Saul’s Disobedience & the Resulting Predicament
May 9, 2021
Commentary
This chapter starts to reveal Saul’s true nature. After reigning two years his army consisted of 2,000 troops under his command at Michmash (to the north of Jerusalem (vv. 1-3) and an additional 1,000 troops with his son Jonathan in Gibeah. Jonathan’s men defeated a Philistine garrison at Geba. This resulted in Pride for Saul (who took credit for the victory), but also a surge of support for him from the people. But the Philistines met them in kind: a massive army invaded Israel: 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and innumerable foot soldiers. They pushed the Israelites eastward all the way to Gilgal (vv. 5-7).
Saul waited seven days for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice but, when he did not arrive, he took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice (vv. 8-9). This was against God’s laws (Deut. 12:5-14) and Samuel’s instructions to Saul. When Samuel confronted him, Saul had three excuses for why he had disobeyed God: (1) The people were scattered; (2) the Philistines were coming against him; and (3) Samuel was a little late in arriving. Saul was told in the beginning that if he obeyed God, he would be blessed, but if he disobeyed, there would be judgment (vv. 13-14). Samuel tells him that because of this he will lose his kingship. Saul has disobeyed, so God has another man to be King.
Saul was in quite a predicament (vv. 15-18) with (1) a battle about to start, (2) Samuel gone, and (3) only 600 men remaining. With this little band Saul took up defensive positions near Geba of Benjamin. He was helpless to deal with the raiding parties dispatched to the north, to the south and to the west from the Philistine base camp at Michmash. Yet he was determined to defend his own tribal area of Benjamin.
The chapter concludes with an explanation of the Philistine “blacksmith” monopoly (vv. 19-22). The Israelites had no blacksmiths of their own, and so they were reliant on the Philistines for everything: (1) they had no swords or spears, except for Saul and Jonathan, (2) they couldn’t sharpen or repair their farming tools, and (3) when they did repair them, the Philistines charged them exorbitant prices. How could the Israelites ever hope to win over the Philistines with such tremendous odds? Only with God’s help. God wanted to give Israel victory without swords so they would realize their true source of strength.
Application
When I find myself in a position where it seems like everyone and everything is against me I need to remember that my extremities are often God’s opportunities. He wants to show Himself strong but, as long as I think I have everything under control, God does not have the opportunity to show me what He can do.
1 Samuel 13:1– 23 (NET)
1 Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] years. 2 Saul selected for himself 3,000 men from Israel. Of these 2,000 were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; the remaining 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. He sent all the rest of the people back home.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted all the land saying, “Let the Hebrews pay attention!” 4 All Israel heard this message, “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 Meanwhile the Philistines gathered to battle with Israel. Then they went up against Israel with 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. 6 The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, and cisterns. 7 Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal; the entire army that was with him was terrified. 8 He waited for seven days, the time period indicated by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army began to abandon Saul.
9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered a burnt offering. 10 Just when he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel appeared on the scene. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.
11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me, and that you didn’t come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering.”
13 Then Samuel said to Saul, “You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed the commandment that the Lord your God gave you. Had you done that, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought out for himself a man who is loyal to him, and the Lord has appointed him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the Lord commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about 600 men. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Micmash. 17 Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups. One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual; 18 another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboyim in the direction of the desert.
19 A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears.” 20 So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares, cutting instruments, axes, and sickles sharpened. 21 They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and one-third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads. 22 So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan. No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.