§59. The Wicked Priests (I Sam. 2:12-17, 22-25, 18, 19, 26)
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they knew not the Lord. And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was being boiled, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the kettle; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw." And if the man said unto him, "They will surely burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth;" then he would say, "Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now: and if not, I will take it by force." And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for they despised the offering of the Lord.
Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel. And he said unto them, "Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man sinned against another, God shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?"
Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father.
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.
§60. The Call of Samuel (I Sam. 3:1-18)
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see,) and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was; that the Lord called Samuel: and he said, "Here am I." And he ran unto Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." And he said, "I called not; lie down again."
And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel."
And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."
And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again."
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, "Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.'"
So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel."
Then Samuel said, "Speak; for thy servant heareth."
And the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not."
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son."
And he said, "Here am I."
And he said, "What is the thing that the Lord hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he spake unto thee."
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good."
§61. The Punishment of the Wicked Priests (I Sam. 4:1-18)
A. ISRAEL'S DOUBLE DEFEAT
Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies."
So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?" And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God is come into the camp." And they said, "Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight."
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
B. THE DEATH OF THE OLD PRIEST
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What meaneth the noise of this tumult?"
And the man hasted, and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army."
And he said, "How went the matter, my son?"
And he that brought the tidings answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken."
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
189. We turn to the Books of Samuel, which take their name from one of the great heroes of Israel. He did not write the books, for they contain the story of what happened long after his death, but as he was the noblest character in the books they were named after him.
190 (§58A). At the beginning of this story we learn that Elkanah the husband and Hannah his wife had no children. They had gone up to Shiloh to the sacred building that was called the house of God, and had celebrated a sacred feast. But Hannah was greatly troubled that she had no child. What did she do? What did she promise if she could have a son? We remember from the story of Samson that leaving the hair uncut was a mark that the child was to serve God.
191 (§58A). When Hannah prayed, did she speak aloud? What did Eli, the old priest, think about her? Tell in your own words their conversation.
192 (§58B). The boy whom Hannah longed for was born. What was his name? It was the custom to kill animals at the house of God as a sign of thanksgiving: what did Hannah take with her for this sacrifice? What did she say to Eli? Note that she brings the boy to the old priest to learn the duties of the house of God.
193 (§59). Perhaps the wrong-doing of the priests seems rather difficult to understand. Eli, the old priest, was assisted by his two sons. Their duty was to offer the sacrifices for the people, and they would be allowed part of the meat as their pay. That was one of the ways in which a priest had his living. But these young priests would send their servants to stick a large fork into the pot where the meat was boiling and whatever came out they would take. Or they would take the meat first, before the offering to the Lord had been made, and this was considered a dishonor to the sacrifice. It often happens that public officers are more anxious to get what they can than to do their duty.
194 (§59). How did the father feel about his sons? What did he say to them? What ought he to have done to them? Why did he not do so?
195 (§59). What was happening to Samuel all this time? The linen ephod was a white dress such as a priest would wear. Who made the boy's garments? Think what those happy meetings of the parents and boy once a year must have been.
196 (§60). Imagine how the little church, or temple, was at night. There was a room in which the sacred box called the ark was kept. A lamp burned in this room all night. Samuel had a room near by, where he slept, and old Eli had another. What wonderful thing happened to Samuel one night? Tell it in your own words. Nearly all men and women who have become great have heard calls in some manner in their youth. Joan of Arc, the young girl who saved France from her enemies, thought that she heard God calling to her, though she was only thirteen years of age. This was a vision that Samuel saw in the night. Do you remember the dreams of Joseph? It is often in conscience and in times of thoughtfulness that God speaks to us.
197 (§60). How did Samuel do as Eli had told him? Note that God tells the boy that a great punishment will come upon Eli's family. How was Eli to blame for the wickedness of his sons?
198 (§60). What did Samuel do as soon as he got up in the morning? What does this show us regarding his duties? What did he think about the vision? But old Eli knew that there was something very important that had happened. Tell in your own words the conversation between them. Note that the poor old man can simply say that he must bear what comes upon him. What do you think of Eli?
