Saul's Folly

One of the interesting things about life is that it is full of contrasting thoughts. Contrasting feelings and difficulties. One of the confusing contrasts is success and failure. How, in the midst of success – while you are experiencing success - sometimes you still find failure.

When things seem to be going good, when the tables have turned, when victory seems sure, when it seems the race is won . . . there can still be failure. We often think victory is had and we put our guard down before the match is over. If our focus is not on the right things we will overlook something important and totally blow it.

Sometimes, even after we win . . . we are actually losers. This was the case for Frank Hayes. You see Frank was a stableman turned horse trainer turned jockey who entered a steeplechase horse race with a horse named “sweet kiss”. A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump different obstacles – usually consisting of fences and ditches. Normally if there are jumping obstacles involved the horse race is known as a steeplechase. Frank would be riding “Sweet Kiss” hoping to win.

So on June 4th, 1923 the 22 year old jockey – Frank Hayes entered the competition in New York at the Belmont Park racetrack. Frank had never won a horse race before. No one expected him to win. The bookies gave him the odds of a 20-1 outsider. He was predicted to lose. Those odds didn’t bother him at all. He was happy to be able to participate.

To everyone’s surprise, Frank Hayes and Sweet Kiss won the race! They had won by a head. When the race was over and the horse was finally stopped, the horse’s owner ran out onto the track to congratulate Frank. But Frank was slumped in the saddle and not moving. The doctor was called over and he declared Frank had died of a heart attack during the race. Somewhere in the midst of the race he had died but didn’t fall from the horse or out of the saddle. The horse kept going.

As weird as it may be, Frank Hayes stands as the only jockey that has won a race after his death. In the midst of victory is failure. The horse – sweet kiss- was known as – sweet kiss of death – from then on out and never raced again for the rest of her life.

Everything seems like it is going great. Outwardly there seems to be no sign of a problem. The battle rages and victory is had. Yet, a dark shadow is lurking through it all. The dark shadow looming here in first Samuel 14 is king Saul. He acts foolishly. He exposes his folly here for the whole army to see. Let’s read the account together. There are many details contained in these verses so you will want to find you bible and follow along.

When you find it, if you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word. Hear the inspired, inerrant, Word of the living God:

1 Samuel 14:24-46 (ESV) 24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.” 31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD. 36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For as the LORD lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41 Therefore Saul said, “O LORD God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O LORD, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Thus ends the reading of the word of God. May God grant that what it declares we believe, and what it commands we will do. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Is. 40:8) Let’s pray

Saul and his 600 men have managed, by God’s help, to put the Philistines on the run. God had put the swords of the Philistines against themselves. You will remember that Jonathan went up with his armor bearer to the camp of the Philistines. Jonathan went over the rocky crags and right into enemy territory. You will recall what he said in those moments, it was, “nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” He had bold faith and he acted on it. The outcome was sure.

Jonathan trusted in the Lord and wanted to be a willing tool in whatever God wanted to do. Whatever plan God wanted to enact, he would find Jonathan ready and willing. The Philistines told Jonathan to come up and see a thing. Jonathan knew at that moment that it was God’s will to give them into his hand. Jonathan would have this victory . . . and you remember the story here, there became a great panic in the camp of the Philistines and the earth quaked and that is when Saul took notice. King Saul started to realize that something was happening and attempted to get in on it. Saul rallied the people and they went into battle and the philistines used their own swords against themselves. It was miraculous deliverance. God saved them. God worked it out for them. God overcame the difficulties they had with being fewer in number, and not having iron swords. God brought salvation to his people yet again.

Aren’t you glad we serve a God who has a plan of salvation for his people? Aren’t you thankful that his plan includes your salvation? Aren’t you very grateful and humbled that God sent His own son to rescue you from the sin you were trapped in and infected with.

You know, some people are more worried about being infected with COVID then they are with the sin disease they are carrying around. Jesus is the cure for your sin disease. And if you don’t turn to Him on a daily basis you will waste away as the cancer of sin slowly destroys your physical earthly life . . . and then condemns you to everlasting death. If you don’t trust in the blood of Jesus Christ to cover your sins you are without hope in this world and the next.

So, God worked salvation on this day . . . but more transpired. More events unfolded. Events that point to the inept leadership of King Saul. More events that prove he is emotional and rash. We see him as overreacting, as hasty, as unreasonable, just downright foolish – just as Samuel said in chapter 13 verse 13. You will remember that is where Samuel turned to Saul and said, “you have done foolishly.” We get to see this more and more. That wasn’t just a one time thing, it was a pattern for Saul. We see that picture painted, oh so vividly, here in the second half of chapter 14. There are three foolish things he does here. They cast a shadow over any success that was present that day.

