Saul’s Military Successes
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT
⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious. ⁴⁸ He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
⁴⁹ Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. ⁵⁰ Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.
⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. 

Saul Defeats the Amalekites
15 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! ² This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. ³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
⁴ So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵ Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶ Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 NLT

Saul’s Military Successes 

⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne,

took full control of Israel        ERV
had taken control of the kingdom over Israel,           NASB
established his reign over Israel.         NCB
had assumed rule over Israel,              NIV
established his sovereignty over Israel            NKJV

he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines.

“every direction – all of the surrounding nations 

And wherever he turned, he was victorious.  

• At this point in time, Saul’s military campaigns against Israel’s enemies were, for the most part, successful. 

1 Samuel 14:47-52 is a summary of time extending “Throughout Saul’s lifetime.”

⁴⁸ He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.

• Saul’s success was tempered by his lack of complete obedience to God.

More about the Amalekites in chapter 15 

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 

Ishbosheth (Esh-Baal): “man of shame”, “man of Baal”

2 Samuel 2:8-11 NLT
Ishbosheth Proclaimed King of Israel
⁸ But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth. ⁹ There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.
¹⁰ Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. ¹¹ David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.

Saul’s son Abinadad, not listed here, is mentioned in 31:2

Jonathan and David became close friends. (Chapter 18)

Michal was David’s first wife. (Chapter 18)

⁵⁰ Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.

Saul’s concubine Rizpah is mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:7 and in 2 Samuel 21.

2 Samuel 3:7 NLT
⁷ One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.

2 Samuel chapter 21

The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons (or in the case of Saul, grandson) of Abiel.

1 Chronicles 9:39 NLT
³⁹ Ner was the father of Kish.
Kish was the father of Saul.
Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

This information about Saul’s family, placed here rather than at the end of his reign, hints that his reign was essentially over and he would not be succeeded by one of his sons. (NLT Study Bible) 

⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime.

• The Philistines opposition to Israel was constant and lasted throughout the lifetime of Saul.

The Philistines were a well-organized military force and had a monopoly on iron and bronze which they used for military weapons, among other things. 

So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.

1 Samuel 8:10-12 NLT
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
¹⁰ So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. ¹² Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.

• Whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.

David was one of these young men drafted by Saul.

David continued this practice when he became king.

Saul Defeats the Amalekites
^15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel.

Now listen to this message from the Lord! ² This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 

Samuel was speaking for God.

God is using Saul to accomplish His intensions.

The Amalekites, a nomadic people of the desert, were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12).

Genesis 36:12 NLT
¹² Timna, the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. 

More about the Amalekites.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 NLT
¹⁷ “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. ¹⁸ They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. ¹⁹ Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!

Exodus 17:8-16 NLT
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
⁸ While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. ⁹ Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
¹⁰ So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. ¹² Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. ¹³ As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
¹⁴ After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). ¹⁶ He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.” 

³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

The time had now come for Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites.

Saul was to destroy everything that breathed.

God’s judgment was severe toward those who wanted to destroy his people.

Genesis 12:3 NLT
³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.

God’s judgment was also severe to those who disobeyed Him. (Achan- Joshua 7)) 

• Saul was instructed to “go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 

⁴ So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵ Then Saul and his army went to a town (an unnamed town) of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.  

⁶ Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.

The Kenites had settled among the Amalekites.

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12), but the Kenites traced their ancestry from Midian, one of Abraham’s sons by Keturah (Gen. 25:2). The Kenites had been friendly to Israel (Exod. 18:9, 10, 19; Num. 10:29-32), whereas the Amalekites had not. There appeared to be friendly relations between the Israelites and the Kenites.

Judges 1:16 NLT
¹⁶ When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law (Jethro), traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.

• The Kenites who had settled among the Amalekites were given the opportunity move away from the Amalekites. They wisely chose to move away from the Amalekites and their lives were spared. 

⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.

Saul partially obeyed Samuel’s instructions:  ³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 

• Saul killed the Amalekite soldiers his army encountered, but he did not kill all of the Amalekite soldiers.

Not all of the Amalekite soldiers were killed.

King David had to deal with the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 27:8 NLT
⁸ David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times.

1 Samuel 30:1 NLT
^30:1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.

• Partial obedience is not obedience. 

 ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. (see the next verse) 

⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them.