199 (§61A). With whom did Israel go to war? Locate the country of these enemies on the map. How did the battle come out? The people thought that if they could have the ark with them they could conquer. They thought the Lord would fight for them. Where did they go to get the ark? Who were with the ark?
200 (§61A). When the two priests brought the ark to the camp, what happened? What effect did this have upon the Philistines? What was the result? What happened to the two priests? What happened to the ark?
201 (§61B). When a Hebrew felt very sad he covered his head with dust and tore his dress. Tell the story of how the news of the defeat was brought to Eli. How old was the priest? What was he doing? Why did he care so much about the ark of God? What happened to him? Eli was a noble man himself, but could he not have done better for Israel than he did? Remember that young Samuel was growing up while these things were going on.
Think of what paragraph 196 means to you. It is at Samuel's age that most young people come into the full membership of the church. Write what you think that means.
§62. The Meeting of Samuel and Saul (I Sam. 9:1-25)
A. SAUL SEEKING THE DONKEYS
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, a mighty man of valor. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. And the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses."
And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, "Come and let us return; lest my father cease caring for the asses, and take thought for us."
And he said unto him, "Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go."
Then said Saul to his servant, "But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?"
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way."
Then said Saul to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go."
B. SAUL ENTERTAINED BY SAMUEL
So they went unto the city where the man of God was. As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, "Is the seer here?"
And they answered them, and said, "He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he is come to-day into the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place: as soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him."
And they went up to the city; and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.
Now the Lord had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, "To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel, and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me."
And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, "Behold the man of whom I spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people."
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is."
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day: and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and for all thy father's house?"
And Saul answered and said, "Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?"
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, 'Set it by thee.'"
And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul.
And Samuel said, "Behold that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said, 'I have invited the people.'"
So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop.
§63. Saul Anointed by Samuel (I Sam. 9:26-10:7)
A. THE PROMISE OF THE KINGDOM
And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, "Up, that I may send thee away."
And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still at this time, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God." Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "Is it not that the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance? When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre, in the border of Benjamin; and they will say unto thee, 'The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and taketh thought for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?' Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hand. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall be prophesying: and the spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee: for God is with thee."
B. SAUL'S RETURN HOME
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him before-time saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, "What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, "Whither went ye?"
And he said, "To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel."
And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you."
And Saul said unto his uncle, "He told us plainly that the asses were found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
§64. Saul's Opportunity (I Sam. 11:1-11, 15)
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee."
And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, "On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel."
And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, "Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel: and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee."
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and spake these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, "What aileth the people that they weep?"
And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen."
And the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out as one man. And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said unto the messengers that came, "Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.'"
And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "To-morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you."
And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
202 (§62A). Look at the map of Canaan and find the tribe of Benjamin. Is it a very large tribe? The tribes occupied separate districts, something like our states. This story is going to tell us about how the first king was chosen, so it is particular to tell us where he came from and how it happened. What kind of man was Saul? Some animals that are used very much in Palestine had strayed: tell about them.
203 (§62A). Saul and the servant had wandered a long way looking for the donkeys, probably spending several days in the hunt. At last Saul made up his mind to do something: what was it? But the servant thought of a plan to help them in their search. The man of God was one who could help people in their troubles. They were supposed to bring him a present. What did Saul do about the present?
204 (§62B). Try to imagine the whole scene. Think what Saul and the servant were doing: whom did they meet and what did they ask? We must understand that a feast was to be held. The people were going to cook a whole animal. They would pour out the blood and burn the fat, which was called a sacrifice and was part of their religion; then they would eat the rest of the animal with great joy. It happened that the two men reached the city just as the feast was to be held. And Samuel would be there to ask the blessing. The girls told the two men all this. What happened just as they reached the city?
205 (§62B). The Philistines were enemies of Israel who greatly troubled them. Samuel had been wondering how the people could be saved from their enemies. What had the Lord told him? What did Samuel feel just as soon as he saw Saul?
206 (§62B). Try to imagine the meeting. What did Saul say? What did Samuel answer? Notice the invitation, the information about the donkeys, and especially the hint of some great thing. Saul is surprised: what does he say to Samuel?
