Unbelieving Leaders Cause Chaos (vv. 24-46)
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food this day.' " And the people were faint. 29 But Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 "How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?" 31 Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. 32 And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day." 34 And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man's ox and every man's sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.' " So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD. 36 Now Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." 37 So Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, "Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. 39 "For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not a man among all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." 41 Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. 42 And Saul said, "Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me." So Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!" 44 And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan." 45 But the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. 46 Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
Samuel’s Increased Religiosity
When the Lord forsakes a man, he begins unraveling. It usually does not occur immediately, but when it begins, it is painful to watch – and a cautionary tale for us to hold fast to Jesus Christ. It is not enough to begin well. We are Christ’s “if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firmly to the end” (Heb. 3:14). The Lord forsook Saul, for Saul despised God’s grace and disobeyed the Lord’s plain commands. Saul began unraveling. Samuel told Saul that the kingdom would not continue in his family. Since then, the Philistines subjugated Israel again and removed Israel’s means of defense. Saul’s little army is outnumbered and in hiding. All of this has happened with dizzying speed, but Saul has not turned to the Lord. He is afraid, however, and confused, so he decides to become religious: vows, altars, prayers, pious lot-casting for guidance. It did not help. The Lord helped his people and delivered them (v. 23); Saul troubled and oppressed them (v. 23).
There is a contrast in these two verses between the good reign of our Lord over us, and the rule of evil men. The Lord, Israel’s true King, helped them, despite their sinfulness in rejecting him. The Lord raised Saul from obscurity to be king, and he used Saul to bring a blessing to them, but Saul himself was rejected. He oppressed the people by his disobedience and resulting bad decisions. This is one reason Christians are not statists. We “put no confidence in princes” (Ps. 118:9). This is not because we are anarchists and arrogantly “speak evil of the higher authorities” (Jude 8). We are subject to human rulers (Rom. 13:1-7), but we do not revere them as God on earth, trust their programs and schemes, or believe they are able to save us. Most leaders in our day have never known the Lord, but sometimes, like Saul, they suddenly become religious. When all else failed, Saul turned to religion. The Lord was his last, not his first, resort. But if our religious devotions are motivated by a selfish or fearful heart, they nauseate the Lord and make our situation worse. It might make us feel better that we are doing something – going to church services or prayer meetings, or helping others, but the Lord does not accept our works until he accepts us. There is one way he accepts us: when our sins are covered and forgiven through our sole Mediator, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; Eph. 3:12; 1 Tim. 2:5).
Saul’s Foolish Vow
It was ridiculous for Saul to place his small army under a vow not to eat or drink while they were fighting. It is best to fast when one is able to refrain from physical labor and exertions, so that one can concentrate upon seeking the Lord. Why did Saul place his army under such an unlawful vow? He likely wanted to impress them with the urgency of the situation – you must not stop pursuing the enemy, not even to eat. Perhaps he also felt that since there had been so many desertions, he needed to bind his men more strictly to him and to their duty. Whatever his motivations, he should have allowed the men to eat and drink. He should also have set an example of faith and courage, like Jonathan did, that his men would want to follow. As expected, the fasting soldiers grew faint. Coming upon some honey in the woods, they would not taste it – although Jonathan did. He had not heard about his father’s vow. When told, he recognized his father’s foolishness. The honey had renewed him for action! When the Lord abandons the rebellious, they make bad decisions and impose upon men heavy burdens. Not trusting the Lord and his grace, they bind men to human traditions and “will worship,” as Paul describes it – humanly contrived ways to serve God and obtain his favor. All he requires from us is faith and obedience to what he has said in his word. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light!
Saul’s First Altar
These fainting were so hungry that they began to kill and eat raw meat – which meant that they were also eating the blood. This was prohibited in the ceremonial law. Saul set up a rock upon which the men could properly kill their meat and drain the blood. Then, the thought occurred to him to build an altar to the Lord – his first altar. Perhaps he wanted to commemorate the victory or even atone for the transgressions of the people. Saul’s motivations and schemes are so mixed up at this point that he did not likely have a clear plan. There is nothing worse than the Lord abandoning a man to his own devices. Saul needed them to fight more (v. 36). It was an odd time for Saul to build an altar. Had he suddenly become a worshipper of the living God? The priests were nearby – they could have counseled him, but he was frantic that day – hiding under the trees in Gibeah at daybreak, fighting midday, erecting an altar and casting lots in the afternoon. His religiosity increased in tandem with his fear and guilt, and therefore his sense of alienation from the Lord. His chaotic way of leading the people is starkly different from Jonathan’s steady faith that did not depend upon ostentatious displays of piety but trusting obedience to the Lord. The fruits of Jonathan’s faith were courage and victory; the fruits of Saul’s unbelief were confusion and hardship. As for our sacrifices, let us not build altars to manipulate the Lord – vain promises of reformation or stricter piety to gain his favor. The sacrifices that the Lord delights in are a broken heart over our sins and thanksgiving for his many mercies – not our self-motivations and made-up religious devotions that have no warrant in his word (Heb. 13:15-16).
