Ep. 76. 1 Samuel 13-14 | Saul and the Philistines
EPISODE 76
SAUL AND THE PHILISTINES: 1 SAMUEL 13-14
Don't skip the footnotes in your Bible on 13:1. Some translations say that Saul was thirty and reigned for forty-two years. Others leave the numbers out. In the most reliable manuscripts, we aren't sure of the age at which Saul became king, and the only number we have for the year he reigned is "two." Stephen helps us out with the length of Saul's reign in Acts 13:21, where we read that Saul was king for 40 years. Another translation has been offered for the first verse, "Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for two years over Israel." This reading of the first verse would tell us that the story we are about to read took place in the second year of his kingship. We know from the New Testament he was king for forty years. His age at the beginning does not reshape the text for us; neither is the timeline of this story so important to nail down that we are cheated if we can't discern where in his reign these two chapters took place.
The Philistines have been a problem for the Israelites for quite some time. Samson began to bring relief and overthrew some of the Philistines in his lifetime, but now it was Saul's turn. We will see he doesn't do a very good job at it.
It may be helpful when reading to notice 13:3, "Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it." When you go down to chapter fourteen and verses four through six, we find, "Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison... in front of Geba. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, 'Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised.'" This is not the second time Jonathan is doing this work. Chapter thirteen tells us the whole story, and chapter fourteen gives us more details. This is not an unusual approach for the Bible. We first saw it in Genesis one and two, where there were not two different creations but rather the full story and then a more detailed version.
I do want to call your attention back to 13:8, "Saul waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel." It is not likely that this is the same seven days mentioned in 10:8, though the similarity might lead us to believe it is. Several things have happened between chapter ten and chapter thirteen that would lead me to believe it has been more than seven days, but we also remember that Gilgal was on Samuel's regular circuit, so this could have been a different day Samuel appointed for sacrifice. Regardless of whether or not it is the same instance or another instance, the important thing is that Saul does not wait for the priest to make an offering to God and instead takes it upon himself to make the burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. Wouldn't you know it, the moment he finished, who should show up but Samuel? The offerings are still smoldering on the altar, and Samuel asks, "What have you done?" I find it hilarious that Saul answers that he "forced himself to do it." Basically, "I didn't really want to burn the offering, but I just couldn't help it."
This act of unfaithfulness resulted in Saul's kingdom being taken away. "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue."
I will point out that because Saul prevented his men from eating during the day of battle, they could not bring about a great deliverance for the people of God. They were exhausted. Note then that Saul's men rush upon the slain livestock of the Philistines and eat them raw, contrary to the Law. We see then that Saul builds his first altar to the Lord and seeks, at that moment at least, to do what is right by the Lord, but it is too late.
ADDITIONAL READING: Acts 13:21; Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3; Joel 3:10
