Josh Benner

Tag: First Samuel

  • The height of the reign of Saul. Studying 1 Samuel 11:8-15

    The height of the reign of Saul. Studying 1 Samuel 11:8-15

    Israel defeats the Ammonites

    In 1 Samuel 11, the Israelites face their first major military test under their new king, Saul. He has found out that the Ammonites have besieged the city of Jabesh-Gilead and so Saul assembles an Israelite force. 

    Verse 8: 

     8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

    Numbers can always be a little bit difficult in the Bible. Especially in the Old Testament. In English, our word for thousand always refers to a numerical value. The Hebrew word translated thousand can mean more than one thing. So it’s possible that it’s 300 thousand. It’s also possible it’s 300 military units, but not necessarily 300 thousand men. 

    It’s a large group in any event. 

    It’s also noteworthy that you have a split between Israel and Judah – north and south – just two generations later and even here, it’s listing the military numbers for these primary regions of the kingdom separately. The news of this army is shared with the besieged city of Jabesh-Gilead. 

    Verse 9: 

     9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’ ” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad.

    And so they give their response to the Ammonite king: 

     10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”

    In the Hebrew, their wording is actually a little bit cryptic. 

    The ESV translates it as we will give ourselves up to you. 

    The ESV commentary on 1 Samuel says that more literally, what they’re saying is we will come out to you.

    Which has a double meaning where the Ammonites could think they were coming out to surrender, but in reality they would be coming out to do battle. 

    In verse 11, the battle is recorded. 

     11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. 

    Again, it’s a passage where a battle happens but it’s not really a passage about the battle itself. It gets summarized in one verse. Saul divided his men and they surrounded the Ammonites and so we see some skill in planning on the part of Saul. 

    The Israelites have a decisive victory. No two of them were left together. 

    The Ammonites are decimated. More attention is actually given to the aftermath of the victory than to the battle itself. 

    To explain the end of this chapter, we need to understand the end of chapter 10.

    Team of rivals

    In chapter 10, after Saul becomes king, he returns to his home and chapter 10 ends by mentioning that there were some who were enthusiastic about the new king, and there were some who were not. 

    Chapter 10, verses 26-27: 

    26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. 

    After the victory, people wanted to round up those detractors who had been less enthusiastic about Saul and see them executed. 

    Back in chapter 11, verse 12: 

    12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 

    The high point of a doomed kingdom

    Verse 13:

    13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”

    As I said in the beginning of our time, this is the high point of the reign of Saul. 

    For a brief moment, Israel has the king they wanted. 

    Saul could have been vengeful to his detractors but chose grace instead. He could have hogged the glory but he gives the credit where it’s due when he says that it was the Lord who has worked salvation in Israel. 

    All is well in Israel. 

    There is a celebration. 

    It’s like when a team brings in a new coach or a new general manager and it takes them a few years to built up and then it culminates in a championship. The Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 comes to mind. All that time without winning a World Series and then they get the right people on staff and on the roster and they get there. 

    14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. 

    So we’ve had this great victory. The Israelites are carrying Saul around on their shoulders. The Prophet Samuel suggests that they go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom. 

    Why would they need to renew the kingdom when they literally just installed a new king? 

    I think that John L Mackay argues convincingly that the renewal of the kingdom in light of this great victory is not about Saul. That Samuel is seeking to renew the covenant to the kingdom that they have with the Lord who gave them this victory. 

    Gilgal was mentioned in chapter 10. It’s the place where Saul became king. It was also the place where Joshua built the first altar to the Lord within the Promised Land after they had crossed the Jordan River. In renewing the kingdom at Gilgal, it is also tying the future of Israel to God’s past faithfulness.

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  • Saul, the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:1-14

    Saul, the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:1-14

    In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites demand a king. They will have to pay more in taxes, more of their men will have to serve in the army and fight in wars. The best of their land will have to be given up for service to the king. Women will have to work in various trades that will serve the kingdom. They will be subjects. In spite of all of that, the people still say they want a king.

    In chapter 9, we’re introduced to Saul, the man who would be the first king of Israel. 

    Humble beginnings 

    1 Samuel 9:1:
    There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 

    As is often the case in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, when a new person is introduced, we see a family line given to introduce the person. 

    The Benjaminites were one of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were the smallest of the tribes numerically. 

    Other noteworthy Benjaminites in the Bible include Esther and the Apostle Paul. 

    The verse also mentions that the family was wealthy. 

    Continuing in verse 2:

    2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 

    Physical descriptions of people in the Bible are generally pretty rare and when we see them, it’s usually for a reason. We don’t even know what Jesus looked like. But First Samuel mentions that Saul is a tall, handsome man. 

    Saul’s appearance matters to the story. Saul is the only Israelite who’s ever referred to as being tall in the Bible. And the word handsome is found just a handful of times. 

    So now that the general introductory things have been told about Saul, the author gets into the story. 

    The lost donkeys

     3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”

    So Saul might come from a wealthy family, but we’re introduced to him having to engage in a fairly inglorious task of looking for some lost donkeys. 

    Verses 4-5: 

      4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. 5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”

    Still talking about donkeys. 

    It seems that the author is trying to show us the simple life that Saul was living. He’s going to be a king, but here, he’s just doing what his father sent him to do.

    Agin, he’s just some Benjaminite. The smallest tribe. While his family seems well off, they’re not even the most prominent family within their tribe. 

    Saul has no ambition of being a King. Israel has never even had a king at this point! 

    It’s kind of like how I doubt George Washington grew up with aspirations of being president. 

    Because he grew up in a time when the presidency wasn’t a thing. 

    Saul has no aspiration of being the leader of Israel. So Saul is with one of his servants looking for the donkeys and they have wandered into this small town: Zuph. Still no donkeys. But they’ve been gone for awhile and Saul starts to worry that his father is going to start to worry. 

    But the servant of Saul makes a suggestion. 

    Verse 6:
    6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.”

    The servant refers to “a man of God” in that city. The man of God is the Prophet Samuel. 

    Samuel is essentially a leader over Israel. He’s not a king. But he’s known throughout the land. 

     For instance, 1 Samuel 3:20 says:
    20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 

    Back in our passage. So it’s not Saul that has the idea to see Samuel. It’s his servant who has the idea. The servant knows and Saul doesn’t. And this is the future king of Israel! So Saul’s servant suggests Saul seek out Samuel. To find some donkeys. 

    Saul responds. He’s uncertain.

     7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have”

    Culturally, he feels like he needs to have some sort of gift to present before a prophet. 

    His servant happens to have some silver on him in verse 8. And so the two men go in pursuit on Samuel. 

    After a quick note on how they needed to have a gift, we see in verses 11-12, their journey is interrupted by a group of women. 

    Saul and his servant are looking for Samuel. And the women tell Saul and his servant that Samuel has just returned to the city. 

    1 Samuel 9:11-12:
    11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.

    So the women tell Saul and his servant to hurry because Samuel has to perform a sacrifice that day. 

    1 Samuel 9:13:
    13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.”

    So the women are talking about this feast. Unknown to the women, unknown to Saul, but the feast is for him. 

    Verse 14:
    14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 

    And it is there where they will meet the Prophet Samuel and where Saul will receive some news which will change his life and the future history of Israel.

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