Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 13
It seemed that Saul’s plan to defeat Philistia’s army had failed badly. Saul had tried to gather a vast army of men from Israel at Gilgal. In fact, his men had scattered. They were very afraid.
However, Saul still remained at Gilgal with about 600 men (13:15). Saul waited there because Samuel had promised to join him there after 7 days (10:8).
Saul expected Samuel to pray for him and to give him a message from God. Saul was desperate for God’s help. It was clear to everyone that, without special help from God, Saul’s men would certainly lose the battle.
These things happened in order to test Saul. God was testing whether Saul really trusted him. Saul knew that, with God’s help, a vast army could win a battle (11:8-11). However, really Saul was trusting in the size of his army; he was not trusting God. Unlike his son Jonathan, Saul did not believe that God could use just one or two men to defeat a vast army (14:6).
God’s command to Saul was that he must wait for Samuel to arrive (10:8). After 7 days, Samuel would offer sacrifices (gifts to God). Then Samuel would tell Saul what to do.
Saul waited for 7 days and he became very afraid. He decided that he would not wait any longer for Samuel. So, Saul offered the sacrifices himself. That is, a priest offered the sacrifices on Saul’s behalf. Neither Saul, nor Samuel, were priests. However, Ahijah the chief priest was among Saul’s 600 men (14:2-3).
It was not wrong for Saul to make a sacrifice in that way. Saul’s error was not to obey God’s command to him in 1 Samuel 10:8 (see also 1 Samuel 13:13). Saul’s sacrifice showed that he was not trusting God. Instead, he was trying to pay God for his help.
Next part: We cannot pay God to help us (1 Samuel 13:10-12)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.