1 Samuel 14:24-52
Q.1. What curse did Saul place on his army? Why did Jonathan break the ban? Was he justified in criticizing his father? Was the oath sincere or wrong? – (1 Sam.14:24-32)
It is generally accepted that Saul was foolish to place his army under a curse (1 Sam.14:24). He had taken the Ark into battle, as Eli’s wicked sons did, thinking this would somehow gain God’s favour (c.f. 1 Sam.14:18 & 1 Sam.4:3-4). Saul was totally erratic. No one can make a vow for others UNLESS the participants truly agree. By his foolish vow, Saul had crippled his army’s ability to fight. Jesus expressly forbad making vows improperly (c.f. Matthew 5:33-37). Saul’s ban meant that the soldiers were weakened for battle, and unnecessarily exposed to temptation. Jonathan unwittingly broke the ban, because he – had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened (1 Sam.14:27). He was then told about his father’s curse (1 Sam.14:28). Though Jonathan’s response was understandable, he was wrong to verbalize his father’s faults in front of the soldiers (1 Sam.14:29-30). As the story unfolds, we see how toxic the relationship between the father and son was, when Saul tried to kill Jonathan for defending David (1 Sam.20:30-34). Twice it was recorded that – the people were very weary (1 Sam.14:28 & 31). To succeed, soldiers need a healthy diet. In their hunger – The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood (1 Sam.14:32).
Q.2. How did Saul deal with the army’s sin? Why did he build an altar? How did he discover who had broken the ban? What made his promise rash? – (1 Sam.14:31-42)
When Saul heard what the soldiers had done, he deflected his own foolishness by accusing his men of treachery (1 Sam.14:33). To stop them from sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood, he ordered a stone to be set up for the animals to be properly prepared for eating (1 Sam.14:34). Saul’s view of God was woefully lacking. He took the Ark into battle. This had brought judgment on Israel barely a generation before. He tried to please God by making a needless vow. There was no point to the building of an altar (1 Sam.14:35). Altars were erected by the patriarchs to mark their dealings with God (c.f. Gen.12:7-8; 26:23-25; 35:9-15). Saul’s altar was meaningless because there had been no leading from God. He did, however, seek the Lord’s direction before implementing his battle plan – but He did not answer him on that day (1 Sam.14:36-37). He then drew his men, including the priest, around himself to discover the man responsible for God’s silence. Without thought, he warned that whoever was guilty would die, even if it were his own son Jonathan (1 Sam.14:38-39). Before long Jonathan was identified as the one to break Saul’s foolish ban (1 Sam.14:40-42).
Q.3. Was Jonathan honest with his father? How was he delivered? What kind of leader and soldier was Saul? What were his family connections? – (1 Sam.14:43-52)
The courageous Jonathan made no excuses for his breach of Saul’s ban on eating food. He offered himself for execution (1 Sam.14:43). Without any hesitation, Saul determined to apply the death penalty on his own son (1 Sam.14:44). What a contrast Saul was to his successor David, who pleaded for the life of his rebellious son, Absalom (2 Sam.18:4-5, 31-33). It was left to the soldiers to plead for Jonathan – … “Must Jonathan die who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” In this way the people rescued Jonathan … (1 Sam.14:45). The summary statement about Saul reveals him to be a successful leader who – acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them (1 Sam.14:48). We are also given a brief sketch of his family connections which included his uncle Abner as the army chief (1 Sam.14:49-51). Samuel had warned the people that a king would be costly to them (c.f. 1 Sam.8:10-17). Not only was there constant conflict, but true to his prediction – … when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he conscripted him to his staff (1 Sam.14:52).