Saul had been told: “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

• Saul did not “completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

This is clearly an act of selfish disobedience to the Lord’s command.

• Saul clearly, blatantly, and selfishly disobeyed the instructions God had, through Samuel, given to him. 

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Saul’s Foolish Oath
1 Samuel 14:24-46 NLT
²⁴ Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day, ²⁵ even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. ²⁶ They didn’t dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.
²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. ²⁸ But one of the men saw him and said, “Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.”
²⁹ “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed. “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. ³⁰ If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”
³¹ They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint. ³² That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. ³³ Someone reported to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.”
“That is very wrong,” Saul said. “Find a large stone and roll it over here. ³⁴ Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”
So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord.
³⁶ Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”
His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
³⁸ Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. ³⁹ I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
⁴⁰ Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.”
And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”
⁴¹ Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent.
⁴² Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.
⁴³ “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.
“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”
⁴⁴ “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”
⁴⁵ But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
⁴⁶ Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:24-46 NLT

*** How can we apply the content in this lesson to our lives?

Saul’s Foolish Oath
²⁴ Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening

Not permitting a soldier to eat puts the soldier at a serious disadvantage.

In combat soldiers burns a massive number of calories.

Eating calms many people down and well-fed soldiers are more confident.

A good military commander always takes care that everyone eats something before combat. They might even order you to do so.

Saul’s inept leadership left his men weak and fatigued.

• Saul put his soldiers at a serious disadvantage fighting the Philistines (v. 23) when he said, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening …”

Saul was not thinking about the welfare of his soldiers.

—before I have full revenge on my enemies.”

Saul called the Philistines “his” enemies.  Saul perceives the conflict with the Philistines more a personal vendetta than a battle for the honor of the Lord and the security of the Lord’s people.

• Saul perceived the conflict with the Philistines as a personal vendetta, rather than a battle for the honor of the Lord and the security of the Israelites. 

Saul was thinking about himself.

So no one ate anything all day, ²⁵ even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. ²⁶ They didn’t dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.

An oath was an extremely serious matter in the ancient Near East. One did not violate a king’s oath without suffering severe consequences.

• Saul’s soldiers honored the king’s commands. 

²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command,

Saul and Jonathan were not always camped in the same location.

Example:

1 Samuel 13:2 NLT
² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. 

• Jonathan ate some honey.

Jonathan felt refreshed after eating some honey.

Eating healthy food provides the energy needed to stay active.

• Since Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, it seems reasonable for him not to be held accountable for not following his father’s instructions. 

²⁸ But one of the men saw him and said, “Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.” 

²⁹ “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed.

This was a strong accusation from Jonathan.

This same verb was used in Joshua 7:25

Joshua 7:25 NLT
²⁵ Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

Jonathan is holding his father accountable for his actions.

 “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. ³⁰ If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”

• Jonathan saw the foolishness of Saul’s command and recognized how it hurt Israel’s cause instead of helping it.

Saul’s foolish oath limited Israel’s victory. 

³¹ They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon,

The Philistines were heading out of the Promised Land on their way back to their homeland. (See verse 46.) Aijalon is near the Philistines own territory.

growing more and more faint.

The men were growing more and more faint as a result of not eating. 

 ³² That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. 

Saul had said, Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening.  It was now evening and the soldiers were permitted to eat.

In their haste to eat, they did not properly drain the blood from the animals.

Leviticus 17:13-14 NLT
¹³ “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. ¹⁴ The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.

• After chasing and fighting the Philistines, Saul’s soldiers ate meat without draining the blood. Eating meat with blood is strictly prohibited for any native Israelite or foreigner living among the Israelites. 

³³ Someone reported to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.”

• As a result of obeying Saul’s instructions (fasting all day), the soldiers disobeyed God’s instructions (eating meat without draining the blood..

“That is very wrong,” Saul said.

• Saul recognized the fact that the men were disobeying the law of God but did not seem to see that he was at least partially responsible for their disobedience.

However, this would have never happened had it not been for Saul’s foolish oath.

“Find a large stone and roll it over here. ³⁴ Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”

So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord.

The first and only alter built by Saul mentioned in scripture.

• Saul attempted to prevent more sin by his soldiers by properly draining the blood from the animals slaughtered for food. 

³⁶ Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”

At this point Saul decided to pursue the Philistines all night to kill and plunder them. 

His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

Again, Saul’s soldiers complied with his commands.

