Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day. [1 Samuel 14:24 (NLT)]
Last week, when writing how Jephthah’s reckless vow caused his daughter’s death, I remembered how Saul’s equally foolish vow nearly cost his son’s life. While Israel was at war with the Philistines, Saul and his 600 men were camped near Gibeah. Israel was seriously out-numbered by the better-armed Philistines and, because their enemy controlled the pass at Micmash, Saul’s troops could proceed no further. Although the rest of Saul’s men were afraid, Jonathan and his armor bearer were confident that the Lord was with them. Tired of the hopeless standoff with their enemies, the two snuck out of camp and headed toward the Philistine garrison. After passing through two treacherous cliffs and scaling a steep slope, they entered the enemy outpost and, outnumbered ten to one, killed them all.
Their brief skirmish threw the entire Philistine army into a panic and, when the earth shook, there was mass confusion among Israel’s enemy. Seeing the chaos from afar, Saul and his men rushed into battle. The battle went so well that even deserters who’d defected to the Philistines and Israelites who’d been hiding in the hills joined in fighting Israel’s foe.
During Jonathon’s absence from camp, Saul vowed a curse upon anyone who ate before evening and he exacted revenge on his enemies. Not knowing of his father’s vow, however, Jonathon paused during the battle to eat some honey he found. When told of his father’s vow, he recognized it for what it was—a foolish curse. “My father has made trouble for us all!” Pointing out how just a little honey restored his energy, he added, “A command like that only hurts us.”
Indeed, rather than inspiring his troops with his reckless vow, Saul impaired them and even caused them to sin. Because none of his men dared pause during battle to eat the spoil of their enemies, they grew fatigued. Had they not been faint from hunger, their victory over the Philistines would have been far greater. That evening, the famished men broke the law by not properly butchering the captured meat and eating it without draining the blood.
Upon discovering Jonathon’s accidental transgression, Saul insisted that his son deserved death. He was as willing as was Jephthah to sacrifice his own child to fulfill a vow that never should have been made. Backing down and allowing Jonathon to live would have required Saul to admit the error of his imprudent vow, so the proud king doubled down by making yet another rash vow—that God should strike and even kill him if his son didn’t die. Saul’s men knew that, without Jonathon’s courageous act, there would have been no victory to celebrate and refused to bow to the king’s wishes. In response to Saul’s vow, they swore that not a hair on the Jonathon’s head would be touched. Facing such bold defiance from his own men, Saul reluctantly rescinded his order. The man so willing to sacrifice his own son to fulfill his first foolish vow, was not so willing to face death to fulfill his second one!
Let us learn from the rash vows of both Saul and Jephthah and think carefully before making promises to God or anyone else. Talk is cheap—but not when it costs someone else their life!
Devotions of the Heart 