1 Samuel 14 verses 24 to 52 The Son Must Die

 

Introduction

 

In February 1996 Newcastle United were 10 points clear of their nearest rivals and on course to win their first Premier League Title. By May they had lost the league by 4 points. They had ‘snatched defeat from the jaws of victory’- their season ended trophyless when it looked likely they would win the main prize.

There were lots of reasons for this unlikely turn around. Perhaps most telling was their manger, Kevin Keegan, and his inability to cope with the pressure of leading his team to glory. Those of us who are football fans will remember his notorious post-match interview where he basically screamed down the TV Camera. ‘I will love it beat them [Manchester United]… love it!’. It was a foolish moment which probably sealed his team’s fate that season.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 14 we see the foolishness of King Saul snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Last time we witnessed Saul’s son, Jonathan, take the initiative and had the Philistines on the run from the Israelite forces. By the end of our passage today we see that this, rather than spelling the end for the Philistines, became simply another episode in an ongoing war between the two nations.

Our passage today is really a tragedy that includes:

Saul’s Foolish Oath

Saul’s Foolish Orders

Saul’s Foolish Lot

Saul’s Fall.

Saul’s foolish actions and fall from national respect remind us of our need to always live in humble obedience to God.

Saul’s tragic failure also reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one true King who never fails His People. In Christ we are empowered to live for our King and enjoy the blessings He has won for us at the Cross.

So, let us firstly consider…

Saul’s Foolish Oath

Last time we paused our story with the Philistines fleeing into the hills and the Israelites united in hot pursuit. Jonathan had displayed true faith, and God had honoured that faith.

Then Saul enters the story. Notice the transition between the first half of Chapter 14 and the second half; in verses 23 and 24 we read:

So the Lord rescued Israel that day… Now the men of Israel were in distress that day…

The first statement refers to Jonathan’s bold assault, the second to Saul’s assumption of leadership.

The Israelite soldiers were in distress because of what Saul had done. In verse 24 we see that Saul had laid an oath on the people- they were not to eat until Saul had his vengeance.

Why was he doing this?

Well, it was common for troops to take a vow of abstinence so that they might be properly prepared for battle. The problem with Saul’s vow was that it was motivated by other intentions. And this left the army less than ready- instead they were ‘distressed’ and ‘faint’.

Look again at verse 24:

…”Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!”…

There’s a little too much of Saul and not enough of God in this oath. Notice his terminology: …before I have avenged myself on my enemies. Saul’s motivation is ‘me, myself, and I’.

Here is another contrast between Jonathan and Saul. In verse 6 of Chapter 14 Jonathan is a man of action, prepared to put himself at God’s disposal. He believes that it is the Lord who delivers His People as He chooses from His enemies.

Jonathan sought God’s leading and trusted that God had given him a part in God’s deliverance of God’s People. Saul, on the other hand, saw this fight as an opportunity to avenge his honour on His enemies. Saul was motivated by foolish pride, not the glory of God.

And so, Saul’s army was marching on an empty stomach. But then, in verse 25, we see a sweet opportunity for a sugar fix is right there before them in the forest. However, in verse 26, nobody ‘…put his hand to his mouth…’ because they were afraid on account of the oath.

Then, in verse 27, we learn that Jonathan went ahead and enjoyed the sweet treat. Jonathan was not acting in disobedience his father’s oath- he hadn’t heard about it- but notice his response when he is told.

In verses 29 and 30 Jonathan is in the middle of enjoying this body sustaining, soul refreshing, honey when he is stopped by a panicked soldier. Jonahan’s response is a candid commentary on Saul’s actions to this point:

“My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”

Jonathan was essentially questioning the wisdom of Saul’s plan. And in doing so helps us to understand the foolishness of Saul’s oath.

Essentially Saul had failed to obey the command of God and was now making commands of his own. Jonathan plainly stated that his father’s foolish pride was hindering Israel from enjoying God’s full blessing in battle.

Saul’s desire to destroy his enemies in his own strength led him to place a foolish oath on his soldiers. This decision led the people to obey manmade commands rather than God’s Law. Saul’s foolish oath led to the People’s faithless feasting.

