Lecture Notes (Saul's Disobedience (1 Samuel 13-15))

textual criticism (1 Samuel 13:1)

"Saul was . . . years old when he began to reign...and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel." ellipses represents missing words "transmission error

"tseevah"

"command" or "appoint"

shema (translate this Hebrew word)

"listen/hear"

"qôl" (translate this Hebrew word)

"voice/sound"

"davar" (translate this Hebrew word)

"word"

1. Saul's foolish vow.

1 Sam 14:23. Saul's vow that no one would eat until they win over the Philistines. ANyone who eat against Saul/before this victory, they would die. Jonathan's unwitting breaking of that vow with wild honey.

The rise of David and fall of Saul =

1 Sam Ch 16-31.

Saul's disobedience =

1 Sam ch 13-15

Saul's Rejection in 2 stages (Saul's disobedience in ch 13-15)

1. Rebuked by Samuel in Chapter 13 for offering a sacrifice without Samuel being present 2. Rejected as king in Chapter 15 for not obeying what Samuel had told him

Saul unfit to be king as seen in the imposition of his rash oath (14:24-48)

1. Saul's foolish vow. 2. Saul's impatience to wait for God's word/guidance. 3. Saul's Misplaced religiosity. Trusting in the traditions rather than God. Means/symbols elevated not God. 4. Violation of Corporate punishment/breaking of Saul's rash vow

vv. 13-14 in NOAB and "appoint"/"command"

4x in 2 verses. IMPORTANT Saul failed to his *appointment* aka command as king, and therefore Yahweh will *appoint* a replacement

Rationale behind "eradicate" order from God

Actually a humane act. Eradicating, not taking prisoners and instead killing them, = humane b/c it helped prevent the various kinds of abuses that routinely took place in ancient warfare. Even so, it is important not to confuse an ancient cultural practice with God's ideal for humanity.

4. Violation of Corporate punishment/breaking of Saul's rash vow

After Saul vowed death penalty, he didn't kill the violator--his son, Jonathan (who didn't know about his dad's vow of fasting). The troops voted against the killing of the popular prince.

Transmission errors and Biblical Inspiration/Authority

All evangelical scholars accept the reality of scribal errors. Transmission errors have no impact on the message of the Bible, since everything we need to know for salvation remains intact in God's Word.

reference to the "ark of God". (NIVAC at the bottom of p. 209)

Ark as symbol again. This time with Ahijah, a rejected member of the priesthood from Eli's side of the family

Overall Theme of "The rise of David and fall of Saul" (16-31)

Chapter 16 introduces David. Throughout this part is an intense rivalry between Saul and David, in which Saul tries to kill David. This cycle ends with the death of Saul and his three sons in chapter 31.

Consequence of Saul's "burnt offering" disobedience

Cost him his dynasty. Jonathan (or anyone else from Saul's line) would never be Israelite King.

Jonathan's dependence on God during Michmash (1 Sam 13:16-14:52)

First he states, "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few" (Saul didn't trust God/have faith) Jonathan sought a sign from God to see if the Lord was with him. He would act if the Lord was with him; he would not act if the Lord was not. (Saul didn't seek or wait or care)

Gibeah of Benjamin

Gibeah is two miles north of Jerusalem on the biblical Route of the Patriarchs. It is about 1.5 miles north to Samuel's hometown of Ramah. Continuing from there one passes Mizpah (where Samuel gathered all Israel in 1 Samuel 7), Bethel, and Shiloh

Because Saul rejected the word of Yahweh...

God has rejected him as king (v. 23). Saul apologizes and says he mistakenly heard the voice of the people out of fear (v. 24). But Saul's rule is over and Samuel repeats his previous statement (v. 26). This Hebrew word play has a powerful effect on the reader. It reinforces the importance of taking God seriously and obeying his word.

