61 – Saul In Charge

FULL MEETING WITH MIDRASH HERE

NOTE: THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE RECORDING.

The title, ‘Saul In Charge’, is our hint that YHVH is not in charge in Israel now, yet YHVH will continue helping His people.

Saul, now the first King of Israel, will not become a dynastic King because he usurped YHVH’s place as the Sovereign of Israel by inadvertently doing what a King-Priest, a Melchizedek, would do – offering a sacrifice to finish his coronation, crowning himself. Whether he had any inkling what his action would mean to YHVH, we don’t know. His Melchizedek-like sacrifice was tantamount to him crowning himself, the exact opposite of what a King of Righteousness, a Melchizedek, would do. This was the ultimate act of hubris, not the humility of a ‘nagid’, a prince and vassal of a King of Israel. Saul’s heart was not with YHVH.

And now, because he had stirred up the Philistines, getting ahead of God’s timing, he has put Israel in danger and must face the consequences. He will face those consequences only the 600 men who were left of the 3,000 who originally joined him.

1 Samuel 13:19  Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;
1 Samuel 13:20  but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle.
1 Samuel 13:21  The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads.
1 Samuel 13:22  So it came to pass in the day of battle, that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.
1 Samuel 13:23  The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. 

The Philistines had the military hardware advantage but where did Jonathan and Saul get their Philistine weapons? Those were illegal for Israelites. The Philistines controlled the iron and the skills for working with iron. Well, scripture does not tell us where Saul and Jonathan got their swords. Maybe they took weapons from wounded or dead Philistines at the unauthorized battles during Saul’s week-long coronation ritual. We can imagine there were more than 2 Philistines killed during this week. All of the weapons from their dead or wounded should have been recovered but, apparently, were not. This might have been because of a fear by the people that, if caught by a Philistine with those weapons in their possession, punishment would follow which likely would result in death. This left Israel with spears and bows and arrows. But don’t worry. YHVH knows how to use whatever is handy to accomplish His goals even when those who call themselves by His name are not doing His will.

1 Samuel 14:1  Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father. 

On some random day after Saul had crowned himself King and alienated Samuel, Jonathan got the urge to battle some Philistines. We have no idea why this thought came to Jonathan. Scripture does not give us a motivation for Jonathan’s actions but what he did was probably born of eagerness, perhaps even an eagerness planted by YHVH Himself since Jonathan seems to have had a personal relationship with YHVH, the evidence for which will be apparent as we study.

1 Samuel 14:2  Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men; 

This “uttermost part of Gibeah” is ‘qetseh’ in Hebrews (Strong’s H7097) meaning a border area. Saul was probably watching for the Philistines to come after him and to destroy Gibeah for having attacked them.

1 Samuel 14:3  including Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone. 

Ahitub had inherited the priesthood from Eli directly because his father, Phineas, died in the battle with the Philistines. Eli also died that day. Now here is Saul, who has rejected Samuel, in alignment with the corrupt and unauthorized priesthood from the line of Ithamar that YHVH rejected.

It is important to understand what Samuel is telling us by mentioning the unimportant son of Phineas, Ichabod, who was born on the day YHVH slew the Ithamar line of the priesthood and left Israel to go live with His enemy, the Philistines, for 7 months. The name, ‘Ichabod’ means “no glory” – I-chabod – no glory. The glory of God was departed, according to 1 Samuel 4:21-22.

By mentioning Ichabod, the lack of God’s glory, it appears Samuel is giving us a hint about Saul, that the glory of God is not with him.

Now back to Jonathan.

1 Samuel 14:4  Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
1 Samuel 14:5  The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
1 Samuel 14:6  Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few.” 

Here is where we start getting a clue about Jonathan’s relationship with YHVH. He has trust in God.

1 Samuel 14:7  His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Turn and, behold, I am with you according to your heart.”
1 Samuel 14:8  Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.
1 Samuel 14:9  If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you!’ then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.
1 Samuel 14:10  But if they say this, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up; for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us.”
1 Samuel 14:11  Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!”
1 Samuel 14:12  The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something!” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me; for Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
1 Samuel 14:13  Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him. 

YHVH answered Jonathan’s fleece and went into the battle with Jonathan, a sure sign that there was a relationship between YHVH and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 14:14  That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 1
Samuel 14:15  There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the raiders, also trembled; and the earth quaked, so there was an exceedingly great trembling.
1 Samuel 14:16  The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude [of Philistines] melted away and scattered.
1 Samuel 14:17  Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count now, and see who is missing from us.” When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 

Saul suspected something, that one of his men had stirred up the Philistines.

1 Samuel 14:18  Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time. 

Scripture is not clear but it appears Saul had retrieved the ark from Kiriath-Jearim likely to be a sign that God was with him when the opposite was true.

1 Samuel 14:19  While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!” 

Saul had been consulting Ahijah via the urim and thummim but no answer was forthcoming so Saul gave up on that. YHVH was not speaking to Saul but He was speaking to Jonathan by giving him the victory.

1 Samuel 14:20  Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle; and behold, they [the Philistines] were all striking each other with their swords in very great confusion. 

Saul and Jonathan were the only Israelites who had swords so YHVH turned the Philistines’ swords on each other. YHVH had promised to send confusion into the enemy’s camps when the Israelites were driving out the Canaanites (Exodus 23:27and Deuteronomy 7:23).

1 Samuel 14:21  Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before, and who went up with them into the camp, from all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 

Ah ha! Some Israelites had defected and were allied with the Philistines!

1 Samuel 14:22  Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
1 Samuel 14:23  So Yahweh saved Israel that day; and the battle passed over by Beth Aven. 

