1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11

Morgan - There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day the Lord hath wrought deliverance in Israel.—1 Sam. 11.13. It would seem as though Saul, going down to his house at Gibeah, did not take up the active responsibilities of his king-ship until the Ammonite invasion stirred within him, as the Spirit of God came upon him, a sense of responsibility. He, at once, in the presence of danger, and under the constraint of the Spirit, gathered the people and led them to victory. The closing sentences of the previous chapter reveal the fact that there were certain men who did not agree to his appointment. In the day of his victory the people suggested the punishment of these men. The possibility of greatness in Saul is manifested in that he refused thus to mar the days of God's victory. When we contrast this attitude of the man with that of the days when, the evil spirit being upon him, be sought by every means in his power to destroy David, we realize how great was his fall. At this time he had a true outlook. He took no credit to himself for his victory. He knew that deliverance had come by the act of God. Therefore what right had he to put men to death because they were not loyal to him? The sense of God corrects all the things of a human- life. Where it is acute, there is no room for the passion of revenge. There is not even a care to fight for one's own rights. To realize the Divine government is always to be patient and magnanimous in one's dealings with other men; and let it never be forgotten that such magnanimity will do more to make a throne secure than all the methods of oppressive tyranny. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) Brian Bell notes that Saul Began Well - During his first 2 years he is a man of God, humble, zealous for the honor of God and the salvation of His people. First, he is elected by the sovereign choice of God as prince over God’s people; From the very beginning he reveals his true humility. Second, Saul is transformed by the Spirit of God. He was made “another man”. He was given a “new heart”. The Spirit of God came upon him mightily. He prophesied under the power of God’s Spirit. All who knew him before his conversion were amazed at his spiritual transformation. Third, he displays an amazing trust in God to glorify Him as His appointed king. He refuses to exalt himself. Fourth, he reveals his zeal for the name of Yahweh & the salvation of His people in his victory through the power of the Holy Spirit over the Ammonites. Fifth, he refuses to take vengeance upon those who opposed him. He chooses to glorify the Lord instead. Sixth, because of Saul’s exemplary conduct, all Israel reaffirms its covenant with God. a) Saul brings the whole nation back to God. Here is a king after God’s own heart who will bring nothing but blessings to the people of God...well, for 1 more chapter! 1 Samuel 11:14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there." let us go: 1Sa 7:16 10:8 renew: 1Sa 10:24 5:3 1Ch 12:38,39 1 Samuel 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See Gilgal just north of Jericho & East of Ephraim SAMUEL SEIZES THE DAY Then Samuel said to the people, "Come and let us go to Gilgal (see map above) and renew the kingdom there." - The time was right, the moment was ripe. Carpe Diem means seize the day" which is exactly what Spirit filled Samuel did on this day of Israel's victory. Samuel uses the phrase Renew the kingdom meaning to make a reaffirmation of Saul's right to be king of the kingdom. The first presentation of Saul as their king was at Mizpah, where Samuel had "said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10:24+) Therefore this ceremony at Gilgal would be a renewal ceremony acknowledging full acceptance of Saul as Israel's king. Do you think the worthless men (1Sa 10:27+) now chimed in "Long live the king?" (That's rhetorical!) As explained below, Gilgal is not only the place where Saul was crowned king but was also where the crown was removed from him! One other thought on renew the kingdom - Recall that in Exodus 19:6 God declared "you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” In context the present text would refer more to the human king/kingdom. Stevenson - Gilgal was located on the western bank of the Jordan River. It was here that Joshua and the Israelites first camped after crossing the Jordan River. They had built a monument here of 12 memorial stones. And it was here that the Israelites had renewed the covenant, circumcising all of the men in the camp. This was a place of...Victory, Celebration, Memorial, Rededication. TRAGICALLY WOULD ALSO BE the scene both of Saul’s coronation, his rebuke and his ultimate rejection as king. Gilgal was a very important city in Israel's early history - GILGAL - gil'-gal (gilgal, "circle"; Galgala): The article is always with the name except in Josh 5:9. There are three places to which the name is attached (our focus is only in the first one discussed in this note): The first camp of Israel after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:19; 5:9,10; 9:6; 10:7; 14:6; 15:7; Dt 11:30). According to Josh 15:7 it lay to the North of the valley of Achor, which formed the border between Judah and Benjamin. Here 12 memorial stones taken from the bed of the river were set up by Joshua, after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan; and here (Josh 5:5 ff) the people were circumcised preparatory to their possession of the land, when it is said in Josh, with a play upon the word, "This day have I rolled away (galal - Gilgal = derived fr Heb. verb galal “to roll” ) the reproach of Egypt from off you." (Josh 5:8) Whereupon the Passover was celebrated (Josh 5:10) and the manna ceased (Josh 5:12). To Gilgal the ark returned every day after having compassed the city of Jericho during its siege (Josh 6:11). Hither the Gibeonites came to make their treaty (Josh 9:3 ff), and again (Josh 10:6) to ask aid against the Amorites. Gilgal was still the headquarters of the Israelites after the battle with the Amorites (Josh 10:15); again after Joshua's extensive victorious campaign in the hill country of Judea extending to Kadesh-barnea and Gaza (Josh 10:15 ff); and still later upon his return from the great battle at the Waters of Merom (Josh 14:6). At the conclusion of the conquest (Josh 18:1), the headquarters were transferred to Shiloh on the summit of the mountain ridge to the West. Gilgal reappears frequently in subsequent history. Samuel (1 Sam 7:16) made it one of the three places where he annually held circuit court, the other places being Bethel and Mizpah. The Septuagint text adds that these were holy places. The place continued as one of special resort for sacrifices (1 Sam 10:8; 13:8,9,10; 15:21), while it was here that Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord (1 Sam 15:33), and that Saul was both crowned (1 Sam 11:14,15) and rejected as king. It was at Gilgal, also (2 Sam 19:15), that the people assembled to welcome David as he returned from his exile beyond Jordan during Absalom's rebellion. The early prophets refer to Gilgal as a center of idolatry in their day (Hos 4:15; 9:15; 12:11; Am 4:4; 5:5). Micah (6:5) represents Gilgal as at the other end of the Dead Sea from Shittim. Gilgal - 38v - Deut. 11:30; Jos. 4:19; Jos. 4:20; Jos. 5:9; Jos. 5:10; Jos. 9:6; Jos. 10:6; Jos. 10:7; Jos. 10:9; Jos. 10:15; Jos. 10:43; Jos. 12:23; Jos. 14:6; Jos. 15:7; Jdg. 2:1; Jdg. 3:19; 1 Sam. 7:16; 1 Sam. 10:8; 1 Sam. 11:14; 1 Sam. 11:15; 1 Sam. 13:4; 1 Sam. 13:7; 1 Sam. 13:8; 1 Sam. 13:12; 1 Sam. 13:15; 1 Sam. 15:12; 1 Sam. 15:21; 1 Sam. 15:33; 2 Sam. 19:15; 2 Sam. 19:40; 2 Ki. 2:1; 2 Ki. 4:38; Hos. 4:15; Hos. 9:15; Hos. 12:11; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5; Mic. 6:5 F B