3. Saul's Misplaced religiosity. Trusting in the traditions rather than God. Means/symbols elevated not God.

He believed that abstaining from food would ensure divine favor and military victory, rather than a simple trust in God's power to deliver Israel from its enemies. Just made his enemy hungry and *without energy to fight.*

Samuel's actions after Saul's 2nd disobedience

He summarily condemned Saul and proclaimed that Yahweh had rejected him as king. Then Samuel himself killed Agag. Samuel completely disowned Saul and would not see him again (that is until he came up from his grave to confront Saul in 1 Samuel 28).

What was the nature of Saul's sin? (Arnold has to say about this subject in NIVAC, pp. 200-01 and pp. 223-25) (*Guaranteed question on test*)

His guilt from Saul trying to usurp Yahweh's power and Samuel and also disobedience against direct orders.Doesn't accept the authority structure that Yahweh dictates. Has the spirit/favor of God departed from Saul? p. 223: Denies direct orders and God's chain of command with Samuel. God rejects Saul b/c of Saul's rejection of God; God did favor Saul/annoint him in the beginning. What are the internal motives behind Saul's "Sacrifices" to God? Saul's self defense tactics doesn't bode well for him (or us).

Saul's lack of concern after Samuel's rebuke (1 Samuel 15:24-31)

If Saul were a teenager in today's culture, his response to Samuel's rebuke would be, "Whatever. . ." Saul busied himself with the numbering of his skimpy rag-tag army, now composed of some 600 men, while Samuel arose and departed for Gibeah.

Emended Saul's age and David?

It is quite possible that the LXX (Septuagint) emended Saul's age based on David's age. Ancient emendation may have also been responsible for the 40 year figure that appears in Acts 13 as well. 2 Samuel 5:4--"David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years."

Jonathan as valiant warrior

Jonathan attacks the Philistine outpost in Geba. Hyperbolic numbers of Enemy troops? Anyway, Israel was no match for Philistine military might (hyperbolic thousands of thousands of troops or just one thousand troops :p )

Important event in 1 Sam 13:16-14:52

Jonathan's heroic act at Michmash Jonathan crossed over from Geba to the Philistine garrison at Michmash with his body guard. They successfully killed 20 soldiers, which put the remaining Philistine forces into a panic. An earthquake turned the Philistine camp into an uproar (14:15).

Events of 1 Sam 13:1-15

Jonathan's heroic act, Saul's first disobedience, and Samuel's rebuke of Saul

Saul trusting in the MEANS/symbol versus trusting God

Just as the Israelites had looked upon the Ark of God as a kind of magic secret weapon, Saul may have looked upon the burnt offering as the means of assuring God's action on Israel's behalf. If so, then no wonder Saul was so eager to get that sacrifice offered - with or without Samuel. 4.

"tseevah" and Arnold (p.198 of NIVAC)

Means both appoint and command. Yahweh commanded saul to wait for Samuel, but now He will *appoint* a new king to take Saul's place. Subtle play on words that the central theme that the relationship between kingship and obedience to Yahweh. Saul failed to his *appointment* aka command as king, and therefore Yahweh will *appoint* a replacement

Literary Structure of 1 Sam 13-15

One purpose of Chapters 13-15 is to point out that while Saul was modest and successful at first, he would not be the godly ruler that God wanted for his people. (For this, the people will have to wait for David, who will appear for the first time in Chapter 16)

emendation.

Reconstructing a biblical text with a footnote indicating that the insertion (Ex: of "forty") was based on the round number given in another part of the Bible (Acts 13:21 plus two years in the Hebrew text).

listen/hear (shemac), voice/sound (qôl) and word (davar).

Samuel first tells Saul to *hear* the voice/*sound* of the *words* of Yahweh (v. 1).

Saul's blame shifting (2nd disobedience)

Samuel then asks Saul why he did not hear the voice of Yahweh (v. 19). Saul insists that he heard the voice of Yahweh (v 20). Saul then passes the buck. It was not he, but the people who did not hear. the word of Yahweh comes to Samuel in vv. 10-11 where God says that he regrets (KJV "repents") making Saul king.

Saul's sin in first disobedience

Saul could not wait. He was convinced that his situation was an "emergency," and as such, *the rules can be set aside.* He offered the sacrifice himself. When Samuel arrived he said, "You acted foolishly... You have not kept he command the Lord your God gave you" (1 Sam 13:13).