207 (§62B). What did Samuel do for Saul? What plan had Samuel made so that a good piece of meat could be kept? Note the part of the animal that they thought best is the same that we like: it is the leg of lamb or the second joint of the turkey. What did Samuel say to Saul?
208 (§62B). Evidently Samuel took Saul to his own house. What part of the house did they use in those days for visiting? How could they do so? What do you think they talked about? Once during the Civil War Abraham Lincoln went to visit Henry Ward Beecher: what do you think they talked of? Samuel had great hopes that Saul was the man to save Israel.
209 (§63A). After the conversation they went to bed. Then they talked again early in the morning. Then Samuel walked with Saul out of the city. What plan did Samuel use to be alone with Saul? Picture the scene to yourself: the old man with the flask of olive oil in his hand, the tall young man wondering about his future, the anointing, the solemn kiss, the promise.
210 (§63A). What signs was Saul to have? Samuel's last word meant that Saul was to wait until some great opportunity should arise and then to do as God led him. We shall see how the opportunity came.
211 (§63B). Tell the story of what happened to Saul after he left Samuel. What was the conversation between Saul and his uncle? What did Saul keep silent about? Why do you think he did so? He was modest; he did not want to boast. It seems that he went quietly to work on his father's farm and waited for something to happen that should show him what to do.
212 (§64). The scene of the story changes. Locate Ammon on the map, east of the Jordan. The Ammonites were old enemies of Israel. Locate Jabesh-Gilead, the town which they attacked. The people were afraid and begged for mercy. What terms did the cruel king offer them? He was so sure that no one in Israel could save them that he let them send messengers asking for help. The messengers came to the town where Saul lived. Locate Gibeah in Saul's tribe. How did the people feel when they heard the news? What had Saul been doing since his return from Samuel? Tell the story of how he came home on the day the messengers arrived.
213 (§64). How did the news affect Saul? This was the opportunity that Samuel had told him to wait for. What striking thing did he do to gather an army? Tell the story of the successful march to relieve Jabesh-Gilead.
214 (§64). What did the people think of the hero who had saved them? What did they do? Who was the first president of the United States? Why was he elected? Who was the first king of Israel? Why was he chosen?
Consider which man you would rather have been: A wise, good man who was magnanimous enough to see that a king was needed and to choose him, or the vigorous man who could conquer the enemies and win the kingship. Think carefully of the heroic qualities of each of them. Write down which you admire the most and why you would rather be that one.
§65. The New King and the Old Foes (I Sam. 13:2-7, 15-17; 14:1-23)
A. THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
When Saul had reigned two years over Israel, he chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with him in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."
And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul.
And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in holds, and in pits.
Now some of the Hebrews had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines.
B. JONATHAN'S BOLD ATTACK
Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, "Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on yonder side." But he told not his father.
And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side. The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, "Come and let us go over unto the garrison: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is not restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."
And his armorbearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee, behold I am with thee according to thy heart."
Then said Jonathan, "Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, 'Tarry until we come to you;' then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, 'Come up unto us,' then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us."
And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves." And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, "Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel."
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer slew them after him. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half an acre of land. And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled: and the earth quaked; so there was an exceeding great trembling.
C. THE GENERAL BATTLE
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither.
Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, "Number now, and see who is gone from us."
And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. And Saul said unto Ahijah the priest, "Bring hither the ark of God." For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.
And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, "Withdraw thine hand."
And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as before-time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth-aven.
§66. Saul's Oath and Jonathan's Danger (I Sam. 14:24-46)
A. THE OATH OF ABSTINENCE
And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies."
So none of the people tasted food. And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground. And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
Then answered one of the people, and said, "Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man that eateth food this day.'" And the people were faint.
Then said Jonathan, "My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"
B. THE HUNGRY WARRIORS
And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood."
And he said, "Ye have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone unto me this day." And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, 'Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood.'"
And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. And Saul built an altar unto the Lord: the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.
C. JONATHAN'S DANGER AND RESCUE
And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them."
And they said, "Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee."
Then said the priest, "Let us draw near hither unto God." And Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But he answered him not that day.
And Saul said, "Draw nigh hither, all ye chiefs of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. For, 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.
Then 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."
Therefore Saul said unto the Lord, the God of Israel, "Show the right." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot: but the people escaped.
