Saul Confirmed as King

1 Samuel 11:1-15 

Key Verse 1 Samuel 11:15a

So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord. 

In this passage, we can think about couple things. 

(1) Satan’s strategy: Nahash’s behaviors (v1-2)

(2) Necessity of Savior (v3)

(3) Power of the Spirit of God (v6)

May God bless us with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can fight the spiritual battle against Satan for His Kingdom purpose.  

                                                  

1. Read verses 1-3. What did Nahash the Ammonite do to Jabesh Gilead? (1a) What did all the men of Jabesh in Gilead ask him? (1b) What treaty did Nahash suggest to them? (2a) Why? (2b) What did the elders of Jabesh ask him? (3)

1-1) Read verses 1-3

1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

1-2) What did Nahash the Ammonite do to Jabesh Gilead? (1a) 

a) “Nahash” (the meaning of the name is “serpent” or :snake”): 

i) A king of Ammonite: Descendent of Lot. 

He was defeated by Jephthah before. (Judge 11:12-33)

ii) He went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead.

iii) Similarity between Nahash (Serpent) and Satan. 

Satan wants us to serve him: requires our surrender.

Satan wants to humiliate us, and exalt himself over us. 

Satan wants to blind us, and he will blind us partially.

Satan wants to take away our ability to effectively fight against him.

b) Jabesh Gilead (Jabesh in  HYPERLINK "http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010827.htm" Gilead): 

Israelite town, of the half tribe of Manasseh, east of  HYPERLINK "http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20000406.htm" The Jordan River.

25 miles south of the Sea of Galilee (see the map)

1-3) What did all the men of Jabesh in Gilead ask him? (1b) 

a) Men of Jabesh asked Nahash, a king of Ammonite;

“Make a covenant with us, and we will be subject to you.” 

The men of Jabesh Gilead felt that surrender might be better than to be killed. 

Since they had their own families; 

Surrender was their only hope of survival. 

1-4) What treaty did Nahash suggest to them? (2a) Why? (2b)

a) “Gouge out the right eye of every one of you” 

b) Why? 

i) To glorify himself by humiliating the men of this city, and all of Israel. 

by making Israel look weak and humiliated 

ii) To make the men of Jabesh Gilead unable to fight effectively in battle. 

Without right eye: unable to see clearly

Left eye is blocked by a shield in general. 

1-5) What did the elders of Jabesh ask him? (3)

a) They asked for “Seven days”: 

If there is no one to save them, losing an eye seems better to them than losing their lives.

b) “If no one comes to rescue us”: 

i) They did know that they could not save themselves.

ii) They knew that they desperately needed a savior.

c) Necessity of Savior (Redeemer)  

i) We cannot save ourselves. Salvation is from the Lord. 

Most difficult fact to accept for the proud people like us is to accept our inability. 

What a truth it is; we cannot save us. We need a Savior. 

ii) We need a Savior, Jesus. (1Jn 4:14):

How often we act like we can save ourselves. 

How many people think and act as if they do not need a Savior, Jesus. 

2. Read verses 4-8. How did people of Israel respond when the messengers came to Gibeah? (4) What was Saul doing when he heard about Jabesh Gilead? (5) What happened to Saul when he heard the news? (6) What did he do with oxen and why? (7a) What happened to the people and how did they respond? (7b) How many men of Israel and Judah joined Saul? (8)

2-1) Read verses 4-8

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 

5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said. 6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. 7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they turned out as one man. 8 When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

2-2) How did people of Israel respond when the messengers came to Gibeah? (4) 

a) “All the people lifted up their voices and wept”. Their weeping shows their helplessness.

Their reaction showed they had forgotten God’s promise for protection. 

Their reaction showed their lack of faith in God. 

Their reaction showed their beaten spirit due to long suffering. 

2-3) What was Saul doing when he heard about Jabesh Gilead? (5) 

a) “Returning from the fields”: 

Saul had already been anointed and recognized as king over Israel, 

Yet in a sense there was nothing for him to do. 

No setting up a royal court and a bureaucracy.

Because Israel did not have a human king before. 

2-4) What happened to Saul when he heard the news? (6) 

a) “Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul”: 

The Spirit of God came upon Saul to equip him for the battle:

so that he could fight for the Lord.

The power was given to do mission for the Lord! (Acts 1:8).

b) He was burned with anger: 

i) Probably Spirit led anger within Saul. 

ii) The Bible says we can be angry, but do not sin in anger (Ephesians 4:26), 

But most of our anger does not bring righteous life (James 1:20)  

iii) Saul may have had a personal relationship/interest in Jabesh Gilead. 

