April 12 - 1 Chronicles 9:35-39 | 1 Samuel 13:1-23 | 1 Samuel 14:1-52

Good morning everyone,

This morning as we begin our reading we find Saul taking credit for an attack Jonathan had just successfully initiated and carried out against the Philistine outpost. Saul is now waiting in Gilgal on Samuel who had asked him to delay, for seven days, before engaging in war again. With several thousand Philistines and their charioteers assembled to fight against Israel, Saul’s men are begin to get restless. Saul recognizes their anxiety and decides to take things in to his own hands so instead of waiting for Samuel to return, Saul assumes the role of priest and makes a sacrifice of a burnt offering himself, his thinking is that now they could do battle. Not a good choice. While he was doing the right thing by making a sacrifice before going into war, he did it in the wrong way. Not only had he disregarded what Samuel had instructed him to do but it was totally against God’s law and no sooner had he finished the sacrifice when Samuel comes strolling into the camp and asked him “What have you done?” While Saul blamed it on his men, Samuel exclaimed, “How foolish!” and walked away broken hearted.

In chapter fourteen, while out and about, Jonathan says to his armor-bearer “let’s go over to the Philistine outpost and see “what’s sup”. The armor-bearer is all down with that and off they go. When they get there, Jonathan wants to be sure that they are in God’s will so he tells the armor-bearer that if the Philistines invite them up then they will know God wants them to attack, if not then they are outta there. Well, the Philistines do invite them up, taunting them, and we’re told Jonathan and the armor-bearer make their way to them using their hands and feet and in the first attack Jonathan and the armor-bearer take out some twenty men. Then though the fun begins, the Philistines are all blown away, in a state of panic because only two men were able to wipe out so many, and in their confusion start slaughtering each other. 

Meanwhile back at Gibeah, Saul’s lookouts notice all the commotion going on, tell Saul and he instructs his army to take up and chase after Philistines telling them “Cursed be anyone who eats before he has revenge on the enemy.” Jonathan had not heard this though and while he was in the woods took a bite of honey when he came upon a hive and was refreshed.  However, this was not the case with the Israelite army. The day after they had struck down the Philistines they were dead dog tired and beyond hungry, so it was they attacked the plunder, pouncing on the sheep, cattle and calves, eating them with blood in them, and as you know, that was against God’s law. When Saul heard this, he refused to see that it was him who had driven them to exhaustion blaming their behavior on someone in the camp, saying they had sinned. Jonathan stepped up and said it was true, he had eaten he was not suppose to and he must die. Saul, his own dad, didn’t want to look bad so he said, “indeed you must.” What?? That is nuts! But the people stepped up and wouldn’t let that happen and so Saul turned his attention to fighting the enemies of Israel.

How often has our pride kept us from admitting when we are wrong or from doing what is right. Saul had made a foolish oath, perhaps never thinking it would come down to him having to take the life of his son and his pride would not allow him to admit his mistake. Instead of being like Saul, friends, I would encourage you to humble yourself and be more interested in doing what is right than in looking good. Make sense? Proverbs 11:2 says “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Amen?

Have a really good day, to God be the glory.

God bless you all …