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1SAMUEL
CHAPTER 13

1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

Saul began as an humble man, not having any thought of his place in society. Now he has reigned two years over all Israel, and has been followed by many admirers.
Then, Saul got a small army together. He has 3,000 men total. Two thousand of them are under his command, and 1,000 under his son Jonathan's command.
and right here, in these verses, we begin to see a change in Saul's character. Jonathan fought a battle and defeated the Philistines in Geba. But Saul is the one who blew the trumpet and boasted of the victory (verse 3).
Too often, men boosted to a higher social standing will be changed; changed to vainness and pride.

5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

Saul gathered all the people he could (verse 4), but they were all afraid. many of them ran to hide. Some of them even left the area and crossed Jordan to the East.
What was the difference in them here? In chapter 11, when Saul called, 330,000 men came.
Saul evidently sent word to Samuel, and then waited seven days as Samuel had told him to do (see 1Samuel 10:8). But Saul was impatient. One the seventh day, he made the offering himself! This was a grossly IMMORAL thing to do.
By doing this, he BYPASSED the role and position of the priest.

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Let me clear up a misunderstanding some may have of this particular incident. Samuel was NOT late. He showed up on the seventh day, just as he'd promised to do.
Saul just couldn't stand waiting! And when Samuel came, Saul went out to greet him as if he'd done nothing wrong.

11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

Samuel obviously SAW what Saul had done, and was inquiring WHY? Sual's answer portrays fear and indecision.
He saw that the Philistines were gathered for battle, and he Israelites were hiding. He knew he could not call for battle until it was sanctioned by the Lord. So he took it upon himself to do this, even though he knew it was wrong.
Many times, we Christians want to DO SOMETHING about a problem we see, and we just think God is acting kinda slow! So we jump out ahead of Him! Not a good idea!
In Chapter 12 there was the first SELECTION of a king in Israel. Here we have the first SIN of a king in Israel.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Now here is the first CORRECTION of a king in Israel. Samuel gives us the real definition of "foolishly." It is to NOT KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS!
Samuel told Saul that his foolishness would be the reason his kingship would not continue in his family. What a strong penalty!
God would give the kingdom over to another man.
Sin does carry consequences. And sometimes, we lose things because we do not do what God says.

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 18 And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

Verses 15 through 18 tell us that the Philistines were camped near Saul's army, ready for battle. Saul only had about 600 men left, and the Philistine army had 30,000 chariots and 6,000 calvary (no mention of infantry).
These were TREMENDOUS odds!
Verse 18 tells us that Israel was in a sorry state of affairs for national defense.
They had been very lax and allowed the Philistines to run over them. They didn't even have spears or swords!
In other words, it seemed defeat was imminent. The situation looked very hopeless.
Now in the next chapter, we are going to see God's GRACE at work in POWER!

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