1 Samuel 13:4-234And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11And 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; 12Therefore 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. 13And 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. 14But 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. 15And 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. 16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And 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: 18And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22So 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. 23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. (1 Samuel 13:4‑23)
When the people heard that the garrisons of the Philistines had been smitten, and that the Philistines were stirred up against them, they came together to Saul at Gilgal. In the meantime the Philistines gathered together a great army of thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand of the sea, and came up against Israel to attack them. When the men of Israel saw this great army, many of them hid in caves, and any other hiding place they could find; others went over Jordan to escape, while some remained with Saul at Gilgal, trembling.
Saul waited at Gilgal seven days, as Samuel had told him previously, but when Samuel did not come on the seventh day, and the people began to be scattered from him, he called for a burnt offering and peace offerings. Samuel had told him that he himself would offer these sacrifices; for, as we have remarked before, he was the link between God and the people, but Saul became impatient and forced himself and offered the sacrifices himself. As soon as he had finished offering them, Samuel appeared, and Saul went out to meet him. Samuel asked him, “What hast thou done?”
Saul began to explain how he had waited, but when he saw that the people were being scattered, and that the Philistines gathered at Michmash, he felt he could not wait any longer, so he had offered the sacrifice himself. Unbelief is always impatient, and always has many excuses to offer. It can never wait God’s time, and knows nothing of simple, unquestioning obedience to Him. It only seeks the Lord in trouble, and then is always impatient to receive immediate deliverance. How definitely this was seen in Saul, the natural man.
Samuel told Saul he had done foolishly, and that now his kingdom would not continue, but the Lord would give it to a man after His own heart. Saul’s fine appearance and great stature were a poor substitute for the faith in God which alone could enable him to lead the people in time of difficulty. The flesh always breaks down when tested. Samuel then left Gilgal, for the place meant little or nothing if there was no self-judgment there. Places and ceremonies are empty indeed when God and His Word are forgotten or set aside. May we never forget this!
The Philistines then began to send out their spoilers into the land of Israel. The poor Israelites were in a sad plight at this time, for there was not a smith throughout the whole land, and as a result no one had a sword or a spear among the people except Saul and Jonathan. They had taken the easy course and had gone down to the Philistines to have their instruments sharpened, forgetting entirely the need of armor. What a picture this is of the assembly today—too often content to compromise the truth rather than do anything that excites reproach or persecution from those around. Just as this course left Israel without any armor in their time of need, and utterly unable to defend the land the Lord had given them, so when we choose the easy path, rather than obedience, we soon find ourselves unable to take a stand for the truth, even when we would like to do so. How much we see of this today. We feel there is a solemn warning here to us all. Let us all, young and old, value the truth of God and NEVER compromise it.
ML 07/18/1954