The Challenge, Confirmation and the Charge

1 Samuel 11 (CSB)

1 Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.” 3 “Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

The Ammonites attacked Jabesh-gliead but instead of utilizing the new king the people tried to handle the situation on their own.

They offered to “serve” Nahash which most likely meant they would be willing to pay him taxes to prevent him from attacking them again - this exchange is a lot like the mob used to do, they would harass business or people and then demand a fee to not do it anymore.

Nahash said ok but he added a stipulation to the treaty - he wanted to remove their right eye.

This disfigurement would have brought disgrace on all Israel and would have handicapped each mutilated individual.

Two advantages for Nahash - it would preserve the peoples capacity to perform agricultural tasks (keeping the money flowing to the king), yet is would drastically reduce their ability to wage war by taking away their depth perception.

Amazingly the people didn’t refuse this deal right away - instead they asked for 2 stipulations - give them 7 days to decide and allow them to send messengers out to ask for help and if no help comes they would agree to Nahash’s demands.

Apparently, Nahash did not believe anyone would come to assist and even if they did he probably assumed he could defeat them (more to humiliate).

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud. 5 Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh. 6 When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him, and his anger burned furiously. 7 He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.” As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united. 8 Saul counted them at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand Israelites and thirty thousand men from Judah.

The messengers arrived in Saul’s town.

Upon hearing the details of their potential treaty the people of Gibeah wept.

Saul is king but has not begun to live like a king - Saul was still working in the family business of farming.

Of course if you came walking into town and everyone was out in the street weeping I imagine it would get your attention - it did Saul.

The is such a thing as righteous anger - there are things in this world that when we hear about them should provoke us to righteous anger which should provoke us to action.

Saul became angry and his anger was magnified by the Holy Spirit coming on Saul.

The author tells us that the Spirit of God came “powerfully” on Saul - nowhere in biblical Hebrew narrative does the divine Spirit come over a person without an act or word resulting that helps God’s people.

It is an interesting choice of words here - “the Spirit of God” [Elohim] not the Spirit of the LORD [Yahweh]. Elohim is the general name used for God but Yahweh is the covenant name, the name revealed to Moses.

Even though the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the LORD are the same person the change of name denies Saul direct association with Israel’s covenant God.

Five Israelites are mentioned as having the “Spirit of the LORD” but in Genesis to 2 Kings the only other person said to have “the Spirit of God” come over him is Balaam, a non-Israelite who ultimately brought harm to Israel.

Saul took a team of oxen and cut them up - this is similar to time a Levite cut up his concubine and sent her pieces around the country.

Saul sent the pieces of oxen along with warning that is the people didn’t come this would happen to them. Terror fell on the people.

Calls like this to get involved in conflict have been mostly unsuccessful - the fear the people felt may have been increased when they remembered the punishment inflicted on a city - ironically, on Jabesh-Gilead - that had once refused a similar call to assemble (they were almost wiped out).

There may have been some symbolism in slaughtering the oxen (the animals he used to continue farming) - as a sign of his entrance into full-time kingship.

The call was for the people to march behind Saul AND Samuel.

The call was heard and honored - 330,000 men showed up to fight…

9 He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’ ” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. 10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.” 11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

The messengers saw the assembled force and heard the promise of their new king. Encouraged by this the messengers returned to Jabesh-gilead.

Emboldened by the answer the leaders of Jabesh told Nahash that he could come the next day and do what he wanted to them - a little disinformation to disarm the Ammonites psychologically.

Saul followed a time-tested strategy by dividing his forces into 3 divisions to produce a multisided, simultaneous attack on the enemy.

Somewhere between 2 and 6AM Saul attacked the Ammonite camp - the attack was so successful that no unified group of survivors remained.

12 Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!” 13 But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord’s presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

The people were so thankful and impressed with Saul’s leadership in saving them that they wanted to recommit to following him as king and at the same squash any in opposition.

Saul said no to the executions and at this point he is giving credit where it is due - God.

Samuel affirmed Saul’s suggestion and took the people to Gilgal to renew Saul as king.

Sacrifices were made and a party was had.

1 Samuel 12 (CSB)

1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. 2 Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until now. 3 Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.” 4 “You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded.

So the king is in place and Samuel is closing the book on his tenure as leader of Israel.

He reminds the people that he has done what they asked - his sons failed to uphold their position established by their father so they were now “with the people” instead of over them.

Samuel puts himself on trial with himself as defendant and the people as the prosecutors.

The people testify that Samuel has commited no wrong against them.

Samuel’s example as Israel’s last judge would now contrast sharply with that of Israel’s kings who would often cheat and oppress them…

5 He said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they said. 6 Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. 7 Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the Lord about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors. 8 “When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord, and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the Lord and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 So the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. 12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king.

Now that they have confirmed that Samuel has nothing wrong he goes into prophet mode.

Samuel reminds them of what God did for their ancestors - 5 illustrations to remind Israel of two simple yet profound theological truths…

One - it is the Lord alone (not kings or armies or weapons or alliances) who rescues His people from foreign oppressors.

Two - Yahweh rescues His people in response to their prayers and repentance.

God did not stop once Israel entered the promised land - 4 of the 5 examples provide testimony to God’s active presence among Israel.

13 “Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the Lord has placed over you. 14 If you fear the Lord, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 However, if you disobey the Lord and rebel against his command, the Lord’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors. 16 “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.” 18 Samuel called on the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

Samuel reminds them that they asked for a king and God has given them one.

He warns them that they must obey the Lord and if not God will be against them.

The king is not exempt from this expectation - the king must obey the Lord as well or the Lord will be against them.

To validate his words Samuel calls upon God to show the people a sign. The wheat harvest is at the beginning of the dry season so rain would be a rare event.

I would imagine the rain and thunder God sent was not a little summer shower but an event unlike they have seen before - it was great enough to cause the people to fear the LORD and Samuel.

19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.” 20 Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. 21 Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless. 22 The Lord will not abandon his people, because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people. 23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. 24 Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you. 25 However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

The gist of Samuels charge against the people was that they demanded a king instead of following the LORD.

For Israel to entrust its future to a human delieverer instead of anchoring it in their relationship with the Lord was both wicked and futile.

Realizing this the people pleaded with Samuel to pray for God to forgive them for asking for a king.

Samuel reassures them that God will not leave them because, even though they sin, they are still His people.

But here is the deal - Samuel vows to continually pray for the people and petition God for them. He will also teach them the way God wants them to go. All the people have to do is - fear the Lord, worship Him faithfully and completely, keeping in mind all that God has done for them.

Final warning - if you continue to do evil neither they nor the king will remain.