Draft King (1 Samuel 14:47-52)

Charles VI became king of France in 1380. He’s described as “a handsome, well-built, tall, and fair.”^[1]When he came into his own as king, he got rid of his corrupt uncles, who were draining France’s coffers. He and his army were outnumbered 3 to 1 but won a key victory over the Flemish army.^[2] Their success cemented French authority and military dominance for a time.^[3]

Charles “ushered in a new period of high esteem for the crown,”^[4] and became known as Charles the Beloved by his subjects.

On paper, this king was doing well. But in person things were different. He was going insane. Charles suffered from fits of psychosis and paranoia. At times he would run wild through the corridors of his home and, to keep him from escaping, the entrances had to be walled up.

Once, while traveling through a forest with a company of troops, a page boy dropped a lance, causing a loud crash. Charles burst into a psychotic frenzy, killing five of his own knights before being subdued by the others.^[5]

He was “Charles the Beloved” at first, but history knows him by a different name: The Glass King.^[6] You see, Charles suffered from a specific affliction: He believed his entire body was made of glass. He thought if anyone bumped him, he would shatter. No one was allowed to come near him. He had iron rods installed in his clothing for protection.

Year after year, his madness deepened. One source wrote, “beneath the polished veneer of…pageantry, a slow-motion catastrophe was unfolding.”^[7]

On first look, our text this morning seems both straightforward and positive. It’s a summary of Saul’s reign. Saul, like Charles VI, was king for 42 years. And those years saw many military victories.

On paper, the summary is impressive. But as we look deeper, as we probe beneath the surface, we find Saul’s victories were temporary and hollow. And it’s not just because we’re pessimistic on Saul. Our author does this interesting thing with Saul’s story – he goes back and forth between showing him in a positive light, then showing him in a negative light. And while there are positives in this text, we know that Saul’s story is a spiral downward into personal tragedy, spiritual tragedy, national tragedy. We will watch as Saul slides into madness and violence toward the innocent. We will see a king who started with some promise, but ends his reign not just failing to obey God, but actively resisting God. Actively working against what God has said. Actively fighting to destroy what God desires. And so his

That’s why, though tall and handsome, though he tallied military success, Saul is remembered not in victory, but in defeat. His is a cautionary tale. An example of what we should avoid in life.

1 Samuel 14:47 – ⁴⁷ When Saul assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies in every direction: against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he caused havoc.

“Assumed the kingship” here may also mean “seized territory beyond Israel.”^[8] After those initial years of occupation, things are much better, politically speaking for God’s people.

These names listed in this verse represent enemies to the north, the south, the east, and the west.^[9] One scholar writes, “The implication is that [Saul] carried out punishing expeditions against Israel’s enemies…without actually conquering them.”^[10] So there was success, but not lasting peace.

1 Samuel 14:48 – ⁴⁸ He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who plundered them.

Yet another enemy is tacked on here – the Amalekites. Now, if you’re able to be with us next time, remember this verse. The Amalekites, who had a long history with Israel, are defeated. They are right where God wants them after centuries of refusing to repent. But despite Saul’s victory over them on paper, they would prove to be final nail in the coffin of his reign.

And that’s what’s surprising about these verses. They read like the end of life summary passages that we see again and again in 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, when wrapping up a monarch’s story. But Saul is going to be with us for 17 more chapters! So why is the Bible speaking about him as if he’s done?

It’s because as far as the Lord is concerned, Saul’s kingship is over. After another great spiritual failure in chapter 15, Samuel will be sent to anoint a new king. And though Saul will be with us for many more texts and lots of time, he is no longer the focal point of God’s work. David is. And Saul will become an antagonist to the man the Lord is raising up to rule.

So verses 47 and 48 are like a closing summary. On paper, it looks pretty good. Lots of victory. Territorial expansion. But as one commentator writes, “Saul’s summary is more notable for what it does not say than for what it does say.”^[11] There is no mention of Yahweh. And what he does accomplish will not last. And as the book closes we will see that Saul was not able to conquer any of these enemies. That was left to David to do. Which 2 Samuel 8 tells us he was able to do by Yahweh’s power and ability.

