Old Testament Commentary - 1 Samuel 13

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 13 Saul offers a burnt offering, and the Lord rejects him and chooses another captain over his people.
1 SAUL reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And 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.
5 ¶ And 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. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did ^ahide themselves in ^bcaves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the ^aHebrews 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.
8 ¶ And 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. 9 And ^aSaul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he ^boffered the ^cburnt offering. 10 And 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 ^asalute him.
11 ¶ And Samuel said, What hast thou done?^a 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; 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I ^aforced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.	11^a What hast thou done? Even a king, even one anointed by a prophet of God as directed by God, does not have the power of the priesthood to act in God's name by virtue of being king. Saul acted 'as if' he held the priesthood of God, which he did not. Thus Saul was found in disfavor before God, not humbling himself before Samuel who was God's authorized and empowered priesthood officiator. Thus even one who officiates rightfully even in the priesthood of Aaron is more empowered of God than a king who has no such priesthood calling. Saul lost the kingdom because he failed to honor and recognize God's authorized priesthood hold, having taken that honor unto himself fraudulently, making his offering a false priesthood offering which was an unacceptable offering before the Lord. And NO MAN takes this honour unto himself except he has been called of God even as was Aaron (Hebrews 5:4).
13 And 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. 14 But now thy ^akingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath ^bsought him a ^cman after his own ^dheart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
15 And 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. 16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 ¶ And 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: 18 And 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.
19 ¶ Now there was no ^asmith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his ^ashare, and his ^bcoulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had a file for the ^amattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So 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. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the ^apassage of Michmash.