Saul's sin in second disobedience

Saul disobeyed the word of the prophet and spared their king, Agag, as well as the best of the plunder (1 Sam 15:9, 18). This was really *self-serving.* Sparing the life of Agag probably provided Saul with a trophy of his prowess and power. Saul was also *motivated by fear of men.*

2. Saul's impatience to wait for God's word/guidance.

Saul does not know (as Jonathan knows) that God will defeat the Philistines that day.

Saul's failure to hear from the Lord and Israel's victory at Michmash (14:16-23)

Saul messed up and didn't wait for an answer from God, but Verse 23 appropriately credits Yahweh for the victory; the Lord is the one who rescued Israel that day.

Emphasized man over God

Saul was more concerned with the people's opinion of him than of God's estimation of him. Saul wanted to put his sin behind him without hating it, without putting it away from him.

What was the nature of Saul's sin? Arnold =NIVAC, pp. 223-25) (*Guaranteed question on test*)

Saul's free moral responsibility. IF Saul had listened, he could have established his kingship and Jonathan could have been king. If one's motives are impure or ungodly, sacrifice itself becomes meaningless.

Major event of 1 Sam 15

Saul's second disobedience and God's final judgment

Map of Saul vs Solomon's Kingdom

Saul's was the smallest. Solomon's was the biggest kingdom of Israel.

War crimes in Ancient Warfare

Soldiers routinely raped and sexually abused women and children, sold the survivors into slavery, and collected booty as part of their salary

Saul's age/reign

The decision to make Saul rule 42 years seems a bit incredulous, since that would mean that Saul died at age 72. *Nothing in the text of Samuel itself suggests* that he was that old when he died at the hands of the Philistines in 1 Samuel 31.

Samuel's Verbatim repeatition

The seriousness of Saul's disobedience is emphasized in v. 9 when the same words used in v. 3 are repeated verbatim - Saul and the people did not "utterly destroy" what they were commanded, and they "spared" Agag king of the Amalekites (see also v. 15 for a further repetition of these words).

Which reading (the Hebrew text or the Septuagint) does Arnold prefer? (NIVAC at the bottom of p. 209)

Uses "*ephod*" instead of the Ark Ephod: (in ancient Israel) a sleeveless garment worn by Jewish priests.

Definition of "transmission error"

When the scribes copied manuscripts they sometimes misspelled words, duplicated sentences, and omitted words or sentences. (another example of transmission error, though in the case of 1 Samuel 10-11, we learned that scholars were able to fill in the missing information with the discovery of the 4QSamuela fragment from Qumran.)

Saulide Cycle in Ch 13-15

Where Saul contrasted with Jonathan. Saul's dependence upon natural strength is magnified as he is compared to Jonathan, who relies on God's strength to deliver his people Israel from the enemies.

Saul offering the burnt offering himself was a...

Willful disobedience of Samuel's DIRECT orders

Saul's reign as family affair

affair. His son Jonathan and his uncle or first cousin Abner son of Ner (1 Sam 14:50) carried out leading roles. Abner is identified as commander of the army. VOLUNTARY MILITIA

Israel's dismal military power is noted by a reference to the lack of a....

blacksmith in Israel. A Philistine monopoly on iron production = ADV in fashioning and maintaining agricultural implements and military weapons. The Israelites only had the . softer metal of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin.

How did Saul disobey the *SECOND* time?

he took spoils of war and spared king Agag the Amalekite instead of *eradicating* the enemy.

Where did Saul rule from?

his home. Military, not a "royal court" like Esther's court. In charge of the Voluntary militia

the dates of Saul's reign

most scholars put him on the throne between 1030-1010 BCE.

Samuel's role as Army Chaplain

supposed to come and bless the troops.

Def of Corporate punishment in ISRAEL

the actions of one individual affected the well-being of the entire group.

Sacred Lots (1 sam 14:42)

these "lots" were the Urim and Thummin used by the high priest to determine God's will in a "yes" and "no" fashion (acc to the Septuagint LXX)