Saul’s Despicable Cruelty
Saul seems to be taking a turn for the better when he suggests that they seek the Lord’s guidance whether or not to continue the battle against the Philistines that day. But the Lord did not answer him, which shows that his prayer was not prompted by faith that was pleasing to the Lord. The Lord is not a stingy hearer of our prayers, but our sins separate us from the Lord, so that he will not hear our prayers (Isa. 59:2). The Lord will freely forgive our sins if we come through Jesus Christ (1 John 1:8-2:2), but he turns his back upon those who are hardened in their sins, want to hold on to their sins, and therefore refuse to seek his mercy. Thus, for the Lord not to have answered Saul means that he has left Saul. Saul had not repented of his previous disobedience, and his actions that day reveal the chaos of not being led by the Lord, obeying him, and seeking his guidance. When Saul did not receive an answer, he concluded that someone had sinned. And imagine – his first thought about the sin was that someone had broken the vow he imposed upon the people. Saul blusters – if even Jonathan has broken it, he must die. Lots are prepared; Saul asks the Lord’s blessing upon the lot – how preposterous was this! Unbelief is very manipulative, even of holy things.
Saul was so confident that neither he nor Jonathan had sinned that the two of them stood on one side, while Israel on the other. To his shock, he and Jonathan were taken, then Jonathan. He confessed what he had innocently done – a non-moral transgression of a command he did not even hear. Saul was willing to kill his own son to cover his tracks. He would not confess publicly his personal evil or that the Lord had taken the kingdom away from his family. He must keep up the façade of authority and legitimacy, even if it meant Jonathan had to die. Sin and guilt will eat us alive unless we “acknowledge our transgressions and stop hiding our sins” (Ps. 32:3-5; 51:3). The people intervened and would not think of allowing Saul to kill his own son, who had begun the day with heroic deeds against the Philistines. Saul is clearly unfit to be king. The people saved Jonathan from being murdered by his father. Those who have received some light of the gospel, as Saul did from Samuel, must be careful not to extinguish that light and harden their hearts. If we have tasted but not eaten, if we fall away, we cannot be renewed to repentance (Heb. 6:4-6). This was Saul. It is dreadful and terrifying to watch unbelief and disobedience kill a living man, an Israelite, someone in close proximity to the tabernacle, priesthood, and sacrifices. Saul has become worse than the Philistines. He has become God’s enemy and his son’s would-be killer.
Jesus Christ Reigns in Righteousness (vv. 47-52)
47 So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. 48 And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. 49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52 Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.
He Brings Good from Evil
There is another truth at work, overruling Saul’s evil for good. The Lord gave Israel victory over the Philistines during Saul’s reign. In every direction, Saul prospered militarily. History gave a positive verdict upon his reign. Saul established order in Israel. The Lord often uses wicked men to accomplish broader ends that bless his people. Saul accomplished these things without having the Lord with him – he was with Saul officially, but not covenantally or redemptively. The Lord saves his people through lost men, and this should greatly encourage us! This does not mean wicked men can turn around and blame God for their sins or take credit for the good the Lord accomplishes through their foolishness. God does not tempt men to sin (James 1:13), and men freely carry out the wicked purposes of their evil hearts without being compelled by the Lord (Acts 2:23). At the same time, the Lord is sovereign over their hearts and actions. He turns their evil to good, their oppressions to a blessing for his people. This is one reason we can be so confident in our day. Our lives and times are in the Lord’s hands. He is overruling all the wickedness of men to work good for his people (Gen. 50:20). By every means and in unsearchable wisdom, the Lord Jesus is building his church. He is the good King who is saving his people and building his church, even while the wicked are oppressing. We cannot lose, for Christ is King. One day, his enemies will be forced to bow to him, even as they are brought before him to give account and then sent to the everlasting flames.