In verse 31 the soldiers were exhausted after fighting on an empty stomach. It is little wonder then that verse 32 describes them ‘pouncing’ on the plunder once it was evening. The vow had been fulfilled, and it was time to feast.

The scene is described like those one of those occasions when a giant pizza is put in front of a group of teenagers at a youth event. One minute its on the table, the next its all gone. No time for grace, barely time to breath, before only the crumbs remain.

Notice in verse 32 we are told they ‘…butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood…’. And in doing so they sinned against the Lord.

In Leviticus 17 God had established very clearly His command regarding blood and the appropriate consumption of food. But in their desperate hunger and exhausted state the people had disregarded and disobeyed these clear commands.

There is something desperately sad in this scene. You have a group of people desperately keen to make sure they obey a man-made command while at the same time they are unprepared to obey a divine law. In fact, it was this man-made command which causes them to break the divine law.

In God’s Word we are, again and again, called to obedience to God’s Word and to follow God’s Way. Only in following God’s Way are we made truly wise and empowered to live a life which brings glory to God and true blessing His People.

And so, the wisdom of Psalm 25 must be remembered and taken to heart:

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

We must be careful to daily consult and meditate upon God’s Word. We must be careful that we live in obedience to God’s clear, covenant commands.

When we live according to God’s Will and in submission to His Way then we will flourish under His rule. We will know the peace of sins forgiven and the joy of life lived the way it is supposed to be lived.

Now, what is Saul’s response going to be to the faithless feasting of his troops?

Well from verses 33 onwards we witness…

Saul’s Foolish Orders

In verses 33 to 35 it appears Saul is keen to prove his worthiness by an outward show of religious zeal.

Firstly, he scolds the soldiers who had broken faith with God in sheer desperation because of his foolish oath. In verse 34 Saul immediately takes charge and, with religious zeal, puts himself in the place of the priest. He builds an altar in order that things will be done properly: the sacrifices will be set upon this big rock, the blood will be able to flow down onto the ground, and so, what is consumed will not be in violation of God’s clear command.

Interestingly, Saul is concerned that things would be done properly, but there isn’t the slightest suggestion that he recognises his own fault in these events. Throughout, Saul shows no sign of true repentance, or a real desire to honour God. His concern is with his own reputation as king. Foolish pride, and not God’s glory, are the key motivation behind these orders.

And Saul’s foolish orders continue in verse 36:

“Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.”

The wisdom of this order is questionable at best. His army are wearied. His orders are confused- they are the opposite of what he had commanded during the day. Earlier the Israelites were not to eat because it would stall their pursuit of the Philistines; now, Saul presents the chance of plunder as the motivation for a nighttime assault.

Saul was a man who desired to succeed, but who was guided by no strong convictions. The soldiers followed him with a lack of conviction appropriate to his leadership- ‘…do whatever seems best to you…’ they respond. Again there is the contrast with Jonathan- his armour-bearer was with him ‘heart and soul’ inspired by his convictions and clarity of thought.

Offering one set of foolish orders after another, Saul would never hear those words. Saul and Jonathan instruct us that true spiritual leadership requires more than outward religious observance. God’s People are to be led by true biblical convictions expressed with consistency and principled faith.

Earlier Jonthan had expressed doubts about the wisdom of Saul’s leading. Now, another of Saul’s closest companions expressed concern. Looking again at verse 36 we see Ahijah the high priest says, ‘Let us draw near to God.’. This is his polite way of suggesting that they consult God before acting on Saul’s plan.

What a shame that Saul, who should be the one who’s inquiring of God, finds the priest is saying to him, ‘Excuse me? Don’t you think we should draw near to God?’. And so, in verse 37 Saul, unsuccessfully, seeks God’s leading.

In verses 38 and 39 we see that Saul understands this failure to hear from God is really a sin problem. But he fails to recognise that the problem is his sin. This is often the case with religious people- so puffed up by their own good works and reputation- they fail to see their sin and it’s consequences.

Saul was blind to his true spiritual state. There is tragic irony in his seeking to identify the sin that had alienated God, while refusing to address God’s condemnation of his own sin. He was so worried about the apparent sin of another he was unwilling to deal with his own state before God. And so, he turned to religious performance.

