OVERVIEW:
The rise of King Saul as he obeys God; the fall of King Saul as he relies upon his own reasoning; Jonathan, Saul’s son, acts in great courage.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As chapter 10 came to a close at the end of yesterday’s reading, Saul returned to his home town after being anointed the king of Israel. Recognize, that at this point, his leadership had not yet been firmly established, and word was actually still traveling throughout the land that he had even been installed as king. As we move into chapter 11 in today’s reading, however, Saul was going to be given the opportunity to establish his leadership, because Nahash, the leader of the Ammonite army was threatening to come against Israel in Jabesh-Gilead. Saul’s swift response to rally the armies of Israel, and the subsequent demolition of the Ammonite army, rallied the nation of Israel together in unity, and the people became zealous to follow their new king and leader.
In chapter 12, Samuel takes the occasion of Israel’s renewal and rededication to further establish Saul’s leadership. Samuel walks the people back through his own ministry among them, and then walks them back even further through their history as a nation under the leadership of Moses and Aaron, and then, through several of the judges. Samuel’s intent was to show them how God had been faithful to them as a people and a nation, and that they had actually slapped God in the face, as it were, for requesting an earthly king to reign over them, when the Lord their God was their king! (12:12)
Samuel tells them that even though they had done this evil to the Lord, He was still willing to take them from where they were and bless them. He proclaims in 12:14–15 this incredibly gracious promise, and yet this incredibly powerful warning: “If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.”
To prove to the people that he was in fact speaking for God, and that the Lord had been offended by their request for a king, Samuel predicted that the Lord would send thunder and rain on that very day, which was during the time of the wheat harvest, a time of the year when rain seldom, if ever, would fall on that part of the world.
When Samuel prayed, the thunder clouds rolled in and it began to rain upon the land, striking both the fear of the Lord and of Samuel in the hearts of the people. (12:18) The people owned their sin for requesting a king, and Samuel assures them of God’s grace and His pleasure in them continuing to be His people, and yet, still warning them that they needed to follow the Lord without wavering, and to serve Him with all of their heart. (12:21–25)
As we begin chapter 13, God lets us know that the events that take place in this chapter happened two years into Saul’s reign as king. We already begin to get glimpses of things that we will be able to look back on as “the beginning of sorrows” in the reign of Saul.
First, Saul tries to vaunt himself and his leadership by taking credit for the victory his very own son, Jonathan, had achieved in Geba. (13:1–4) Secondly, as the Philistines began to rally themselves together to come against Israel, Saul delayed in leading the attack against them, and the armies of Israel were found cowering in caves, fearful for their very lives. When Samuel didn’t return when Saul expected, he took it upon himself to carry out the role of a priest in sacrificing the burnt offering. Just as he had made an end of offering the sacrifice, Samuel returned, and immediately asked him what in the world had he done! Like a little child, Saul explains to Samuel that he didn’t want to have to offer the sacrifice, but since Samuel wasn’t around to do it, he forced himself to violate his own will and conscience and did it for the sake of the people. Yeah, right!
Samuel explains to Saul that though he had been fully positioned to lead Israel the remainder of his life, that now, because of his failure to obey the Lord, his reign in the kingdom would not continue. (13:14) Samuel continues to explain that the person God wanted to lead to His people was “a man after his own heart”. Recognize that Samuel’s declaration was made to Saul privately, so no one in Israel knew the decision God had made, and it would still be a number of years before the transition to a new king would actually be made.
As we move into chapter 14, rather than Saul seeking to humble himself before the Lord, in an attempt to become “a man after God’s own heart”, he is lifted up with pride. Watching him try to hang onto his position and power becomes almost pitiful, if it weren’t so prideful. He begins to make a lot of foolish decisions in chapter 14 that result in him seeking to take the life of his own son. He would have killed him had he not been rescued by the people. Saul becomes foolish, fleshly, and full of himself and, thereby, begins to bring the nation of Israel down with him.
In the New Testament, Paul, whose original name was Saul, makes only one mention of his name’s sake saying, “And when He had removed him.” (Acts 13:22) How ironic that the first king of Israel is only known for having to be removed, so God could fulfill His plan.
May God help us to recognize today, that He is still seeking men and women after His own heart! Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves today is this: Is there any area of my life where I, like Saul, am allowing myself to be lifted up with pride, and need to humble myself before the Lord?
Jonathan, King Saul’s son, seems to have the heart of a lion (1st Samuel 14:6), but his life is caught in the web of his father’s sin. Although he himself remains pure, the effects of his father’s sin will ultimately end his life. We must recognize, there is no private sin or private life. What we do will ultimately affect those around us, and most often and most severely, those we love! (Numbers 32:22–24)
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through all that Samuel was intended by God to be — judge, priest, and prophet. (John 5:30; Hebrews 7:26; Acts 7:37)