YHVH saved Israel that day. Saul had nothing to do with it but Jonathan’s decision did. However, Saul was not about to be outdone! As a result of what happened, Saul called a false fast!

Saul’s Rash Vow

1 Samuel 14:24  The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 

First, it was Saul who should have been fasting and repenting. Second, the Philistines were not Sauls enemy alone. They were YHVH’s and all Israel’s enemy so he should have called them “our enemy”. This shows us how self-centered Saul was and how his ego now made him think of himself as god, as the god of Israel!

Third, while Jonathan’s actions had thrown confusion into the Philistine camp, Saul was putting the spotlight on himself by calling for his men to fast to show that God was, indeed, with him, not them! He had the Ark, the priesthood, a successful battle and a fast which would prove his point that the glory to be had should belong to him.

The son of perdition will deceive people with the same kind of smoke and mirrors. He will make it appear that YHVH is with, and has blessed, him. Be forewarned!

1 Samuel 14:25  All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.
1 Samuel 14:26  When the people had come to the forest, behold, honey was dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. 

YHVH was providing sustenance for this weakened army but, over the threat of death issued by Saul, they continued into battle in a weakened condition.

1 Samuel 14:27  But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath. Therefore he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.
1 Samuel 14:28  Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’” The people were faint.
1 Samuel 14:29  Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
1 Samuel 14:30  How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines.” 

“How much more” belies that the outcome of the battle could have been so much greater for Israel if their commander, King Saul, had a relationship with YHVH and had done what YHVH said. Saul had weakened his troops through fasting, thus showing his incompetence to lead. But Saul wanted the glory for himself and the most he could do was issue a death sentence for anyone found not fasting.

1 Samuel 14:31  They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint; 

However, Saul’s foolish fast caused…

1 Samuel 14:32  and the people pounced on the plunder, and took sheep, cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 

Saul caused his men to be so famished from battle that they ate the raw, bloody meat which is an abomination to YHVH! Saul led Israel into idolatry. It was idolatry because that is one of the main practices of people who worship the demonic deities.

1 Samuel 14:33  Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh, in that they eat meat with the blood.” He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!” 

Some of the people had refrained from this sin. Saul now seeks to rectify the situation. Even he understood the gravity of this act.

1 Samuel 14:34  Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
1 Samuel 14:35  Saul built an altar to Yahweh. This was the first altar that he built to Yahweh. 

Saul, apparently, had not built an altar to YHVH when he crowned himself King which was another of his foibles in the ceremony. He simply offered the animals on the ground. But this time, the corrupt priesthood was present to do the sacrifice.

1 Samuel 14:36  Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let’s not leave a man of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let’s draw near here to God.” 

Ahijah was correct in calling Saul and the people to YHVH.

1 Samuel 14:37  Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day.
1 Samuel 14:38  Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been today.
1 Samuel 14:39  For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 

The people were silent because they already knew who ate that day. They were protecting Jonathan because they knew he had not heard his father’s foolish command. Therefore, Jonathan had not sinned against Saul and did not deserve to die.

1 Samuel 14:40  Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
1 Samuel 14:41  Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped. 

So now, YHVH is answering Saul.

1 Samuel 14:42  Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected. 

According to YHVH, Jonathan was right, righteous. Saul now looks like the fool and unrighteous leader that he was.

1 Samuel 14:43  Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.” 

“What have you done, Jonathan that makes you right and me not right?”

1 Samuel 14:44  Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 

Saul, in order to save face over his foolish command, was willing to kill his righteous son!

1 Samuel 14:45  The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.
1 Samuel 14:46  Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. 

“Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel?” So far, we have seen how Saul compares to the son of perdition. Now we see how Jonathan compares to Yeshua who worked great salvation in Israel that day.

The people saved Jonathan from his own father! Saul knew he would not have an army and would not be King over Israel if he killed Jonathan. But let’s think more about this for a minute. Saul was willing to kill his own son, something the heathen did with their sons. Saul was right in line with perdition, lawlessness.

Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies

1 Samuel 14:47  Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned himself, he defeated them. 

That word, “taken” or “took” is:

H3920
לָכַד
lâkad
law-kad’

A primitive root; to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively to cohere: –  X at all, catch (self), be frozen, be holden, stick together, take.

YHVH expressly says, right here, that Saul “took” the Kingdom as in theft. I explained where this capturing of YHVH Kingdom was in last week’s teaching. It was where Saul finished his coronation by not waiting for Samuel to crown him. Rather, Saul crowned himself when he performed that King-Priest sacrifice.

But, despite this, YHVH was still with Israel and wherever Saul fought battles, he won them. The wording by Samuel here implies that Saul also took credit for winning the battles. He was not about to give glory to YHVH!

Sometimes it can appear as if YHVH is with the wicked. YHVH won those battles for Israel because the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Saul also fought the Hagrites, according to 1 Chronicles 5:10 and the Gibeonites in 2 Samuel 21:1, battles which are not mentioned here.

1 Samuel 14:48  He did valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. 

The Amalekites were plundering Israel just as they had done when Israel came out of Egypt, for which YHVH said they were to be utterly destroyed!

1 Samuel 14:49  Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
1 Samuel 14:50  The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
1 Samuel 14:51  Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
1 Samuel 14:52  There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him into his service. 

Didn’t Samuel warn of this conscription in 1 Samuel 8:10-12? Yes, he did. When the scripture says, “when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him into his service”, means that Saul forced those men into military service against their will.

The Kingdom under Saul became one of great distress. Yet in the distress, there was a righteous son, Jonathan (who represents the remnant of YHVH) and a coming righteous King, David, (representing Yeshua the Messiah).

Remember that even in times of great distress, YHVH is still there, He is still with us behind the scenes.