Saul Comes to the Aid of Jabesh
11:1 Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”
Nahash was the King of the Ammonites. The Ammonites and Moabites were descendants of the incestuous affair between Lot and his two daughters. The Ammonites had grown into a very large and powerful tribe. They marched against Jabesh Gilead. Jabesh Gilead was a town in Benjamimite territory. This was the city which attempted sodomite gang rape on a visiting Levite priest. The Benjamanites had no chance of defeating the powerful Ammonites, so they requested a treaty with them. In this treaty, Jabesh Gilead would agree to become a vassal city to the Ammonites. Most kings would have accepted this proposal in order to escape the expenses of siege warfare.
11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”
King Nahash hated Israel. He would accept their peace terms, but only if every Israelite gouged out their right eye. King Nahash’s request violated the Abrahamic Covenant.
11:3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.”
The elders of Jabesh asked for seven days in order to send out messengers for reinforcements. King Nahash allowed this request possibly for two reasons. First, he did not think that Jabesh Gilead could gather any reinforcements this quickly. Second, it would save him the expense of siege warfare.
11:4 When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly.
The people of Israel were in a desperate situation.
11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about the men of Jabesh.
The desperate situation was brought before the new King of Israel.
11:6 The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.
The Holy Spirit was not going to allow the Ammonites to violate the Abrahamic Covenant. He would not allow this incestuous nation to pluck out an eye of His chosen people. Saul was very angry, because the Holy Spirit was very angry.
11:7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army.
Just as the Levite cut up his concubine to arouse all of Israel to join in battle against the Benjamanite sodomite rape gang, King Saul followed suit with a similar call to arms. He cut up an oxen and sent the pieces all over Israel. If any man did not report to war, then all of their oxen would be slain by King Saul’s army. All of Israel feared their new king, so they answered this call as one man.
11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000.
King Saul gathered an army of 330,000 Israelites in one night. The distinction between Israel and Judah means that this narrative was written after the Divided Monarchy.
11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy.
Messengers encouraged Jabesh Gilead to hold out one more day for reinforcements.
11:10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and you can do with us whatever you wish.”
Jabesh Gilad knew that reinforcements were less than 24 hours away, so they agreed to surrender the next day. This was a military strategy to keep the Ammonites from attacking their city.
11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.
Saul marched all night and early in the morning. He attacked the Ammonites in their camp and slaughtered them.
Saul Is Established as King
11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!”
King Saul became an overnight hero of Israel. The people asked Samuel if they could execute those who were opposed to the new monarchy.
11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!”
King Saul did not allow the people to execute his political enemies. King Saul gave the glory of the victory to Jehovah.
11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
Samuel planned the coronation celebration at Gilgal in order to reaffirm Saul as King of Israel.
11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
King Saul started out very well, because he was led by the Spirit of God. He was a national hero. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Even though Samuel had warned Israel about the problems coming forth with a human king, Israel was very happy to have a king.