He Warns Us about Sin’s Ugly Progress
This is a truth that animates faith and strengthens commitment to obey the Lord. Disobedience is miserable. Its fruits are bitter. The spiritual and moral, political and economic chaos we see in our land is the fruit of unbelief and disobedience – especially among professing Christians. Because the Lord is King, he judges unbelief and disobedience with more sin. It is as Paul wrote to Timothy: “But evil men and seducers will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). Once we give sin the rule of our mind and will, as Saul did, it will never rest. This is especially true in covenant breaking men, women, and young people – those who have some knowledge of God’s saving grace but who never surrender themselves to him in faith. Sin will not rest until it dominates and ruins us. The same is true on the other side – those who worship the Lord, trust his word, and seek to obey him, will go from light to light, strength to strength, and glory to glory (Prov. 4:18; Ps. 84:7; 2 Cor. 3:18). In neither principle is the progress fully consistent in this life, which is the reason we need strong warnings to keep us on the right path. Godly men, like David, when we grow cold toward the Lord and indifferent to our duty, can go through seasons of great sin and defeat. Ungodly men, like Saul, can do much good for God’s people, even though they are reprobate. The point is that we must examine our hearts to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Is Christ in us? Or are we reprobate? Like Saul, depraved men can vow vows, build altars to the Lord, call for times of prayer, and look in many ways like righteous men. But their motives are selfish and manipulative, not broken and believing before the Lord. Do not rest in outward piety and religious exercises as infallible proof of God’s favor. Is our heart made new? Do we see the Spirit working faith, repentance, and fruit in our lives? Do we love and trust the Lord, and obey him?
For this reason, we must learn to fight against our sins as soon as we see them breaking out in attitudes and words. Take, for example, a heart that is cold to the Lord when it comes to praying. Or, what if we hardly praise him or shed a tear over our sins? We should know that something is wrong with us. We should turn to the Lord and trust his promise of mercy. We should ask him to heal us and continue asking, seeking, and knocking until he hears our cries and rescues us. If the Lord is real to us, we will relate to him as the most important person in our lives. We shall be grieved when we offend him. We shall grow in the desire to please him and to be with him, to enjoy real fellowship with him. We shall dread being without him. Do you remember David’s penitential prayer in Psalm 51 – “Take not your Holy Spirit from me.” This is a most moving declaration that of all things David dreaded, the foremost was to be without the Lord’s presence in his life. And yet, Saul moved forward without the Lord. He did not miss the Lord because he never had him. He felt his need of something, but in his darkest hours, he never turned to his Lord but to himself.
He Calls Us to Live by Faith in Him
All this points us to our need to be ruled and guided by the righteous King, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is one of the easiest things in the world to forget that he is ruling over all things right now. Ungodly men are so brazen in their wickedness that our hearts lose hope – but the Lord is ruling over them and their schemes – like he did Cyrus (Isa. 10). He saves his people even through their oppressors, and then turns around and judges their oppressors. It is also very easy to forget that our King Jesus has all that we need. He has all grace and truth, wisdom and comfort, strength and hope – not part of what we need, or the spiritual part, or even the best part. He has everything (Col. 2:9-10). Our King died and rose to give us everything – new life and salvation, help in life, heaven as our reward.
This is the reason we must live by faith in him (Gal. 2:20). To live by faith in him is, first, to be persuaded that we cannot save ourselves. All our religion without an active faith in Christ is trying to buy God off. Second, we must be persuaded that he will help us. He is our Savior and Mediator, and he is committed to us. He can no more forget us than he can forget himself. We are engraved upon his hands and heart. In every trial, sorrow, uncertainty, loss, or gain, blessing, and success – we have his blood-sealed pledge to help and guide and uphold us. And third, we must commit ourselves to him fully. We do this by praying each day and devoting ourselves to him. “What a friend we have in Jesus” is more than a hymn we sing. He is the Friend above all friends, our loving, tender Shepherd. With the strength he gives, we can seek our Father’s kingdom and righteousness – his rule in our lives, his light shining in our good works, and his gospel sounding out from our lips. This is the way God’s kingdom grows and God’s King, Jesus Christ, is honored. Since Christ is our life and we need him so much, let us ask Him to:
teach us by his Spirit that he is our Life, and be more real to us than He has been;
help us to trust, love, and obey him in all things, so that we will have good hope that he will make himself known to us and dwell with us (John 14:21-24);
so that we may shine as lights in the world, glorify our Father by good works, and go everywhere speaking our Savior’s Word (Acts 8:4).
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