1 Samuel 13:11 says, And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Samuel asked Saul what had he done by offering the sacrifices himself. Saul tried to justify his actions, partially by blaming Samuel for not being there earlier and partially by saying the people of Israel were still scattered and the Philistines were already amassed. When we are waiting on the Lord as Saul was waiting on Samuel, God's representative to the people of Israel, we cannot afford to become impatient and take matters into our own hands, no matter how dire the situation may seem. Veres twelve continues, Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. Saul said that since he feared that the Philistines would come down on him before he made supplication to the LORD that he forced himself to offer a burnt offering. Saul was basically saying that his convictions told him this was wrong, but he was proud he was able to overcome them. When we know that something is wrong, we should never be proud that we were able to overcome that knowledge and do it anyway, especially if we are claiming to have done it to secure God's blessing of what we are doing. Verse thirteen continues, And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. Saul may have been king, but Samuel was still God's priest, and he told Saul that he had done foolishly by violating God's commandments. No matter how powerful a person may be in the world today, if they are violating God's commandments they are acting foolishly. Samuel then told Saul if he had kept God's commandments that God would have established Saul’s kingdom over Israel forever. Of course, we forever become a part of God's kingdom by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, but when we do, we are still expected to keep His commandments. Verse fourteen concludes, But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. Saul had barely begun his reign as the first king of Israel, but Samuel told him because of his sinful actions that the kingdom was going to pass from him. God was going to seek a man after His own heart to reign over Israel. Of course, we know this man was David, but the ultimate Man after God's own heart to rule forever over God's people is Jesus Christ. All others, even David himself, came up short. Verse fifteen states, And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. Samuel left, going from Gilgal to Gibeah, Saul’s city, without praying for Saul, and Saul numbered those present with him at about six hundred. Matthew Henry says the Samuel went to Gibeah possibly to show Saul that though he was displeased with him, he hadn't totally abandoned him. When God is displeased with us as Christians today, He may remove His protective hand from us, but He will never abandon us completely. Saul had very few troops to stand against the Philistines with. Verse sixteen adds, And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. While the troops, Jonathan and Saul himself remained at Gibeah, the Philistines and their far superior force encamped at Michmash. This was a main pass from which they could control much of the area. We need to acknowledge that the forces of evil in the world are going to do everything possible to gain an advantage over Christians today. Verse seventeen says, And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: Verse eighteen adds, And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. From Miczhmash, the Philistines sent out three parties of troops to defeat the Israelites. They had the far superior force in numbers and armament, so they could afford to divide into three troops and still have the advantage. Sometimes, it may seem that the forces of evil outnumber us as followers of Christ significantly, but as long as we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, the victory is ours, no matter what happens in this world. Verse nineteen states, Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: The Philistines removed all the smiths from Israel to keep them from making swords. Matthew Henry says that only Jonathan and Saul had swords, and the rest were armed with farm tools, slings and rocks. Verse twenty adds, But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Still, though they had no ability to make swords, they did the best that they could to arm themselves. We as Christians today need to make the best of what we have under the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our battle against evil in the world today. Verse twenty-one continues, Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. Still, they did have a file to sharpen these tools and make them more lethal. Matthew Henry points out that Saul should have used his first couple of years as king to address this problem, but he didn't. We need to be prepared at all times to be ready to battle against the world today, and not just sit idly by until the battle comes to us. Verse twenty-two states, So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. As stated earlier, when the battle came, only Jonathan and Saul had swords. Verse twenty-three adds, And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. The Philistines then went out from Michmash to battle the Israelites. We can be certain that the world today stands ready to engage Christians in war, and we need to be spiritually armed when they do.
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