God saved them, he literally turned the swords in the hands of the enemy against themselves. But there is this dark undercurrent still running – even on this miraculous day of salvation.

1. Saul’s dubious oath v. 24-30

Let’s see the oath that Saul made in verse 24. “And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food.”

Here we have an order from the king. You dare not transgress his wishes. If you did, you risked death and curses. They took it serious, none of the people had tasted food. Even though they had been hard pressed and weary that day. Even though they were fatigued and worn out from fighting that day, they did not dare eat anything. No provisions, no rechange, no snacks until Saul was avenged on his enemies.

Now we ask, what could Saul hope to gain by making this oath? What is the point of it? Well it may be that Saul didn’t want the men to abandon the chase of the enemy at all that day. He didn’t want them to have any reason to break off their pursuit of the Philistines. You know in those days they didn’t have an easy way to provide food for the army and so it would be a task to find and procure the needed supplies and then prepare them. In the old days they would break off pursuit of an enemy as they passed through a village and they would plunder the town and stop and take what they needed. That act might slow them down enough that they would loose track of the Philistines. Saul is in a hurry to get the enemy and conquer them, that he doesn’t want his men to have any distractions. There would be no food breaks, no gas station stops – if you will.

You know, if you are a family going on a three hour car trip somewhere you can manage to work that out. But not an army. An army moving 20 to 30 miles over rough terrain in pursuit of a enemy – you will need many calories to keep you going.

So Saul’s vow was very hasty, it was rash and foolish. It made no sense. Additionally, Matthew Henry says that this vow lacked compassion too. Quote “To forbid them to feast would have been commendable, but to be forbid them as to so much taste, though ever so hungry, that was barbarous.” It was cruel to expect them to keep going without food. You can see they were wore out in verse 28 and 31 it says that they men were faint.

This compassionless vow that Saul put upon them is really what had distressed them, had caused them trouble. Verse 24 says they were hard pressed that day because Saul had placed them under this oath. Saul is the one who caused the problem, not the enemy.

The leader of the people is the one who is causing the people to be distressed. Saul is the one who turned deliverance that day into distress. He has become a bit of a liability to the men. That’s Saul, but what about Jonathan?

Jonathan doesn’t know about the oath himself. Verse 25 tells us that there was honey on the ground in the forest. It says in verse 26 it was dripping. Jonathan in verse 27, since he doesn’t know bout the oath takes some of the honey and it says his eyes became bright. He was like a seven year old who got some mountain dew! Sugar before bedtime . . . something like that.

Then Jonathan finds out about his father’s oath in verse 28 and states publicly in verse 29, “my father has troubled the land.” This was a problem. Saul is a troubler of the nation, rather than being the salvation and hope that the people thought a king would be. Jonathan breaks it down in verse 30 by saying how much more the Israelites would be able to fight if they had eaten. He says how foolish it really was. He even says that they would have done better in the fight if they had eaten.

Wasn’t it Saul’s duty to help the nation? But really he is demanding more of the people than God himself had demanded. The rule Saul gave was very harsh, insensitive, and very counterproductive. It was based on his quick assessment emotional reaction to what he was experiencing. This is a real issue. It can be for us too. Do you react to a situation or respond to it? Can you give a reasoned response? Or do you emotionally expostulate? Are you prone to just living in the moment and saying whatever you feel whenever you feel it with no filter? It is tough. When something doesn’t go the way you had planned it or thought it through. Or when you think you know better and someone doesn’t follow your path . . . whatever the situation is, ask yourself, am I emotionally reacting or have I really thought this through? Did you know that often what is moving your reaction in these situations are the desires of your heart. Listen to what James chapter 4 verses 1 through 3 say, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Our passions and desires, our hearts treasures are at war within you. They cause quarrels and fights. Are those fights necessary? James implies that they are not. God can supply grace, when you submit to Him. You have to submit your desires to Him. We get angry because we feel like we have rights in a certain area. Often it is about seniority, or tenure. I’ve been here longer and so I have more of a claim. I have been in this profession or position longer than them . . . so I . . . . did you catch that key word that kept popping up? It is “I”. Your “I”s can get you into so much trouble. Always watching out for number one is a mentality some people have, even while they claim to love others. Yet first John tells us clearly when it says “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” You can’t say you love God and not love others, and it can’t just be all talk. It is so hard to live it out. . . But we must.

