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“Leading From The Rear” • 5.10.15 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- While Jonathan was busy following his faith
and watching God move the enemy out of Michmash, Saul is back in Gibeah
desperately considering his next move.
- From all indications, the vacuum left by
God's rejection has left him to his own devices, which he always wanted to
trust. Saul has surrendered to trusting exclusively in his own instincts.
- How does a leader lead God's people if he will
not trust in the Lord's direction? This section provides us with profound
insight into the dangers of leading from our own reason and flesh!
- When a leader leads apart from God's Spirit,
the people will experience the following:
I. They Will Be Driven (v.24)
II. They Will Be Deprived (v.25-30)
III. They Will Be Depraved (v.31-35)
IV. They Will Be Divided (v.36-46)
V. They Will Be Dominant (v.47-52)
Text
I. They Will Be Driven (v.24)
• I Samuel
14:24a : "And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had
placed the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats any food
until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.'" : The response of
the men of Israel is strange to our ears.
- The Lord had affected a mighty work and their
enemies, the Philistines, are dissolving, scattering before their eyes. A clear
victory has been secured, so how could they be distressed?
- When used elsewhere, this word
"distressed" refers to the driving pressure of a taskmaster.
- Somewhere between Jonathan's journey and this
moment, Saul had bound the people to an oath. This was not an oath originating
with God. This was entirely Saul's doing.
- Cursed, the implication being by God, was the
man who ate anything until the evening. The intent was to inspire focus and
center their desire on completing the task.
- There is nothing wrong with motivation, but
the twist here is that this would be done for Saul's personal revenge. All of a
sudden, after sitting in Gibeah all day, he has a lot of courage to expend.
- I'm sure the men wanted to fight for God's
glory, not for Saul's revenge! When it was fighting alongside of God to the
victory, there was joy and freedom. Now, there's just Saul's pressure.
II. They Will Be Deprived (v.25-30)
• I Samuel
14:24b-26 : "So none of the people tasted food. Now all the people of the land came
to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. And when the people had come into
the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth,
for the people feared the oath." :
"Well who cares about swearing or making a promise?" Just break it!
Who is going to know?
- You might recall the story of Micah from
Judges 17, who had stolen 1,100 pieces of silver from his Mother.
- His Mother pronounced a curse on whoever
stole it. For 1,100 pieces of silver, one can buy a new Mother in those ancient
days, but Micah, fearing the curse, returned the money.
- When a King curses, you better believe the
people believed it's power!
- Consequently, none of the men ate that day,
but were consigned to a foot race into the wilderness, expending a profound
amount of energy. This is incredibly short sighted!
- Don't you want your men, who will actually do
the "avenging" on your behalf, to be at full strength and capacity to
deal with the enemy?
- The pride that lay beneath the surface of
Saul's thinly veiled humility, is now in full view of all Israel! This is his
army, his war and his glory!
- Despite the foolishness and the impropriety
of the demand, the people obeyed and didn't taste any food, even when they came
upon a forest dripping with honey.
- In 2007, a team of archeologists uncovered 30
intact apiaries in the modern city of Rehov. They uncovered evidence of a few
hundred more from around this time. It was a common practice.
- Look at that provision. Look at what God
intended for them. Instead of digging in and being refreshed, they are denied
the pleasure because of their King's foolish pride!
•
I Samuel 14:27-30 : "But Jonathan had not heard his
father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of
the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to
his mouth; and his countenance brightened. Then one of the people said, 'Your
father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who
eats food this day.’ And the people were faint. But Jonathan said, 'My father has
troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted
a little of this honey. How much better if
the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they
found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the
Philistines?'" : Jonathan was unaware of the
oath and dipped freely into the honeycomb.
-
What happened? His face brightened up. His spirit was lifted. His energy
returned. He was refreshed and ready to return to the rout!
-
You could almost see him offering some to a fellow Israelite when he saw his
fellow soldier sadden at the sight! "What's wrong?"
-
This is when Jonathan discovers the burden that Saul had unnecessarily placed
upon the people, consequently, they were ready to pass out!
-
Jonathan laments the decision having just experience his personal rejuvenation!
This is such an apt picture of man enjoying God's provision and wanting to
share it!
-
It's incredibly tragic that some can't get beyond their man made traditions and
burdens to enjoy it themselves! Jonathan probably should not have said
anything, but he was correct.
-
He diagnoses the issue properly: His Father had troubled Israel. He has
disturbed the people with his false, semi-religious sounding, irrational oath.
-
I love that the Spirit of God capture his appropriate words. "How much
better." Taking an oath, being dedicated and focused, are good things.
-
How much better would it have been to afford the men freedom while they fought
God's battle!? How much better would it have been if they had only eaten what
was theirs to enjoy?
-
They would have celebrated and enjoyed the great spoils of victory and further
diminished the strength of the Philistine army. Jonathan is thinking of God's
glory, not Saul's.
