King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 7 notes
1Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
4And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.
Having read through Israel's history up to this point,
I can easily tell what this seemingly looming danger from such an impregnable army meant, and what the best response of Israel should be, and how this will turn out.
1. Though the army was impossibly large to defeat with their chariots etc., it was actually a set-up for God to show his great might in the lives of his people, and for He, God, to make a name for himself - something God loves to do.
He loves to do things that leave a lasting impact transcending generations, and here was a fine opportunity to do so.
2. Israel's 🇮🇱 best response was not to fear but 😱 to wait on the Lord for his instructions and directions as in time past, which they did.
3. And of course it will turn out victorious for them and for God's name to be glorified.
In practice it is easier said; to not fear 😱 in the face of death is no child's play.
No wonder when the people waited and Samuel did not show up, they fled.
But why would Samuel be late when 100s of thousands of lives and the life of the nation were at stake?
Maybe he was praying to hear from God, without whom his coming to make sacrifices was in vain.
This is my conjecture. In that wait for God, the people began to disperse.
Either ways, Samuel was late for a reason, and Saul could not wait.
Many things would come against us, but as we trust in the Lord our God,
he would come through for us. Through thick and thin.
The more one reads about the dealings of God with his people, the more faith is stirred, and the more likely one would face challenges head on, knowing the Lord is with you.
And he who has done marvelously in time past for you or others would come through for you as well.
That is why it is important to read the history of God, for faith cometh by hearing and by hearing the word of God.
Romans 10:17 KJV
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This battle was not orchestrated by God, but God always came through for his people whenever they took the changing scenes of life and its challenges and made it an attack against God and his covenant children 🧒.
Then, now that God has been made a part of the equation, he comes through for his children.
So as life happens, as it does to us all, we must wait on the Lord and seek his face 😔, in prayer and in fasting always, and as we do, he comes through for us.
We must never give up, but continue in all manner of prayers until he pulls through for us.
Ephesians 6:18 KJV
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Why did Jonathan attack the garrison of the Philistines and call for such war and trouble?
Yet it is not recorded that anyone complained, but naturally it is very likely.
I can imagine the murmurings of why the king's son went to attack the garrison of the Philistines, knowing very well Israel was under control of the Philistines.
And I can imagine Jonathan responding that 'we are the children of God, and we cannot continue to allow these uncircumcised Philistines to rule over us.'
I can imagine him saying to his servants, as he did sometime later, that God is able to bring victory ✌️ with little or with few.
How did Jonathan know such things? Obviously he had heard stories of what God did in time past, and even more recently when God thundered ⚡ against the Philistines in the times of the prophet Samuel, who was still alive to testify.
And how his father was anointed through divine orchestrations...
He was tired of the stories and went straight into action, putting to test the word of the Lord 🙌.
The land was theirs, given by the God of heaven himself.
Why had they not taken it all this while?
Why were the people so cold ❄ and faithless to do the things of God?
His blood was boiling, and I can imagine the people shutting him up as youthful exuberance.
Jonathan was a man of faith, and no wonder when he met David he knew he had met the brother he never had.
Their bond was immediate and knew no bounds.
David was the king 👑 his father could not be, the king he wanted his father to be, but rather disappointingly would not, but rather walked in constant rebellion.
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, ( for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
You can't break the law of God to please 😌 the Lord.
This is what we see many Christians and Pastors do today.
Breaking the laws of God, dubbing the people of God to build 🏢 a church ⛪ for the Lord.
A church built through deception and lies.
Saul here did foolishly.
No one ever in the history of Israel after the law offered burnt offering who was not a Levite.
Saul only did this because he was a king 👑 and it had entered his head. 🤕
He felt he could do anything, and this is obvious in his later posturing whenever he did the wrong thing, and even in his attitude to Samuel - the man who made him king 👑.
Even Samuel was afraid 😨 Saul could kill him at a point.
Not so with David, who, when he was in error, the prophet Nathan, or was it Gad, rebuked him.
And when his throne was taken from him, he accepted the fate of God for him and prayed for mercy, whiles of course taking pragmatic measures, as he did not know if it was fully the will of God or not.
Having mentioned pragmatism, I'm reminded of Nathan, who, though a prophet of God, took practical measures to ensure Solomon was made king 👑 according to the word of the Lord.
Saul indeed did not know the Lord. For him to think of disobeying the commandment of the Lord in order to please him with an offering, with the excuse that he was under pressure, goes to show his knowledge of God.
He was treating God like some shrine with no personality, emotions or values or morals.
Saul had indeed done foolishly.
13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
Ah, how did Samuel know this? I mean, how did God search out a man so quickly when Saul had barely just finished sacrificing?
This goes to show how unpardonable the sin of Saul was.
The moment he started searching out a lamb or bullock for a burnt offering, the Lord rejected him and searched out a worthy replacement in David.
15And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
18And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
21Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
Since Israel did not come out to war, the dominion of Philistia was established once more, and they entrenched their dominion further.