Chapter 11
Nahash the Ammonite brings his army against Jabesh Gilead. The men of Jabesh Gilead, Israelites all offer to make a treaty with him. His terms are that he will make the treaty if they let him gouge out all their right eyes, so that all Israel will be shamed by it. They ask for 7 days to send messengers out and see if anyone will come and help them. If not, they will let Jabesh gouge out their eyes and so shame all of Israel. One of the messengers gets to Gibeah and Saul learns of it. This verse:
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. [1Sa 11:6 ESV]
This is now the third time that Saul has been "changed". (1 Sam 10:6, and 9). MSB says 10:6 made him a military leader, 9 made him a king, so what does this one do? MSB says this filled Saul with divine indignation and empowered him to deliver the people of Jabesh-Gilead.
Well...not going to argue with MSB...but seems to me that this way of interpreting the three doesn't really ring true. Would be worth a deeper study, and a comparison back with the other judges, to see if similar things happened to them. Gideon was given signs, as Saul was...Hmm. There could be a lot of these similarities. A good study could be made. Also, many of the men raised up as judges were shot through and through with character flaws. So is Saul.
Saul hears of this,and sends messengers with cut up pieces of oxen all over Israel (in less than seven days, remember).
2021 - Isn't it interesting that here in Gibeah, where events had previously led to a concubine being cut up in pieces and sent all over Israel, Saul now cuts up a yoke of oxen and mails them off to the corners of the kingdom. Was this some traditional way of stating a serious grievance or intent that was specific to Gibeah, or maybe to the people of that day and age? What a "foreign" thing that is for us today. MSB notes the similarity but does not speculate further on what it might mean.
2022 - Saul was reminding the people that in the face of great injustice and evil, all Israel ought to unite as one and avenge the injustice, even to the wiping out of a whole tribe of Israel. Remember too that Saul was FROM Gibeah, where the previous injustice had occurred. He is shaming them into helping turn back the Ammonites, where otherwise they might just say "how sad that they all had their eyes gouged out". This was NOT something that ought to be passively allowed to happen to their nation.
The fear of God is put into the men of Israel and for once, they all muster out and show up to fight with Saul as their leader. They are united under a leader that they did not all support initially. In time of crisis, all questions about Saul...no...this wasn't the people that decided Saul would do ok, it took a special act of God to instill loyalty to Saul in these people. So this would be the way to pray for our country right now. That God would change the people, not the President.
2022 - How in the world did all this happen in 7 days. Those guys only had a week. Saul sent out cut up oxen with a message, and all these people hurry to Bezek with their weapons, AND go and attack the Ammonites, inside a week.
The gathered army is 300,000 strong, and they go to attack the Ammonites, defeating their army and scattering his men such that "no two are left together". Saul thereby cements his position as King of all Israel. This verse:
12 Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death." [1Sa 11:12 ESV]
The people are now ready to kill the "Not my King" group, and it is Saul who shows them mercy.
2022 - Saul's success in averting this evil unites all the tribes and squashes the previous dissent we saw at the end of Chapter 10. This verse:
15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. [1Sa 11:15 ESV]
Israel united under one man. No more judges. The transition to a King as head of state is now complete.