-
He is thinking of what would have had the greatest impact for the Kingdom of
God! If we are to be people after God's heart, we can't settle for that which
is acceptable or good.
-
We must push for that which is best for His interests and what is the most
effective in battling His enemies. Jonathan had that in view and laments that
Saul didn't share that belief.
III. They Will Be Depraved (v.31-35)
• I Samuel
14:31-33a : "Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash
to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. And the people rushed on the spoil,
and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the
people ate them with the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, 'Look, the people are sinning
against the Lord by eating with the blood!'" : Israel chased after the fleeing Philistines, who left their
possessions behind them.
- They had begun in Michmash and had fled to
Aijalon, about a 16 mile retreat.
- That means that Israel's men had traversed
over 20 miles from their starting point in Gibeah of Saul without food. They
started the journey in a faint condition and now they were very faint!
- Their journey has come to an end and you can
see a famished group of soldiers pounce on the available food sources.
- The frenzy was incredible but their
preparations were undiscerning, as the men failed to properly bleed the animals
out before eating them, something the Mosaic law forbade.
- Leviticus 17:10-14 points out that blood was
to be considered sacred as it was connected to the life as well as the
sacrifices that were made to the Lord.
- Aside from the health concerns of not
properly bleeding an animal, whoever ate of the blood then, would be
disregarding these principles and violating their covenant with God.
- Such a person would be cut off from Israel.
This was no small offense, but consider why it occurred. Saul failed to take
into consideration how desperate the men would have been.
- I have seen this first hand: A person calls
God's people to follow their own personal conviction to do something
"holy" or "spiritual." The people do it to accommodate that
person.
- Often, in the midst of doing it, they resent
the Lord and end up sinning against Him in their hearts, at the least by
complaining at their lack which God never required of them!
- Here, Israel is willing to disobey God for
the sake of their appetite! This won't be the last time!
- Jesus indicted the people of His time, who
strained out a gnat for fear of swallowing something with blood in it, but
swallowed a camel, metaphorically!
- The religious people tithed of their spices,
indicating the exacting practice but ignored the weightier matters of the Law,
like justice and compassion. (Matthew
23:23,24)
- The day of
Christ's crucifixion, the religious leaders struggled with what to do with
Judas Iscariot's money due to it being the blood money that they paid him! (Matthew 27:6)
- The Apostle Paul had to deal with this when
he wrote to the church in Colosse.
• Colossians
2:20-23 : "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of
the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to
regulations— 'Do
not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which
perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an
appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of
the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." : Legalism doesn't make you more holy. Because you are satisfied
to keep a solitary law, you are blinded to the greater offenses of breaking
God's law!
- On one side of the spectrum, you are proud of
keeping your self imposed law or you are condescending toward others that are
no. Either way, you are not more holy, you're more depraved!
•
I Samuel 14:33b-35 : "So he
said, 'You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day.' Then Saul said, 'Disperse
yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man’s ox and
every man’s sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’ So
every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it
there. Then Saul
built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord." : Saul rebukes the men, telling them that they had "dealt
treacherously!" In reality it was Saul who had dealt treacherously with
them!
-
Saul's solution was to again play the part of a priest and construct a mobile
altar for the people to bring their meat to. He slaughtered and bled the
animals so that they might eat.
-
This was not his responsibility, as he was to defer to the Levites who were set
apart for this very purpose. This further reveals Saul's need to be the center
of Israel's attention!
-
After the feast, Saul used the stone as an altar, which was the first one that
he had built to the Lord and that likely because it strengthened his own
religious profile.
-
He needs to reinforce the face of his concern for God's will and presence. It's
all show!
IV. They Will
Be Divided (v.36-46)
•
I Samuel 14:36-39 : "Now Saul said, 'Let us go down
after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and
let us not leave a man of them.' And they said, 'Do whatever seems good to you.' Then the priest said, 'Let us draw near to God here.'
So Saul asked counsel of God, 'Shall I go down after
the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?' But He did not
answer him that day. And Saul said, 'Come
over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was
today. For as the Lord lives, who saves
Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.' But not a man
among all the people answered him." : The
people of Israel have the momentum and Saul wants to capitalize on it into the
late evening and early morning hours.
-
Leading an army out into the darkness of the night was a dangerous, presumptive
prospect with much more to lose than to gain.
-
His advisors nodded their agreement but the Priest called upon Saul to draw
close to the Lord, indicating that they ask for the Lord's plan first. God
didn't answer him.
-
This led to the conclusion that someone had sinned. Someone had! It was Saul!
But it doesn't cross his mind that God's response indicts him!
-
Not once does he assume his own guilt. Not once does he humble himself and look
into the proverbial mirror and consider that the issue might with him!
