31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 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. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 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 who answered him. 40 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 what seems good to you.” 41 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. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.
43 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.” 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. – 1 Samuel 14:31-46 ESV
Leave it to Saul to turn victory into defeat. When he finally discovered that his son had instigated an unauthorized attack at Michmash that caught the Philistines by surprise and caused them to panic, he decided to get in on the action by sending his troops into the battle. In his new role as king, he decided to flaunt his authority by requiring every soldier to swear an oath of abstinence. He forbade them from taking any sustenance until the enemy was completely defeated and while his son had believed that God would give the victory, Saul managed to make it all about him.
“Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” – 1 Samuel 14:24 NLT
His rash decision to require his men to make a needless oath to protect his vain reputation would have serious consequences. He had decided to make this battle personal and his ridiculous executive order was going to come back to haunt him.
Surprisingly, as the battle waged on, the troops obeyed the command and refrained from eating any food. But Jonathan wasn’t in the camp when the order was given, so when he became famished, he took advantage of some raw honey discovered in the forest. His fellow soldiers warned him of the king’s edict, but Jonathan responded with a blunt and less-than-flattering assessment of his father’s unwise decision.
“My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed. “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!” – 1 Samuel 14:29-30 NLT
But the ramifications of Saul’s order would be far worse than Jonathan thought. As the day wore on and the Israelite soldiers wore down, they became so desperate for nourishment that they ended up violating Saul’s command. Worse yet, in doing so, they broke the law of God.
They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint. That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. – 1 Samuel 14:31-32 NLT
Saul caused his own men to sin against God. In prohibiting them from eating until the enemy was defeated and he was avenged, Saul had created a worst-case scenario that put his men in deadly danger. Every Israelite soldier knew the law of God that prohibited the consumption of blood. For generations, they had followed the command given by God to Moses.
“…never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat. Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 12:23-25 NLT
But on this occasion, Saul’s command superseded that of God. His men faithfully obeyed his edict until the battle was over and they returned to camp in the evening. Overcome by fatigue and hunger, the starving men slaughtered the livestock and greedily consumed the meat without properly draining away the blood. News of this out-of-control blood-soaked feast reached the ears of Saul.
“Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.” – 1 Samuel 14:33 NLT
Suddenly realizing the stupidity of his earlier decision, Saul attempted to make up for his mistake by ordering a large stone be set up for properly preparing the meat for human consumption.
“Find a large stone and roll it over here. Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” – 1 Samuel 14:33-34 NLT
But rather than take responsibility for this disturbing scene, Saul blamed his men, saying, “You have dealt treacherously…” (1 Samuel 14: 33 ESV). In other words, it was all their fault. But their hunger-induced action was the direct result of Saul’s pride-induced decision to ban all food consumption. He had unwittingly caused his men to sin against God. Now, he tried to fix the problem by ordering the construction of an altar on which to offer sacrifices to Jehovah.
Throughout the night, the men slaughtered animals, offered sacrifices, and satiated their hunger. But no one rested. Instead, Saul ordered the men to pick up arms and return to the field of battle, demanding the complete annihilation of the Philistine army. Their bellies bloated with meat and their eyes weary from exhaustion, the men of Israel complied with Saul’s command. But Ahijah the priest suggested that they seek the will of God before venturing back to the battlefield.
So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day. – 1 Samuel 14:37 NLT
Ahijah likely attempted to use the Urim and Thummim, the sacred lots that were kept in a pouch on the high priestly ephod. But no matter how many times he cast the stone, God remained silent. Saul sought to know God’s will but his pleas fell on deaf ears. It’s not that God didn’t hear Saul’s questions, but that He had already rejected Saul as king.
“You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT
God’s silence was Saul’s fault but, unwilling to admit his own culpability in the matter, Saul sought a scapegoat. He declared that God’s unwillingness to respond was someone else’s fault and vowed to find out who was responsible. This led him to make yet another unwise and uncalled-for command.
“I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” – 1 Samuel 14:39 NLT
Saul’s men were appalled by this decision because they knew that Jonathan was the one who had unknowingly violated the original ban. The king was issuing a death warrant that called for his own son’s execution.
What happens next would almost be humorous if not for the seriousness of the consequences. Saul demanded that the people gather while Ahijah used the Urim and Thummim once again to seek an answer from the Lord. Saul was convinced that God’s failure to answer his original question was the result of sin in the camp and he was determined to discover the guilty party. So, as he and Jonathan observed the proceedings, Ahijah cast the lots and, this time, God answered.
Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. – 1 Samuel 14:41 NLT
This was not the outcome Saul was expecting. But it was reminiscent of the time when God had used the Urim and Thummim to expose Saul as His candidate to be king (1 Samuel 10:20-24). This time, the sacred lots revealed a radically different verdict: Saul and his son were both guilty before God. But sadly, Jonathan’s guilt was the direct result of his father’s rash and unnecessary prohibition against food consumption. That ill-fated decision had been Saul’s will, not God’s. Now his son would suffer the consequences.
Almost in a state of panic, Saul demanded that the lots be cast again to determine whether he or his son was to blame. Ahijah consulted the Urim and Thummin one more time and the answer they gave must have stunned Saul. “Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one” (1 Samuel 14:42 NLT). This unexpected verdict left Saul in a conundrum. What was he to do now? He had made a public vow to execute the guilty party – even if it was his own son. With his son’s guilt exposed for all to see, would Saul keep his vow?
Still reeling from what had just happened, Saul demanded an explanation from Jonathan. What could his son have done to deserve death? What vile sin had he committed that led God to go silent? The answer Jonathan gave must have hit Saul like a hammer.
“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?” – 1 Samuel 14:43 NLT
What Saul probably wanted to say was, “No, that is not a crime worthy of death.” But because God had revealed Jonathan as the guilty party, he knew he was obligated to keep his vow. He had promised to execute whoever God deemed as the sinner.
While the text provides no evidence of the inner turmoil that must have raged through Saul’s mind, it’s difficult to believe that he didn’t try to think of a way to get around his earlier vow. Because this entire exchange took place in a public setting, Saul was obligated to keep his word. Stunned and saddened, Saul announced, “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “…you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this” (1 Samuel 14:44 NLT). Unbelievably, Saul makes yet another rash vow, challenging God to kill him if he fails to follow through with his son's death.
But the people quickly intervened, persuading Saul to spare the life of Jonathan. And, just like that, Saul ignored his vow to God and allowed his son to live. Ultimately, Saul was the real guilty party. His sin had caused God’s silence. His rash vow had led to Jonathan’s unwitting sin. His decision to hide in a cave at Gibeah had allowed the Philistines to ravage Israel at will. Had it not been for the faith of Jonathan, the Philistines would have continued to wreak havoc throughout the land of Israel. But God had rewarded Jonathan’s faith with victory.
Yet, rather than finish the job that Jonathan had started, Saul called off his troops and allowed the Philistines to live and fight another day – another decision that would come back to haunt him.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.