We can’t interact based on emotion alone. It is notorious for leading people in the wrong direction. And we must be careful that we do not demand more of others than God demands of them. That was Saul’s dubious oath. Let’s look next at

2. Saul’s Doubtful ritual v. 31-35

We will see how the soldier react because of this rash vow that Saul made. Verse 31 and 32 say “31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood.” The soldiers continued to pursue the Philistines . . . at the end of the day they are starving, they are famished. So they rush on the animals and slaughtered them to eat. But they ate them with the blood. They were forbidden to eat meat with the blood in it in Leviticus chapter 7. Verse 27 and Leviticus 7 is pretty explicit, it says, “Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.” It’s clear.

But in their hungry state, because of the oath, the men of the army go for the meat. They were starved and so hungry that they were eating it regardless of what God had said to them about the blood. This is all brought to Saul’s attention. He says in verse 33, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” Then notice that he uses the stone to provide an alter for the people so they can offer the right way. Saul is getting pretty religious isn’t he? Is has his personal priest like we talked about last week, you will remember the nephew of Ichabod. Then he is making an oath. Now he is building an alter calling them to sacrifice the right way. But why?

It is to atone for the sin that . . . really . . . he is the cause of by forbidding his men to eat anything. The men gorge themselves because of their starvation, and so rather than having a good effect on the men, his oath led them into deep sin against God.

And notice the author here adds a little comment that is very telling about Saul, he says in verse 35 that “it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.” This is the first time Saul had built an altar to the Lord. Matthew Henry add some interesting thoughts here. He says, “Saul was turning aside from God, and yet now he began to build altars, being most zealous (as many are) for the form of godliness when he was denying the power of it.” Though all of this, Saul showed no sign of repentance or real honest grief over his sin. He was seemingly devoid of real spiritual life. The outward forms of religion sometimes cause men to think they are in right standing before God . . . but, here is the fact, outward forms of religion do not save!

Many rely on their good behavior in public and their giving to charity, they rely on their church attendance or membership, they rely on their appearance of religiosity for their salvation. Surely God would not have a problem with me if I spent all my days in his house, at the worship service when possible, giving to the homeless and serving in the soup kitchen. Surely God will be happy with me because of the time I spent teaching Sunday school or working as a deacon . . . Listen, none of those things is what saves you! You can claim to be a Christian and point to the fact that you are always in church as evidence . . . but that doesn’t make you one, anymore than spending time in a garage makes you a car, are you with me. You have to have a personal relationship of submission to Christ Jesus. Relying on Him alone for righteousness. It is not about what is going on – on the outside. It is about what is going on – on the inside. If you just have the Christian religion out here – you can say the right words and make people think you are a Christian, but you don’t have the right relationship in here, the right faith in here, if you are full of unbelief and doing your own thing in here – it doesn’t matter what’s going on elsewhere. You can go to hell just as easily from the pew of a church as you can from the cesspool.

Let’s see next

3. Saul’s Dodging of responsibility v. 36 -

Saul thinks the problem has been solved by his building the altar. SO he is now ready to go after the Philistines. The people seem complacent. Do whatever seems good to you. But the priest says no we should draw near to God here. So Saul consults with God through the Urim and the Thummim but notice in verse 37 it says that he did not answer him that day. God chose not to give an answer that day. You see, God had set up this system using two stones on the high priests breastplate on the front of the ephod. The breastplate had a pouch that held the Urim and Thummim. It is clear from scripture, in passages such as this one, that the Urim and Thummim were used to determine God’s will directly. One could ask a question from God and receive a yes or no answer, and also at times and inconclusive answer. So these were probably gems, or polished stones, maybe of different colors or sides and they would be tossed out in some way to find the answer to a question of importance, from the Lord himself. They are probably used like dice or something. Notice the answer Saul gets. . .God does not answer that day, so it must have returned inconclusive on each attempt to get an answer. Now I am sure there were a whole set of rules that went along with how to utilize them and when and so forth, but the scriptures don’t give us any insight into specifically how they were to be used.

God’s refusal to give an omen was an ominous omen in itself. Things are not looking good at this point. So Saul wants to save face in front of his men, he has to come up with a reason as to why God won’t answer, it couldn’t be his fault. So he invites the leaders of the people to come to him. Look at verse 38 and 39, “And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For as the LORD lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.” So now Saul is challenging the people and assuming that some sinner in their midst must be foiling their advance on the Philistines with their unrighteousness. He is assuming there is an Achan who has behaved sinfully in the camp, like in Joshua’s day.

