1 Samuel 13:1-22: Saul's Disobedience
The Reign of Saul
13:1 Saul was... thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years. (NIV)
The chapter opens with a description of Saul's reign, highlighting his age and length of reign. This introduction serves as a backdrop for the events that are about to unfold.
The Philistines and the Israelites
13:2-4 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes. Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" (NIV)
The scene shifts to the conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines. Saul has divided his army, with some men stationed at Mikmash and others at Gibeah. Meanwhile, Jonathan, Saul's son, launches a surprise attack on the Philistine outpost at Geba, prompting the Philistines to respond.
Saul's Disobedience
13:8-12 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel has not arrived by the day of his arrival, and Saul decided to take matters into his own hands. 9 He brought the burnt offering and made sacrifices, although the prophet had not yet arrived. Then Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 10 Samuel asked, "What have you done?" Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the designated time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 11 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
Saul's impatience gets the better of him as he waits for Samuel to arrive. Despite being instructed to wait for the prophet, Saul takes matters into his own hands and offers the burnt offering himself. This act of disobedience is a crucial mistake, and Samuel confronts Saul about his actions.
Consequences of Disobedience
13:13-14 Samuel said to Saul, "You have done a foolish thing. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him commander of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." (NIV)
Samuel's rebuke is stern, and he announces that Saul's kingdom will not endure due to his disobedience. The prophecy of a new leader, a man after God's own heart, is hinted at, foreshadowing the rise of David.
The Israelites' Plight
13:15-22 Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. 17 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up to Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. 18 The Israelites saw that their situation was critical; for the people were saying, "We are being destroyed!" 19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears." 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened, 21 and the price was a pim for sharpening. 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. (NIV)
As the chapter concludes, the Israelites are in a precarious position, vastly outnumbered and out-armed by the Philistines. The situation is dire, and the lack of blacksmiths and weapons leaves them vulnerable. Only Saul and Jonathan possess swords, highlighting the desperation of their circumstances.
