fight the good fight and not make other foods a religious restriction. 

1 Samuel 14:1-23 - The LORD Delivers by Even a Few

1 Samuel 14:1-23

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

1 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. 3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.”

7 So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

8 Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”

11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.” 12 Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.”

Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land.

15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling. 16 Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). 19 Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion. 21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven.

Jonathan the son of Saul was brave because he trusted God to strengthen him for victory in His wisdom and work in those trusting and stepping forward to engage the enemy where he sits.  Jonathan took his armorbearer and went to spy out the camp of the Philistines’ garrison outpost in Michmash and spoke these words by faith, “it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.”  He trusted God to work through the two of them to save his people by their actions of entering into the fray with the ungodly enemy.  It is not matter that they were seemingly hopelessly outnumbered; Jonathan had faith as he knew God’s plan of promise for deliverance of His people and so these two valiant men trusted the enemy had already been delivered into the hand of Israel and initially killed twenty on the way into the camp of the Philistines.  Great godly fear fell on the ungodly as they trembled with the seismic unsettling of the ground beneath their feet in the camp, a shaking that was felt all around.  The army there began to run away in fear of the LORD and His mighty hand that shook them from toe to head, from the uncertain ground they stood on to the uncertainty in their minds of their standing before Him and His people as exemplified by Jonathan and his one man.  Saul counted his own men and discovered that his son and thw man were not among them.  He consulted God’s Ark of Testimony through the priest and saw that as the priest drew near the Ark, the rumbling in the enemy camp grew louder and went dimmer as he drew back from this place where God met them.  They then joined in the battle with Jonathan and observed how the Philistine enemy were killing themselves in the mass confusion and overwhelming fear of their shaking by God and had stopped their assault on the city of Beth Aven.  Other Hebrews in the surrounding area joined in with those of Saul to pursue he enemy they had been hiding from in fear as the tables of fear were turned against those opposing the LORD and His chosen ones.  The battle had been turned around and Israel pursued their enemy.  We learn here that the LORD can deliver with one or two faithful men who set their faces as a hardened flint (Isaiah 50:7) by faith to deliver their people, just as we who are in Christ set our faith and feet firmly planted (Ephesians 6:13, 2 Corinthians 3:4-5) in the gospel truth that sets men’s hearts trembling in the face of eternal judgment with the promise of release from fear (Hebrews 2:14, 15, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18)  and hope of an unshakable kingdom (Isaiah 54:10, Hebrews 12:27, 28) in Him.  We are called to stand firm in the battle for souls of men and women as we wield the word of God to set them free at last from fear (John 8:31-32)  and trembling in the war (Revelation 12:17) for their souls.  Remember that the Lord delivers them by a few or even just one such as you or I.