1Samuel 11:1 ¶ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. 3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. 4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
Ammonites are descended from the wicked behavior of Lot’s youngest
daughter and a very drunk Lot in Genesis 19. They were perpetual enemies of
Israel until David made a great slaughter of them in some hideously cruel ways
in 2Samuel 12.
Jabeshgilead was punished in Judges 21 for their unfaithfulness. Here
they offer to team up with and serve Nahash the Ammonite to keep from being
destroyed. His condition for such a treaty is incredibly unpleasant. These men
of Jabesh ask for seven days to see if they can get salvation from their own
people. Nahash doesn’t think these hapless people have a choice. I think it is
such that he is going to kill them all anyway because of the unreasonableness
of his demand.
They seek Saul’s help and the people of Gibeah, Saul’s home, weep
for the situation.
1Samuel 11:5 ¶ And, behold,
Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth
the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul
when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. 7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in
pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands
of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel,
so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people,
and they came out with one consent. 8
And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three
hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said unto the messengers that came,
Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time
the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it
to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. 10
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. 11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul
put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in
the morning watch, and slew 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.
Saul, not officially king yet, is working his occupation of a
herder still. Saul is inspired by the Spirit of God to call the Israelites to
rally together to fight the Ammonites. Notice the threat in verse seven which
underscores Saul’s manner of governing. This they did and destroyed the
Ammonite army, scattering the survivors.
1Samuel 11:12 ¶ And the
people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us?
bring the men, that we may put them to death. 13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put
to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel. 14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let
us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. 15 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.
In the exhilaration of being led to a decisive victory by their
new king the people demand the lives of those who rejected Saul as king as
noted in verse 27 of the last chapter. Saul shows the naysayesr mercy and
Samuel calls the people together with Saul to make him king officially.
1Samuel chapter 12
1Samuel 12:1 ¶ And Samuel
said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye
said unto me, and have made a king over you. 2
And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and
grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before
you from my childhood unto this day. 3
Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before
his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I
defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any
bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us,
nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. 5 And he said unto them, The LORD is
witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have
not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
The deed has been done as the people requested; a king has been
made, anointed by God even. In this exchange between Samuel and the people of Israel
he defends his judgeship over them and they acknowledge that there has been no
fault in him.
1Samuel 12:6 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. 12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. 14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: 15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Here Samuel reviews the history of the children of Israel. Notice
how the martyr, Stephen in Acts chapter 7, recounted Israel’s history. Israel
is reminded repeatedly of their miraculous founding as a people and of God’s
forbearance of them. Samuel gives a promise and a warning as Moses did in
Deuteronomy. The Israelites, like the individual Christian, have no excuse.
1Samuel 12:16 ¶ Now
therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your
eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest
to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye
may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done
in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD
sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and
Samuel. 19 And all the people said unto
Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we
have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye
have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but
serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 And
turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things,
which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for
his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I
should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you
the good and the right way: 24 Only fear
the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things
he hath done for you. 25 But if ye shall
still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.
1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
Samuel makes it clear that God is not happy with the Israelites
calling for a king. He calls upon God and a show of force is presented to them.
The rain that day showed that if God continued sending violent weather the
harvest could be ruined as these people in an agricultural society knew all too
well. There were famines in Medieval England caused by too much rain rather
than not enough. A chilling warning is given in verse 25. It will not be the
last. Note here in verse 23 that Samuel promises to teach the Israelites and to
pray for them. He has a heart for his people like Paul had.
Romans 9:3 For I could wish
that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to
the flesh:
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