Saul tries to smoke him out. Notice the people were silent when Saul makes his statement. God is silent and now the people are silent. So Saul chooses to cast lots again this time between the people on one side and Saul with jonathan on the other. Saul says God given the Urim if I am guilty and give Thummim if your people Israel are to blame. And what happens? Jonathan and Saul are taken by lot, the Urim was returned.

The lot has fallen on Saul and Jonathan. So Saul casts the lots again and they fall on Jonathan. It was Jonathan who did this heinous evil that is preventing Israel from pursuing the Philistines. What was the terrible evil? Saul demands that he tell him in verse 43. Jonathan says, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of my staff.” So despicable! Such a great sin . . .Let’s pause here for a moment.

Do you think this verse is telling us how evil honey is? I have heard that some people love keeping bees and gathering honey and such – one guy even said that if his current career doesn’t work out he was going to try his hand as a honey farmer . . . it is his plan bee. B-E-E.

Honestly though I have known a few people that really love keeping bees. I guess it is really a great hobby. People say that the sound of the bees making honey is so unique and special . . . honestly, I never understood what all the buzz was about.

Jonathan is very honorable here. He says I took some honey but it follows it with “Here I am; I will die.” In verse 43. I think there was probably some eye rolling here, maybe a little bit of overdramatizing at least. OH it was me, I tasted some honey, I better be put to death for such a transgression. . . . but look how Saul takes it.

Verse 44, “And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.”” For tasting some honey which he tasted without knowing of his fathers oath – that was his terrible crime. And rather than admit his own foolishness in front of the people here Saul has to keep the show going. He declares that his own noble, upright, honorable son needs to die. Honestly . . . seriously . . . this is the deluded side that Saul slips into which will be more common for him as his days go on.

Now we should pause here and say, what of the Urim and Thummim? Was God really speaking through these and selecting Jonathan, was God trying to implicate Jonathan? Well there are two ways of thinking of it, at least. One is that Yes God was returning the correct answers here because Saul was making an honest request using these holy means that God had chosen to communicate through. So God will uphold justice, and the formalities associated with His name and reputation, so there is no way He would return anything else. But We should not see the selection of Jonathan through the Urim and Thummim as an indication of guilt, just as a selection of the one whom Saul was asking about. This idea does seem a little strange though because God doesn’t play games.

Part of what we see in this chapter altogether is the ineptness of Saul – especially when it comes to spiritual and religious things. Samuel had already said that God was withdrawing from Saul. And so we can assume that the Urim and Thummim were not functioning properly at this time – you can’t force God to answer you, but you can keep doing religious rituals even if God is not in them. So they were casting these stones and hoping that God would be using them to give answers. God did not return an answer earlier and so you will remember then Saul used them to find out who the sinner in the camp was. SO it is very likely that here we have just a random toss of the Urim and the Thummim that happen to select Jonathan by chance. God had already removed his blessing from them so they were not functioning. One commentator says, “without God’s presence the Urim and Thummim were simply not able to function properly. Jonathan’s selection by lot for judgement when Jonathan was the faithful man on that day merely proves the vanity of the religious observance without the endorsement of Gods presence.” SO God was likely not actually speaking to Saul through these items. It is all just a show that Saul puts on. And truly Saul should have seen that God was not in it and he should have declared his oath to be foolish and exonerated his innocent honorable son - who had saved the people that very day.

So here we have Jonathan ready to die, and Saul declaring such. But the people know that this is not honorable and upright. So they say in verse 45, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.” The people knew more and were more upright than Saul. They worked to right the wrong and save Jonathan.

So what should have been a great and glorious day for Israel is, in the end, tarnished for this folly of Saul’s and his inability to take responsibility for what he himself has done. This is a sad and sobering scene that we have here . . . what can we learn from this? What are the lessons here?

-One thing we can see here is the vital importance of humility. The need that we have to acknowledge when we are wrong. Saul couldn’t bring himself to admit he was wrong and in the end, in his sinfulness, he would rather have Jonathan take the blame. This is a reminder that humility is an important virtue. We should admit when we are wrong – this is hard, especially when it is in front of other people. Saul in front of the nation. Yet how important and needful it is.

Another lesson to learn is that rituals don’t save, Christ does. We must confess our sins and seek forgiveness from God alone. Don’t suppose you are in His good graces because you have built an altar like Saul did. Come to Him in repentance and faith.