1 Samuel 13-14

1. Samuel Rebukes Saul
In this passage, Jonathan attacks a Philistine outpost at Geba, causing the Philistines to assemble a large force at Micmash to attack the Israelites.  Saul musters a large force at Gilgal, yet many of his troops flee from their camp at the sight of the Philistines.  Saul waits for Samuel to arrive at Gilgal so that they can offer sacrifices to the Lord; since he does not appear within seven days, though, Saul proceeds to make a burnt offering to the Lord - disobeying Samuel's instructions in verse 8 of chapter 10.  Samuel then arrives at Gilgal and rebukes Saul for his rash action, informing him that the Lord has chosen "a man after his own heart" to replace him as the king of Israel.

I must admit that if I had been in Saul's position, I would have committed the same sin.  I would have taken Samuel at his word and waited for him for seven days.  Once those seven days had elapsed, I would have assumed that evil had befallen him; thus, I would have attempted to seek the Lord's favor with a burnt offering before my impending battle with the Philistines...

2. Israel Without Weapons
In this passage, Saul and Jonathan lead their troops to Gibeah in Benjamin.  The Philistines then send out three raiding parties against the Israelites.  It is noted that the Philistines had purged Israel of its blacksmiths at that time, and so all of the Israelites - except for Saul and Jonathan - lacked swords and spears. Apparently the Philistines could help the Israelites sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles, though this was not a complimentary service.

The Philistines were probably confident of their chances in their impending clash with the Israelites given that their enemies, for the most part, lacked swords and spears.  A properly forged sword was a deadly weapon at that time, and the owner of a spear could keep his enemies at a distance.

3. Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
In this passage, Jonathan and his armor-bearer leave the Israelite camp at Gibeah and approach a Philistine detachment at a pass at Micmash.  These Philistines challenge Jonathan and his armor-bearer to climb up to their outpost and fight them.  They accept this challenge as a sign that the Lord has given these Philistines into their hands, and they slay about 20 Philistines.

How did the armor-bearer fight these Philistines, if only Saul and Jonathan had swords and spears among the Israelites?  Did Jonathan have a sword and a spear, and if so, did he give one of them to his armor-bearer?

4. Israel Routs the Philistines
In this passage, the Lord throws the Philistine army at Micmash into a panic after Jonathan and his armor-bearer defeat their detachment.  Saul then musters his troops and they attack the Philistine camp; they discover that the Philistine soldiers are actually attacking each other.  Many Israelite defectors return to Saul's contingent, and many Israelites who had initially fled from Gilgal re-join their ranks.  In the end, the Lord achieves a great victory for Israel.

One must wonder how Saul and his loyal soldiers received the Israelite defectors and deserters.  Perhaps they were simply glad to see these reinforcements in the midst of the battle.

5. Jonathan Eats Honey
In this passage, it is noted that Saul had commanded all of his troops to fast until the evening of the battle, as he was consumed by his desire to defeat the Philistines.  Yet Jonathan does not know about Saul's command, and so he eats some honey as the Israelites march through a wooded area.  The Israelites then plunder the Philistines and capture many sheep, cattle and calves.  As they are quite hungry, they butcher these animals and, instead of pouring out their blood, eat them - violating the Lord's command in Leviticus 17:10-11.  Saul later asks God for guidance regarding whether he should pursue the retreating Philistines, yet God does not answer him; lots are cast to determine the cause of God's silence, and Saul discovers that Jonathan has broken his command regarding fasting.  Saul then states that Jonathan must die for his insubordination, yet his men persuade him to spare Jonathan's life since his bold action against the Philistine detachment sparked their victory.

Only Jonathan is depicted in a positive light here; it seems that neither Saul nor his men had a strong relationship with God, and so they were not mindful of His desires.

6. Saul's Family
In this passage, it is noted that Saul has three sons and two daughters.  He is married to Ahinoam, and his cousin, Abner, leads his army.  It is also noted that Saul fights the Philistines for the duration of his reign over Israel; thus, he is always on the lookout for brave men whom he can recruit to join his army.