1 Samuel 14:24-52 | Food for Thought
1 Samuel 14:24-52
Food for Thought:
Rules for Whose Greater Good? Saul made his soldiers promise not to eat anything before night time - specifically before he had finished getting revenge on the Philistines. However, his son, Jonathan, hadn’t heard of the oath his dad made everyone swear, and he ate some honey. His response to learning that he should be cursed is… interesting!
How does Jonathan react to learning about this new rule for the first time? How do the soldiers follow suit when they’re exhausted after a long day?
Does Jonathan have a point here? Why do you think Saul would make his soldiers swear such an oath? Whose good or glory could it have been for?
Regardless, what is Jonathan’s posture when it comes time to reckon with the rule he broke? What does that say about him? …his thoughts about his dad?
What rule do the rest of the Israelites break when they start eating meat? What makes this rule different from the one that Saul made? (Read Genesis 9:1-6. It’s God’s rule, everyone knew it, etc.)
Have you wanted to “curse” (maybe not literally!) folks for not following a rule or oath lately? Whose rule is it? Whose good and glory is it for? Whose good and glory if your response for?
How do the ways you respond to infractions against your rules compare to people breaking God’s explicit ones? How does this reflect what matters most to you? How does this reveal the way you perceive and measure faithfulness?
Rules for What Ultimate Point? Despite having his troops swear an oath and him himself saying God should punish him if he doesn’t give Jonathan the death penalty, Saul doesn’t follow through on any of it. It almost cost his son his life, but he was all bark and no bite this time around.
The schemes of Saul almost led to the death of his son under a curse. Does this say anything about Saul? …his rules? …Jonathan?
How does Jonathan get away without a punishment of any kind? How does this allude to the random and redemption we enjoy because Jesus died under a curse for us?
While the death of Jesus upheld the justice of God and pointed to his holiness, does the ransom of Jonathan say anything about the justice of Saul? Do you think it vindicated him in any way, or did it undercut his authority and commitment to justice? Why?
Have you ever instituted a rule that wound up being a bad idea in the end? Tell us about it! What would you have done differently? Why?
What do you have a hard time following through on? Are there things you say or swear that consistently don’t show up in what you do? What does this say about you? …the Lord?
Rules for What Kind of People? The way Saul is ruling has had an impact on the people… and not in a good way. He “attaches himself” to the strongest, most valiant soldiers and went on to score a lot of victories for the Israelites. And yet, it doesn’t seem as if he has the greatest reputation.
How does the company we keep and “attach ourselves” to reveal something about the way we measure success or faithfulness? …what we care about?
How can the way others perceive or interact with someone give you insight into that person? How can it be totally wrong?
Both the Lord and his people refuse to answer Saul at times, and when his people do reply, it’s, “Do whatever you want,” or, “Don’t do that; you’re killing the one guy that’s done something good!” How should we think about Saul in light of others’ interactions with him?
Do we see any evidence of how the people of God are being shaped by Saul’s leadership - for better and for worse?
On the other hand, how have they been impacted by Jonathan and his perceived boldness in the Lord? …for better or for worse?
Would you rather be led by Saul or Jonathan? Why?