But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”

• Ahijah the priest tells Saul that he should seek God’s council before acting.

³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.

• Saul follows Ahijah’s advice, but God does not reply to Saul’s question.

³⁸ Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 

• Saul interprets God’s lack of response a result of someone’s sin. 

³⁹ I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die,

even if it is my own son Jonathan!”

• Saul makes another foolish, irrational oath.

But no one would tell him what the trouble was. 

⁴⁰ Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.”

And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”

“Whatever you think is best.” (Also in verse 36)

More compliance by the people. 

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots,

The practice of casting lots is mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament.

These lots may have been the Urim and Thummim ………

Exodus 28:30 NLT
³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

God allowed the Israelites to cast lots in order to determine His will for a given situation.

Biblical examples:

Distributing land to the tribes of Israel.

Joshua 18:10 NLT
¹⁰ And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord to determine which tribe should have each section.

Duties of the Priests

1 Chronicles 24:5 NLT
⁵ All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. 

⁴² Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.

• Jonathan was guilty of violating, unintentionally, Saul’s oath. He was not guilty of violating a command from God.

It would be hard to say that Jonathan had violated: Children obey your parents.  He had not even known of Saul’s oath.

⁴³ “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.

“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”

Again, Jonathan had more common sense than his father.

⁴⁴ “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”

• Saul wanted to kill his own son for disobeying his (Saul’s not God’s) command.

Saul, full of pride and egotism, was intent on fulfilling his vow. 

⁴⁵ But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

• The soldiers who had gone along with Saul’s requests thus far now refused to follow his orders when he called for Jonathan’s execution.

They recognized that Saul’s rule about abstaining from eating was not divine law. They correctly saw that even though Jonathan had violated Saul’s rule, he had obeyed God’s order to drive Israel’s enemies out of the land.

The “people” recognized the fact that God helped Jonathan do a great dead.

⁴⁶ Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.

The Philistines continued their retreat to their homeland.

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Jonathan’s Daring Plan
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
^14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
² Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. ³ Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.
No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. ⁴ To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. ⁵ The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. ⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
⁷ “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”
⁸ “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
¹¹ When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” ¹² Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”
¹³ So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. ¹⁴ They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
¹⁵ Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

Israel Defeats the Philistines
¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. ¹⁷ “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.
¹⁸ Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. ¹⁹ But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”
²⁰ Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. ²¹ Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. ²² Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. ²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
Jonathan’s Daring Plan 

^14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” (Michmash)

The Philistines were north of the gorge at Micmash and the Israelites were south of the gorge.

Jonathan acted.

• Jonathan took the initiative to do something about Israel’s plight.

Jonathan’s actions were in harmony with God’s plans for Saul.

1 Samuel 9:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man (Saul) from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”

In our previous lesson we learned about Jonathan’s victory over the garrison of Philistines at Geba.

1 Samuel 13:3 NLT
³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. 

But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.

Scripture does not tell us why Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.  We can only speculate why this happened. 

² Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron.

Jonathan was being aggressive whie his father Saul remained in Gibeah, evidently on the defensive.

• Saul’s comfortable position under a fruit tree in secure Gibeah, surrounded by his soldiers, contrasts with Jonathan’s vulnerable and difficult position with only the support of his armor bearer. 

 ³ Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.

The ephod and breastplate (or chestpiece) were two separate items of clothing worn by the high priest.

The Ephod was an elaborate garment worn by the high priest, and upon which the breastplate containing Urim and Thummim, rested.

A breastplate wore over the ephod had pouches that were used by the priests to carry certain devices used in determining the will of the Lord (Urim and Thummim or sacred lots.)

In this way, the high priest will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

• Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.

Read Exodus 28:6-30

Sacred garments for the priests.
Exodus 28:6-30 NLT
Design of the Ephod
⁶ “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁷ It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁸ The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
⁹ “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁰ Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. ¹¹ Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. ¹² Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord. ¹³ Make the settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.

Design of the Chestpiece
¹⁵ “Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ¹⁶ Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. ¹⁷  Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. ¹⁸ The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. ¹⁹ The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. ²⁰ The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree.  21 Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal.
²² “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. ²³ Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. ²⁴ Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. ²⁵ Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. ²⁶ Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. ²⁷ And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. ²⁸ Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash.
²⁹ “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord. ³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord. 

• Ahijah the priest was considered to be a spiritual advisor who could use the items in the breastplate to determine the Lord’s will and give Saul divine guidance. 

Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.

• Saul was keeping company with a priest from a family of priests rejected by God. 

No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 

• Jonathan and his armor bearer were acting without any support from the Israelite army.

⁴ To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. ⁵ The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba.

• The Philistines had secured the area around Micmash.

 ⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

Jonathan had no guarantee of survival.

Jonathan believed that God would work for His people in response to faith, as He had done repeatedly in Israel’s history.

Jonathan had learned that superior numbers were not necessary for God to give victory in battle.

Jonathan most likely knew the story of Gideon.

• Jonathan knew the outcome of his venture was in God’s hands. 

⁷ “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

• Jonathan trusted in the Lord. Jonathan’s armor bearer trusted Jonathan. 

⁸ “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

• Jonathan put out a fleece.

If they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40)

¹¹ When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 

The Philistines knew that many of the Israelites were hiding in caves.

1 Samuel 13:6 NLT
⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.

¹² Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!” 

• When the men from the Philistine outpost shouted, “Come on up here” Jonathan took that as a sign that the Lord would help them defeat the Philistines. (see verse 10)

¹³ So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. ¹⁴ They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre. 

¹⁵ Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck,

and everyone was terrified. 

• Jonathan and his armor bearer killed twenty Philistine soldiers and panic broke out in the Philistine army. 

• Clearly, divine intervention was taking place.

This is similar in many ways to the time when Gideon went up against the Midianite army.

Judges 7:19-22 NLT
¹⁹ It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. ²⁰ Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
²¹ Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. ²² When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

Israel Defeats the Philistines 

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. ¹⁷ “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,”

• Saul suspected someone had invaded the Philistines, but he had no idea who it was.

 Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. 

¹⁸ Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!”

Numerous translations say, Bring the ark of God here.

The language in this passage better fits the ephod rather than the ark.

For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. 

• It appears that Saul was about to ask Ahijah to use the items held in the ephod to determine the Lord’s will for them at this point in time. 

¹⁹ But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”

Saul ordered the priest to stop the inquiry into the will of the Lord.

• Again, Saul chooses not to wait for the word of the Lord.

Saul’s decision rests on his own insights rather than a dependence on the Lord.

²⁰ Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 

• Saul acted after he saw the confusion in the enemy camp. 

²¹ Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 

• Israelite deserters who were fighting for the Philistines changed their allegiance and took sides with Jonathan.

This was not unique to this battle.

1 Samuel 27:1-4 NLT
David Among the Philistines
^27:1 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath (a major Philistine city) with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

²² Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 

²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

• The Lord(not Saul) saved Israel that day.

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Samuel Rebukes Saul

1 Samuel 13:1-14 NLT
^13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.
² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” ⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
⁵ The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. ⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. ⁷ Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. ⁸ Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. ⁹ So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, ¹¹ but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
¹³ “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Israel’s Military Disadvantage
¹⁵ Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! ¹⁶ Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. ¹⁷ Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
¹⁹ There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. ²⁰ So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. ²¹ The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad. ²² So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.
²³ The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army.

At this point in history, the Ammonites were a constant threat from the east to Israel, while the Philistines were a threat to Israel from the west.

In 1 Samuel 11 Saul defeated the Ammonites.

Brief summary:
1 Samuel 11:10-11 NLT
¹⁰ The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” ¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.

In this lesson Saul is dealing with the Philistines.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 13:1-14 NLT
Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke

^13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.

A closer look at the numbers used in this verse.  (30 and 42)

Problem: If Saul was 30 years old, would his son Jonathan be old enough to lead 1,000 men into battle? 

Acts 13:21 NLT
²¹ Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

What numbers are used in other translations?

English Standard Version
Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,

Common English Bible
Saul was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled over Israel forty-two years.

American Standard Version
Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

New International Version
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.

Revised Standard Version
Saul was . . .years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel.

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

King James Version
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

New King James Version
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

• It appears that some numbers from the original text are missing.

If we were to use the American Standard Version the verse would look like: 

 Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

If we were to omit verse one it would not change the narrative that follows. 

² Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home.

Review:
1 Samuel 11:8 NLT
⁸ When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.

Saul had a “reserve” of 330,000 troops.

1 Samuel 14:52 NLT
⁵² The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. 

He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

Refer to a map.

• Saul established a “standing army” of 3,000 men.

2,000 men served under Saul and were stationed at Micmash.