And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done."
And Jonathan told him, and said, "I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand; and, lo, I must die."
And Saul said, "God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan."
And 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. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
215 (§65A). There was a strong enemy on the western coast that was the most serious trouble to Israel. It was to save themselves from these people that the Hebrews had longed for a king. Imagine how we should feel if some foreign nation should capture New York and Chicago and St. Louis and San Francisco and should compel us to give up a large part of our crops every year. We should look for a great general to lead us to turn them out. What then did Saul feel was his first duty as king? He had with him his noble son: what was his name? The first blow was struck at the town of Geba: what followed at once?
216 (§65A). Note the great force of the Philistines. What do you think they expected to do with the Hebrews? How did the Hebrews behave? We have seen before how the people would hide from their enemies. How many warriors did Saul have left? Notice that the two forces were drawn up on opposite sides of a valley. Each was on a height which it was difficult to attack. The reference to "the spoilers" means that the Philistines determined to destroy all the Hebrew country. The little army of Saul was unable to prevent the raids.
217 (§65B). Evidently some bold deed had to be done. We find that the king had a hero son. The knights in Europe used to have their squires: Jonathan had his armorbearer. Why did he not tell his father of his plan? At the battle of Santiago in the Cuban war Lieutenant Hobson wanted to do a very bold deed, but it was so dangerous that he had difficulty in getting permission. Jonathan was afraid his father would think his plan foolhardy. Study the description of the place. There was a narrow pass between two rocky crags. In order to reach the Philistines, Jonathan would have to climb the steep rock. Note that Jonathan hopes for the Lord to be with him. How does the armorbearer respond?
218 (§65B). Jonathan proposes to go into the open at the bottom of the valley and call to the Philistine sentinels, and then to decide whether to attack according to their reply. He thinks that they will make one of two replies: what were they? Tell what happened. How do you think the sudden attack of two men could have frightened the Philistines?
219 (§65C). The Hebrew sentinels on their crag suddenly saw a great disturbance on the opposite height, which the Philistines held. What did Saul do? The king intended to consult God through the priest, but the confusion in the enemy's camp grew so great that he decided to attack at once. Three causes helped to put the Philistines to flight: what were they?
220 (§66A). In the old time it was thought to be very religious to make solemn vows to God. Saul felt that the Lord was saving Israel from the oppression: what oath did he put upon the people? What did the hungry people find in the forest? How did they act? How did Jonathan act? The little food was so refreshing that he seemed to see clearly again, so it is said "his eyes were enlightened." Tell what conversation took place about the honey.
221 (§66B). In order to understand this story, we must remember that it was considered wrong to eat meat unless it had been properly killed so that the blood could run off. The blood was thought to be an offering to God. The Jews still keep up the same custom, and their meat is always specially killed. When the Philistines fled, what property did they leave behind? How did the hungry Hebrews behave? How did Saul secure an altar where the animals could be properly killed? Saul was very careful to do everything that was considered right.
222 (§66C). The king thought that the victory should be followed up, so that the Philistines could not return to trouble them. They had a custom of seeking to find out God's will about any matter through the priest, just as people do in the temples of Japan to-day. But there was some difficulty in securing an answer, so Saul felt sure that someone had broken the oath. It was a most solemn matter to him. What did he say to the leaders of the people? Tell how they found out that Jonathan was guilty.
223 (§66C). When a man was found out by the lot, he was expected to confess. What did Jonathan confess? Do you think that he had done wrong? Evidently Saul thought so, because at that time it seemed terrible to break a solemn oath. Picture the scene to yourself and see how nobly Jonathan was ready to bear the punishment.
224 (§66C). It seems to us most strange that the king should think so much of the matter as to feel that his son must die, but we must remember that it was part of their religion. It makes us very glad that we know God so much better, and that we can see that he must have been pleased with the hero who had risked his life to save his people from their enemies. Indeed we find that Jonathan's noble conduct was so clear that the people decided that the old custom must be broken. What did they say? Why did they think the Lord would not wish Jonathan to die?
Imagine that you were Jonathan's armorbearer. Write a letter home, just as the young man might, telling what happened that day. Make it as full of description as possible.