Renewal, Retirement, and Rejection

1 Samuel Chapters 11, 12, 13

- Even after Saul is declared King we see that it was not an immediate transition into Kingship and all that comes with it.

Saul receives the message about the Ammointes and their plans against the people of Jabesh-gilead while he is still plowing his own field. Which is somewhat interesting in and of itself considering he was from a well to do family, a man of wealth.

- The spirit of the God rushes on Saul and in his anger he cuts up the oxen that he was just ploughing the field with and sends them off to the tribes as a threat to whoever doesn't answer his call to arms. I think this speaks more of Saul’s anger problem than it does to the LORD’s enabling.

- The people answer Saul’s call because the dread of the LORD fell on them, not because of Saul’s impression of the bearded butcher.

- The people win the fight against the Ammointes and Saul Kingship is renewed and solidified.

Chapter 12

- Samuel announces his retirement by asking the people, if while in service to Israel, he oppressed, defrauded, or had taken a bribe from anyone. No one came forward.

- Samuel then gave them a history lesson starting with Moses and Aaron, how the people of Israel, their ancestors did not obey and fell away to serve false gods. They cried out and the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel to save them out of the hands of their enemies. When Nashash the king of the Ammointes came against them, who did they run to first to save them? Saul

- Saul is the LORD’s anointed, but the problem then, as is the now, they (we) seek help from all other avenues first, sometimes even GOD appointed ones before we take it to the LORD. It’s sad to say and I’m guilty as well, the LORD is our last resort not our first.

- Samuel warns them and their new king not to rebel against the commands of the LORD. To be honest if they couldn’t or wouldn’t do it for GOD, the king really doesn’t stand much of a chance.

- As a sign of warning and to show GOD is serious that they obey his words given to them from Samuel. Samuel calls for rain and thunder from the LORD. It was harvest season and that kind of weather was highly unusual during harvest time in Israel. The people feared and realised hey had done an evil thing. Obedience at the prospect of death is not really true obedience or repentance, it is just simple self preservation at whatever the cost.

- Samuel ends his speech by agreeing with them that they did an evil thing, but not to fear. He reminds them to follow after the LORD with all their heart. He tells them that he will continue to pray of them and will instruct them in the good and right way, only fear the LORD and serve him with all their hearts. The final warning is if they continue to do wickedly, both they and their king will be swept away.

Chapter 13  Rabbit Trail 

- I must admit I’ve been stuck in this chapter for awhile now for a couple of different reasons, some related some not so much.

- For starters the open line describing how old Saul was and how long he reigned as king. Examples:

 - Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,[a]  ESV

 - Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years. NIV version translation from the Septuagint

- Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, AKJV

- Saul was a young man[a] when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years. CEV

- In the Masoretic text they believe that it was a copy error of numbers or more to the point letters used as numbers and there is a missing number from "lived for" XX, one X is missing and became king and "reigned for" XX, one X is missing, years over Israel. The Septuagint however has that he was Thirty years old and reigned over Israel for 42 years.

- The Apostle Paul (Saul) in the new testament mentions that Saul was king over Israel for 40 years. Acts 13:21

- Although another possible way to read the text is that yes he was King over Israel for the first year, but did not actually begin to rule as a king like other nations, until after the battle with the Ammointes and that solidified his Kingship in the second year? The very next line reads, Saul chooses men for his army, which he didn’t have previous to this and sends the rest of the people home.

- In the grand scheme of things this is not a pivotal point that needs to be known to move forward. I was just trying to establish in my own mind how old Saul was and tried to figure out timelines in regards to next events such as Saul’s disobedience in following GOD’s / Samuel’s directions, and roughly his age at the battle of David and Goliath and a few others.

- In going down this rabbit trail I came across another anomaly, it is not pivotal either, but I’m sure it is something seldom mentioned in a bible study, and I love a good mystery, so that’s my excuse.

- Back in Chapter 9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man.

- So Saul’s father was Kish, Saul’s grandfather was Abiel, great grandfather Zeror, you get the idea.

- Let’s take a look at Saul’s genealogy in 1 Chronicles 8:33 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, interesting.

- Is Abiel (Jeiel) the same man with two different names/title? Ner is his son, but absent from the genealogy of Jeiel and his wife Maacha.

Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and the name of his wife was Maacha. 30 His firstborn son: Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth (he fathered Shimeah).

Ner is the father of Kish and Abner, Abner is King Saul’s uncle and also the General in Saul’s army. 

- One thing that is mentioned in the text was the families lived opposite their kinsmen who lived in Jerusalem. If you recall Jerusalem was still under control of the Jebusites until the time of King David and he captured the city. The Jebusites were descendants of Ham through his son Canaan.

- Was Ner the illegitimate son of Abiel and a Jebusite (Canaanite) woman?

- Was Saul taller because of a particular lineage? There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 1 Samuel 9:2

- These things are all conjecture on my part and truly have no bearing on the history of Saul’s life, his disobedience and death.

- It did get me thinking of King David however and his life being a foreshadow of the Christ who would come and be King of Kings and our high priest.

- Was Saul a foreshadow? Was Saul GOD’s version of a polemic?

Not written for our benefit, but to and for the elohim.

- Saul was Handsome, taller than all the rest of his brethren,

....“You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Ezekiel 28:11

you were blameless in your ways from the day you were created,

till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;

so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, Ezekiel 28:15-16

- The Adversary was the anointed guardian Cherub, he was given authority under  GOD and like King Saul who is also GOD's anointed, choose only follow the things that was beneficial for himself. Saul hated David and tried to kill him on multiple occasions. The adversary was always looking for the lineage of the Messiah and was constantly trying to kill or eliminate them. Eventually he would try to kill Christ himself. I find their similarities very interesting. GOD removed the Kingdom from Saul and gave it to David. GOD will also remove the ruler of this age, the Prince of the power of the air and replace him with the KING of Kings Jesus.

This GOD breathed polemic (if I can call it that) the life of Saul could have been a warning and lesson, not just for Israel, but deeper still for a certain elohim and his followers of what can, did, and will happen to them in the future. I apologise for the rabbit trail. 

Next – Rejection continued