-
Consequently, with all the bravado that accompanies such a man, he divides the
people into one group and the leadership into another! It's "Us v.
Them!"
-
When all of the leaders were assembled, Saul again opens his mouth in a vow to
the Lord, paying lipservice to his willingness to include even Jonathan in
judgment.
-
He cannot believe that his son would do anything against him, so he willingly
presumes to be able to kill his own son! Notice the men were silent! They are
beginning to fear Saul, in a bad way.
-
They knew what had happened and they weren't about to tell, but there was no
stopping Saul's foolishness at this point.
•
I Samuel 14:40-44 : "Then he said to all Israel, 'You be
on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.' And the people said to Saul, 'Do
what seems good to you.' Therefore Saul said
to the Lord God
of Israel, 'Give a perfect lot.' So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the
people escaped. And Saul said,
'Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.' So Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, 'Tell me what you have done.'
And Jonathan told him, and said, 'I only tasted a
little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!'
Saul answered, 'God do so and more also; for you
shall surely die, Jonathan.'" : Saul has
now pressed the issue and called out for lots to be drawn. God is about to
definitively answer and affirm Jonathan's "guilt."
- This is not intended to agree with
Saul, but to reveal to the people just how foolish their King was in
prosecuting the hero of the day over an insignificant, ill-conceived offense.
-
Jonathan confessed his "sin" and cried out aloud in utter frustration
that he would now die for this foolish reason, which Saul immediately affirmed!
-
Saul is about to kill his own son in order to save his face! He's willing to
take this all the way!
-
When Saul saved the men of Jabesh Gilead, the people wanted to execute the men
that had disrespected the King. At that time, Saul with some semblance of
humility, refused! (I Sam. 11:13)
-
What a difference! With even the facade of humility, lives were spared. That
day is gone.
•
I Samuel 14:45,46 : "But the people said to Saul, 'Shall
Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly
not! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head
shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.' So the people
rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the
Philistines went to their own place." : The
people have seen enough! They are not about to let Saul go through with this
plan!
-
With as much courage as was needed to stand before the power obsessed King,
they valiantly put themselves between Saul and Jonathan.
-
The knew what Saul was unwilling to acknowledge: Jonathan had worked with God!
Sadly, the people had to rescue Jonathan from the King and gratefully, he did
not die!
-
That doesn't always happen! Who knows how many have "died" in their
motivation or even literally at the hands of legalistic tyrants seeking to
build their own Kingdom in the name of God!?
-
With all of this focus expended on the King's insecurity and kangaroo court
antics, the real enemy managed to elude them! What a waste of God's resource
and Jonathan's faithful action!
V. They Will Be Dominant (v.47-52)
•
I Samuel 14:47-52 : "So Saul established his sovereignty
over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab,
against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and
against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. And he gathered an army and
attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who
plundered them. The
sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two
daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the
younger Michal. The name of Saul’s
wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his
army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of
Abiel. Now there was fierce war with the
Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any
valiant man, he took him for himself." : Be aware
of that first phrase. Saul established his sovereignty over Israel.
-
He made a plan and worked a plan and he wasn't without success. He beat back
every enemy especially harassing the Philistines and the Amalekites who had
plundered Israel.
-
The author concludes with noting the growth of Saul's family, many of whom we
will come to know well in the succeeding weeks.
-
These are not all of his sons. The ones listed went out with him to battle and
these other cousins made up his military cabinet.
-
Saul's recruitment method was simple. Whenever he came across any strong or
valiant man, he simply called them into service, which is of course, the wise
course of action militarily speaking.
-
Principally, I might offer that this is exactly the type of activity one would
expect from a tyrant. He is only interested in those that benefit his Kingdom.
-
He's not interested in serving every man or giving opportunity to anyone. He
only sees the strong and is only willing to be associated with them.
-
It's "a" way to build a Kingdom, but certainly not God's and
especially not God's Kingdom!
Conclusion
In
fact, let's look at the difference between Israel's "no heart, all
flesh" King and our King, Jesus Christ.
-
Saul drove his people as a slave driver drives slaves. Jesus Christ leads His
people, serving them and calling them to walk alongside of Him.
-
Saul deprived his people of naturally refreshing, appropriate resource. Jesus
Christ opens the storehouses and shares His best blessings with His people.
-
Saul's deprivation turned into depravity when the people nearly fainted for
lack of food. Jesus Christ satisfies His people with His goodness, which leads
them to holy living.
-
Saul divided his people and created an "Us v. Them" environment. In
Jesus Christ, we are all one New Man in Him!
-
Finally, Saul deferred to dominance, creating his Kingdom with force and
selecting only those that could strengthen his cause.
-
Jesus Christ created His Kingdom with the love that sought out any who were
willing to come, determining that He would add His strength to every weak
member to make them strong!
- Far
and away, I prefer my King, Jesus Christ, whose rule I gladly follow!
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