1,000 men served under Jonathan and were stationed at Gibeah.

This is the first mention of Jonathan

Saul would have been aware of the Philistine outpost located at Geba, which was located between Micmash and Gibeah. 

³ Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba.

A deep gorge separated Geba and Micmash.

This outpost was in the “heart” of Israel.

Indicating the fact that the Philistines exercised some control of the area (more about this in our next lesson).

The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” ⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba

It is not unusual for the “commander in chief” to get credit for what his soldiers accomplished. 

and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever.

So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

• After Jonathan destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba, the Philistines hated the Israelites more than ever. 

⁵ The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!

• The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!

The Israelites did not have chariots at this point in time. (NIV Study Bible)

They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. ⁶ The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. ⁷ Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

East of the Jordan River.

Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. ⁸ Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come.

Review:
1 Samuel 10:8 NLT
⁸ Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”

Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 

• Saul’s men were beginning to scatter. 

⁹ So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

• Saul sacrificed a burnt offering to the Lord.

Saul saw his troops rapidly slipping away.

Saul did not respect Samuel’s authority as a priest.

Saul took on the role of a priest without the authority to do so.

Review:
1 Samuel 7:7-11 NLT
⁷ When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ⁸ “Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. ⁹ So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.
¹⁰ Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. ¹¹ The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.

Burnt offerings are a good thing, if done properly.

Look at 1 Samuel 15:22 (a verse we will study in a future lesson).

1 Samuel 15:22 NLT
²² But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 

¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 

Apparently Saul did not realize that he had done anything wrong.

¹¹ but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

This is more a rebuke than a question.

• Samuel rebuked Saul for his actions.

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

• Saul made excuses for his behavior.

Clearly, Saul is not trusting in God at this point in time.

Review a passage where Saul had recognized a time when God rescued Israel.

1 Samuel 11:11-13 NLT
¹¹ But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
¹² Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
¹³ But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

¹³ “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.

Saul failed to recognize Samuel’s higher role as God’s messenger.

Saul disregarded the instructions of the Lord’s prophet.

As the Lord’s prophet, Samuel had spoken “the command of the Lord”.

Saul had disobeyed the Lord. 

Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.

David

• Saul loses the kingship because of his disobedience. The kingship would not be passed on to Saul’s sons.

Application: Trust and obey.

The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Israel’s Military Disadvantage

¹⁵ Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way,

• Samuel’s departure from the battlefield was symbolic of the separation between Samuel and Saul, the prophet and the king.

but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! 

Saul had over 300,000 men to rescue the people of Jabesh Gilead and then had cut it down to 3,000, but now his forces numbered only 600.

• The seven day delay had greatly depleted Saul’s forces.

¹⁶ Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. 

The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. 

Refer to a map.

Geba and Micmash were only one or two miles apart, but the two cities were separated by a deep ravine.

The pass at Micmash was a strategic passage through the canyon that separated Micmash from Geba, Gibeah, and other towns to the south. 

¹⁷ Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness. (Zeboim, only mentioned in 1 Samuel 13, was a ravine located to the east of Micmash.)

Saul’s army was dwindling while the Philistine army was able to move around his capital city, Gibeah, freely.

• The Philistines used raiding parties to plunder the land and demoralize the inhabitants. 

¹⁹ There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days.

• The main physical advantage the Philistines enjoyed was their ability to smelt iron. This advanced technology gave them a strong military edge over the Israelites.

 As in the days of Deborah and Barak (Judg. 5:8),

Judges 5:8 NLT
⁸ When Israel chose new gods,
war erupted at the city gates.
Yet not a shield or spear could be seen
among forty thousand warriors in Israel!

the Philistines still had the advantage of superior weapons and the power to restrict the Israelites’ use of iron implements. “This monopoly continued with some success until the time of David when Israel began to produce iron objects rather freely (cf. 1 Chron. 22:3).”

1 Chronicles 22:3 NLT
³ David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed.

• The Philistines has superior iron and metal-working craftsmen until David’s time. 

The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. 

The Philistines were able to monopolize the iron industry.

• The Philistines had a distinct military advantage over the Israelites.

²⁰ So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. ²¹ The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad. 

• The Philistines charged high prices to sharpen instruments that could be used in battle.

²² So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.

They did have bows and arrows, slingshots, picks, axes, and sickles.

²³ The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army. 

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