Some of his ancestors came from Jabesh Gilead (1Sam 31:11-13).

Benjamites took wives from Jabesh Gilead and Shiloh (Judg. 21).

2-5) What did he do with oxen and why? (7a) 

a) “He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces”: 

The way Saul sent the message to the people was extremely drastic.

But Saul wanted to warn people that failure to defend the people of God would be sin. 

Similar pattern seen in OT. 

The Levite whose concubine had died cut her body into 12 pieces. (Judg. 

19:29-30)

Elisha, a prophet, used oxen for a sacrifice. (1 Kings 19:21). 

                                     

b) Saul and Samuel: Saul expects the prophet Samuel to accompany him into battle.

2-6) What happened to the people and how did they respond? (7b) 

a) “The terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.”  

All Israel knew there was a leader in Israel. 

They knew the Lord was calling them to do something about the crisis of Jabesh Gilead.

2-7) How many men of Israel and Judah joined Saul? (8)

a) Saul mustered [assemble soldiers; gather people together] at Bezek 

Men of Israel 300,000

Men of Judah 30,000

3. Read verses 9-11. What did they tell the messengers regarding Jabesh Gilead and how did the men of Jabesh respond to the news? (9) What did men of Jabesh say to the Ammonites? (10) How did Saul attack the camp of the Ammonites? (11a)  What was the result? (11b)

 

3-1) Read verses 9-11. 

9 They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10 They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

3-2) What did they tell the messengers regarding Jabesh Gilead and how did the men of Jabesh respond to the news? (9) 

a) “You will be delivered.” 

Saul and his soldiers were full of confidence to save men of Jabesh Gilead. 

They even gave them the time line for deliverance. 

b) Men of Jabesh Gilead were elated. [make somebody very happy]

Because they know they have someone to save them! 

Knowing we have a savior should make us glad and excited.

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, makes us joyful and hopeful in any situation. 

3-3) What did men of Jabesh say to the Ammonites? (10) 

a) “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.”

They are speaking as if they will surrender to Nahash.

So his army will be unprepared for battle.

3-4) How did Saul attack the camp of the Ammonites? (11a)  

a) Saul put the men into three companies: 

Saul appears to be a man of good military strategy. 

He thought out the attack before the battle started.

3-5) What was the result? (11b)

a) Killed Ammonites until the heat of the day, no two of them were left together: 

It was a total victory. 

The city of Jabesh Gilead was saved.

4. Read verses 12-15. After the victory, what did people say to Samuel? (12) What was Saul’s response? (13) What did Samuel say to the people? (14) What did all the people do? (15) 

4-1) Read verses 12-15

12 The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

4-2) After the victory, what did people say to Samuel? (12) 

a) “Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.”

The supporters of Saul wanted to kill those who did not support him as king 

(1 Sam 10:27).

4-3) What was Saul’s response? (13) 

a) “No one shall be put to death today.” 

Saul knew that people of Israel are not his enemy. 

He did not seek personal revenge on people who did not support him. (1 Sam 10:27)

He knew this was no time to take revenge on his opponents. 

b) “For this day, the Lord has rescued Israel.”

Saul knew that the Lord has rescued Israel, not himself. 

He was humble and brought all the glory to the Lord. 

He was not self-serving at this time.

4-4) What did Samuel say to the people? (14) 

a) Reaffirm the kingship

Samuel knew that people did not support Saul as king initially. (1 Sam 10:24,27) 

He wisely use this time of victory as an opportunity to reaffirm Saul’s kingship. 

4-5) What did all the people do? (15) 

a) All the people made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. 

This is the third indication that God had chosen Saul to lead Israel as a king. 

i) Saul was anointed as king by God through Samuel. (1 Samuel 10:1)

ii) Saul was chosen as a king by lot. (1 Sam 10:24)

Saul was affirmed as a king by some of Israel.

iii) Saul was confirmed as a king by all the people of Israel (1Sam 11:15)

after great victory against Ammonites.

b) Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

Sacrificed “fellowship offerings” and rejoiced greatly.

They were so excited to have a great king. 

In Conclusion

In times of critical situation, Saul rescued the Israel by the power of Spirit. God could use Saul as a king when he had faith in God and was humble before Him.  

In our spiritual battle, we must discern the Satan’s strategy and fully trust Jesus our Savior and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. May God strengthen us with His might so that we can fight the spiritual battle for His glory.