The scene is now set for another of Saul’s foolish actions…

Saul’s Foolish Lot

By the time we come to verse 39 we see that Saul is alone. Not only did he meet silence from God, but his people refused to answer him. Saul decided to force an answer.

In verses 40 to 42 we see the same process by which Saul had been identified as Israel’s chosen king in 1 Samuel 10 was now used to identify Jonathan as Israel’s ‘problem’. The tragedy was that it was all too obvious to everyone else that the problems were caused by someone else.

That someone immediately interrogated Jonathan in verse 43. Jonathan’s reply brought the foolishness of the whole episode into focus: Here is the extent of my crime: Oh yes! It was me, I did something really bad. I tasted a little honey on the tip of my staff! Clearly I deserve to die for such a terrible crime! The whole thing is absurd- the son must die because he ate some honey?!

And the absurdity of it is revealed when the people intervene on behalf of Jonathan in verse 45. They essentially say: ‘Jonathan’s actually been doing what you as the king should be doing. All you’re doing is coming up with foolish oaths and orders and lots.’. The wisdom of Jonathan’s faith and the foolishness of Saul’s efforts were clear to all.

And so, Jonathan is ransomed by the people and Saul’s credibility was completely shattered. Then, in verse 46, the account concludes by noting that Saul failed to deal with the real problem that had been threatening him and his people all along- defeat had been snatched from the jaws of victory.

And so we finish with…

Saul’s Fall

Although we have much more to hear about Saul (especially in Chapter 15), there is a sense in which the essential story has now been told. This is why the author provides a summary of Saul’s reign in verses 47 and 48. Effectively Saul’s reign was now over.

Saul’s accomplishments are recorded and it’s clear that if Saul was a failure as Israel’s king (and he certainly was) it was not because of lack of military skill. His failure, as we have seen in Chapters 13 and 14, lay in his not trusting and obeying God.

In verses 49 to 51 we hear of Saul’s family. We will hear more about these folks in due course

Finally, Saul’s legacy is summed up in verse 52. In the end Saul never did deal with the Philistine problem. Indeed it will be in fighting the Philistines that Saul will meet his own end.

Saul is one of the great tragic figures of world history and of world literature. We sense his tragedy because we know his weaknesses very well indeed. Saul failed as I have failed, as you have failed. We know what it is to forget God, to not really trust God, and to disobey God.

What we have seen, however, is that such lack of faith in God is, as Samuel had said at Gilgal, ‘foolish’. Our schemes to save ourselves are as foolish as Saul’s oath. Only God can save us. He can, and He will.

So, in Saul’s story there is a lesson for our own lives: we must not forget God and His Way.

We must set aside the foolishness of false religion that would seek to earn God’s favour through our activity and performance. We must never think that God can be bought off with good intentions or generous giving, pious performance or joyless rule-keeping.

Instead, we must humble ourselves before God, freely confess our sins, and seek all the riches that are found in Christ alone. We must trust in God’s offer of full forgiveness won by the work of Christ at the Cross. And we must seek His grace to live in trust and faithful obedience.

In Christ God invites us to receive His abundant grace, to enjoy His lavish kindness, to marvel at His endless mercy. In Christ we can live a life of faithful obedience, generous giving, and humble service. In Christ we are invited to live a life of true fullness.

And so, the tragedy of Saul points us to Christ…

Conclusion

Saul, in his failure, points us to the One who is the True King of God’s People, the One who was everything that Saul failed to be. As we see Saul, through his foolish disobedience, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory we are led to the ultimate victory of Jesus- the One who snapped the jaws of death and defeated our ultimate enemies. He is the King whose Kingdom has triumphed over sin and over death, and who has ascended to the Father and is reigning, and One Day He will return.

The tragedy of Saul points to the triumph of Jesus. He is the Son who must die in our place. He is the Son who pays the price for our foolish disobedience. He is the One whom the Father is pleased to bless with victory over sin and death. And we share in those blessings when we come to Him in faith. So we look to the Son, trust in the Son, and serve faithfully in His Kingdom until He calls or comes.