1 Samuel 14:38-15:338And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. 39For, as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. 40Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. 41Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. 42And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. 43Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die. 44And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. 45And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. 46Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place. 47So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. 48And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. 49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 50And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. 1Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. 2Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. (1 Samuel 14:38‑15:3)
When Saul saw that the Lord did not answer him, he sought to find out who was at fault. Yet how could the Lord answer him to connect His name with Saul’s self-importance? Saul was not walking before God in such a way as to know his own folly. Therefore, having assembled all the people together, he and Jonathan stood on one side, while the people stood on the other. He then asked the Lord to give a perfect lot, and he and Jonathan were taken. They cast lots again and Jonathan was taken. Saul asked Jonathan what he had done, and Jonathan told of how he had eaten some honey in the battle against the Philistines. Saul said, “Thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.”
The Lord would not answer poor Saul, but He had given a perfect lot and showed the foolishness of Saul’s ways before the people. Therefore when Saul would have put Jonathan to death, the people rescued him and would not allow it. They said, “He hath wrought with God this day,” and the Lord used them for the deliverance of Jonathan who was willing to leave all with Him. Jonathan was willing to die or live, according to the will of the Lord.
Then Saul went up from following the Philistines and they went to their place. The Lord was allowing His people to see the foolishness of their choice of a king, and that deliverance was not through “a king to lead them like the nations,” but only by the good hand of God using whomsoever He would. Are we not often like Israel, thinking if we could only have our own way things would run along so much more smoothly? May all this be a lesson to us, making us content to bow to the Lord’s hand in all He passes us through while making our one aim in life just to do His will.
In spite of their self-will and failure the Lord did not forsake His people, but undertook for them over and over again, even in the conflicts they brought upon themselves. How good and patient He is, as we have so often proved! Yet we are so slow to learn and have to reap the folly of our own ways.
Samuel came to Saul again and brought before him the importance of obedience to the Word of God. He had failed in this before—not having waited for Samuel when he had told him to do so. But now another opportunity would be given him to carry out the judgment of the Lord upon Amalek. The Amalekites were those who had come out against Israel when they came out of Egypt, and they typify to us the power of the enemy through the flesh, or the old nature within us. Saul was instructed to cut them off ENTIRELY, not leaving a man or woman or even an infant, along with all their cattle. This reminds us of the word in John 6:6363It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63): “The flesh profiteth nothing.” It might seem unkind to Saul to cut off ALL the Amalekites, and their animals too, but the Lord said it must be done, and there was no room left for Saul’s opinion when God had spoken.
No doubt this test comes in each of our lives. Some matter comes before us and the Lord clearly makes His mind known, as He did to Saul here. A desision must be made and the cost is great. It seems unkind, it seems more than we can do, but obedience to God and His Word clearly demands it. The rest of our life turns upon it, as it did for Saul. Let us carefully consider then, the word before us here.
ML 08/15/1954