1 Samuel Chapter 13 - Presumptions and Impatience

 1 Samuel Chapter 13 - Presumptions and Impatience

v1-7: Jonathan's Victory

Verse one may have missed out the age of Saul before he become king. It just said "lived for one year", but some commentaries said he was probably 30 to 40 years old. In his second year as king, he planned to go to war with the Philistines with 3000 soldiers. 

Jonathan and 1000 soldiers were sent to Geba to attack a Philistine garrison and had a great victory. However Saul, being insecure, gave the credit to himself. 

In reaction, the Philistines sent a huge reinforcement to Michmash (over a gorge from Geba), with 6,000 horsemen and uncountable troops. The number of chariots were assumed to be 3,000, rather than the written 30,000. 

At that time, Saul's company of 2,000 soldiers were also at Michmash and they all were afraid and hid themselves in the caves and tombs. Saul and some soldiers escaped to Gilgal to meet Samuel. 


v8-14: Saul's Disobedience 

Samuel had asked Saul to wait 7 days for him to arrive. However, Saul was under great pressure as his army was afraid that the Philistines may catch up to them, and started to run away. On the 7th day, Samuel still has not arrived and he decided he cannot wait any longer. He wanted to take control of the situation and started to initiate the burnt and peace offering himself. 

Samuel arrived just after the sacrifice was completed, and was absolutely shocked at what Saul had done. Why was Samuel so angry? It was because Saul was impatient and did something that violated God's law. 

Leviticus 1:5 says that the offeror will kill the animal, but only the priest can sprinkle the blood over the altar. The offeror will skin and cut the animals into pieces, but only the priests shall roast the meat. The burnt offering is a collaborative work between the sinner and the priest who offer the animal (representing Christ) up to God in an acceptable way. It reflects the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's Son, for our sins on the cross. Whatever Saul did was not only disobedient and meaningless, but also dishonorable to the message of the sacrifice of Christ. 

Saul blamed Samuel for being late and the pressure that he is in. Samuel told Saul that he had done a foolish thing and because he did not obey God, God will remove his kingship and give it someone after his own heart. (v10-14)


v15-23: Advantage of the Philistines

Out of the 2,000 men Saul had at Michmash, only 600 remained with him. Many were dead at Michmash, or ran away and some are caught or may have defected to the enemy. (see next chapter). Saul took his men to Geba to join Jonathan.

The Philistines do not need such a big troop at Michmash to confront a small Israelite army. They re-deployed 3 companies to other parts of Israel.  Other than the large number of soldiers they can deploy, they have superior weapons - chariots, and swords and spears made out of iron. Only Saul and Jonathan have swords and spears. Israel's soldiers only rely on farm tools such as plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles. They do not even have the technology to sharpen them and must pay a high price to Philistines blacksmith to do it.  

This sets up a critical situation and Saul did not know what to do or how he can win the war, especially when he did not get the blessings he wanted from Samuel and God. 


Questions:

1. Paul took matters into his own hands when Samuel was late, and violated God's instructions. In your life, have you "taken control" when you felt that God was late? What do you think you should do instead?



Author: Collin Leong; June 13, 2021

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