Fr. Mike highlights Saul's brokenness and vanity as he makes an unlawful sacrifice and a rash oath in order to save Israel in the midst of war. Today's readings are 1 Samuel 13-14, and Psalm 58. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: Who is Father Mike Schmitz and what is the Bible in a Year podcast about?
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension.
Chapter 2: What are the scripture readings for Day 108 and what Bible translation is used?
Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 108, and we are reading from 1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14. We're also praying Psalm 58. As always, the Bible translation that I am reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.
I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. Also, if you'd like, you can subscribe to this podcast, and that way you'll get updates every single time we have a new episode. That would be phenomenal for you and for me as well.
Chapter 3: What is the story of Saul's unlawful sacrifice in 1 Samuel 13?
As I said, today, day 108, we're reading 1 Samuel chapter 13 and 14 and praying Psalm 58. 1 Samuel chapter 13, Saul's unlawful sacrifice. Saul was years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in two years over Israel. Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash in the hill country of Bethel. and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin.
The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines, which was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard it, and said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines.
And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash to the east of Beth-Avon.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in straits, for the people were hard-pressed, the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, or crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad in Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal and all the people followed him trembling.
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, bring the burnt offering here to me and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him and salute him. Samuel said, what have you done?
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Chapter 4: How does Saul's impatience affect his kingdom according to Samuel?
And Saul said, When I saw that the people were scattering from me and that you did not come within the days appointed and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord. So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly.
You have not kept the commandment of the Lord, your God, which he commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him about six hundred men. And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies.
One company turned toward Ophrah to the land of Sheol. Another company turned toward Beth-haron. And another company turned toward the border that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
Chapter 5: What preparations did Saul and Israel make for battle against the Philistines?
preparations for battle now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of israel for the philistines said lest the hebrews make themselves swords or spears but every one of the israelites went down to the philistines to sharpen his plowshare his mattock his axe or his sickle and the charge was a pym for the plowshares and for the mattocks and a third of a shekel for the sharpening of axes and for setting the goads
So on the day of the battle, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan, his son had them. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. Chapter 14, Jonathan surprises the Philistines. One day, Jonathan, the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor,
Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on yonder side. But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree, which is at Migron. The people who were with him were about 600 men and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod.
Chapter 6: How did Jonathan surprise the Philistines and what was the outcome?
And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. In the pass by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozes and the name of the other, Sanah. The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash and the other on the south in front of Geba.
And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few. And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that your mind inclines to. Behold, I am with you. As is your mind, so is mine.
Then said Jonathan, behold, we will cross over to the men and we will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and we will not go up to them. But if they say, come up to us, then we will go up for the Lord has given them into our hand and this shall be the sign to us.
So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines and the Philistines said, look, Hebrews are coming out of their holes where they have hid themselves. And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, come up to us and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, come up after me for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet and his armor bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them after him.
and that first slaughter which jonathan and his armor-bearer made was of about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land and there was a panic in the camp in the field and among all the people the garrison and even the raiders trembled the earth quaked and it became a very great panic
And the watchman of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was surging here and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number, and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God went at that time with the sons of Israel.
And while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. And Saul said to the priest, withdraw your hand. Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every man's sword was against his fellow. And there was very great confusion.
Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle.
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Chapter 7: What was Saul’s rash oath and how did it impact the people during the battle?
But the priest said, Let us draw near here to God. And Saul inquired of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. And Saul said, Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.
But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. Then he said to all Israel, You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do whatever seems good to you. Therefore Saul said, O Lord, God of Israel. Why have you not answered your servant this day?
If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. Then Saul said, Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan, and Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, tell me what you have done.
And Jonathan told him, I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I will die. And Saul said, God do so to me and more also, you shall surely die, Jonathan. Then the people said to Saul, shall Jonathan die who has wrought this great victory in Israel?
Far from it, as the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground for he has wrought with God this day. So the people ransomed Jonathan, that he did not die. Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. Saul's continuing wars.
When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he put them to the worse. And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Melchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these. The name of his firstborn was Merab, and the name of his younger Michal. And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
Kish was the father of Saul and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel. There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.
Psalm 58, prayer for vengeance to the choir master according to Do Not Destroy, a mictum of David.
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Chapter 8: How did Saul deal with the issue of his oath and Jonathan's disobedience?
Let them be like the snail, which dissolves into slime, like the untimely birth that never sees the sun. Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away. The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Men will say, surely there is a reward for the righteous.
Surely there is a God who judges on earth. Father in heaven, you are good and you are just.
You are a good and just judge. You are a good and just judge who knows the secrets of our hearts. You know the decisions of our wills. You know our actions that we make. And you know the secrets in our minds, in our hearts. You know what's hidden from everyone else, even from ourselves, Lord. You know us through and through. And we ask you to be a good and just judge.
We also ask you to be a merciful, merciful judge. We know our own brokenness and there's so much of our own selves that we don't even know. But you do, God. Nothing that we are, nothing that we do escapes you. And you still continue to choose us. You still continue to guide and guard us. And so this day, Lord God, please guide. And this day, Lord God, please guard. In Jesus' name we pray.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. so a lot of stuff happening in first samuel chapter 13 and 14 the you know and when i say a lot i don't just mean a lot of action i mean really important things for example in first samuel chapter 13 we see the reason why saul's kingdom comes to an end it's just we see the reason why he has no dynasty he has no legacy in fact
Saul is the only king, right? Jonathan does not become the king after him because Saul does what? Well, he's waiting for Samuel. And what do we see? There is this massive, massive army of the Philistines. They have 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, troops like sand on the seashore in multitude. And they're encamping against Israel.
And Israel does not have a lot of people, does not have a lot of warriors. They're lacking when it comes to their military might. Samuel says, hey, wait for me. I'll be there in seven days. And he doesn't show up. And what happens is all the people are scattering. Remember Saul's Achilles heel. Saul's woundedness is his vanity. He is overly preoccupied with what other people think.
And so as he sees them leaving, Saul says, okay, I'll take matters into my own hands and I will offer the sacrifice. Now, Samuel had said, wait for me to offer the sacrifice. And Saul did not wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice. He offered it himself. As soon as Saul gets done offering the sacrifice, Samuel shows up, good timing, and basically gives Saul the prophecy, gives Saul the message.
That message is because you didn't wait, because you disobeyed the Lord's command, your kingship will end with you. Someone else will be raised up to be the next king, and he will not be of your kin, will not be one of your family. Now, again, that's Saul's brokenness, right? He's inordinately preoccupied with what other people think. That's called the sin of vanity.
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