Now here’s a spiritual principle we can draw out from these verses: Saul had significant success. He was brave. He did win some battles. But behind the scenes, the man was in shambles. His family relationships were a mess. His spiritual life was crumbling.

We should not assume that material success means we’re right with God. Don’t slip into a theology that tricks you into thinking, “the fact that I’m doing well financially or professionally means I’m a really good Christian.”

Maybe God is pouring out His favor on you, but our physical circumstances are not the measure of our spiritual fruitfulness. Saul looked like he was king of the hill for awhile. But if you know the rest of the story, you know that the Amalekites, though defeated physically, would ultimately come out victorious over Saul. And though for a time he won battles against the Philistines, we know in the ned they are the ones who kill him and his sons, including the man who might have been the greatest Old Testament king of all, Jonathan.

So, if things are going well, praise the Lord for it. Ask the Lord how you can use your life for His glory. And if circumstances are going badly in your life, don’t automatically assume it’s because you’re not Christian enough. Paul’s circumstances were often very bad as he was serving the Lord and doing exactly what God wanted him to do.

This is one reason why we need to personally cultivate a relationship with God the Holy Spirit. He’s the One Who guides us into all truth. He leads us and intercedes for us and helps us in our weakness and reminds us of Jesus’ teachings. He fills us up with hope and gives us gifts and helps us comprehend the thoughts of God and the depths of God.

So, am I living in a way that pleases God? Am I on the path He wants me on? Those questions are no longer answered by casting lots or by whether the crops come in or are destroyed, but through the Word and the Spirit.

1 Samuel 14:49 – ⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab, his firstborn, and Michal, the younger.

Saul had more than three sons. Three will die with him in the closing chapter of this book. Another named Ish-bosheth but briefly take Saul’s place as a figurehead king. But again, scholars note that a listing of family like this is usually what indicates the end of a character’s story.^[12]

Jonathan and Michal are going to be key figures in the David story. Both loved David. Jonathan as a friend and loyal subject, Michal would become his wife. Saul will try to use both of them to kill David, which is a special kind of tragedy.

1 Samuel 14:50-51 –⁵⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father was Kish. Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.

Pretty straightforward. But here’s what I find interesting: Saul, apparently, only had one cabinet position.^[13] Abner commanded his army. Beyond that, there really wasn’t much going on. Saul did not seem to do any building within the nation. Lots of fighting, lots of brawling, but we’re not told of any building, any growth, any development.

You know we think of Solomon building the Temple and other palaces and buildings. Hezekiah constructed waterways. David – David was an amazing administrator. 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles tell us that he not only had an army commander, he had a court historian, court secretary, chief officials, he appointed stone cutters for preparing to build the temple. He organized the heads of the Israelite families to serve for one month of the year, each one over 24,000 men.^[14]

He set apart musicians to play music and worship and prophesy. He created a new and complex administration for the divisions of the priests and Levites. 6,000 set apart as officers and judges, 4,000 as gatekeepers, 4,000 as full time musicians, 24,000 to work in the future temple.^[15]

And now we contrast that with Saul. Saul could swing a sword – we’ll see he’s not too good with a spear – but as far as we know he never wrote a psalm. He never builds anything other than a monument to himself instead of carrying out God’s commands. After 42 years, really it all came down to this:

1 Samuel 14:52 – ⁵² The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.

Fierce fighting all his days. On a spiritual level, that was not a good sign. What God wanted was to give His people rest all around. When Joshua was old, we’re told God had given rest from all the enemies around them.^[16] In the book of Judges, there were these periods where they had rest from enemies all around.^[17] Once David was king and settled in his palace we read, “the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies.”^[18] The Lord will tell David about the son who would be king after him and God says, “But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies.”^[19]

This is what God wanted to do. It had been the promise He made back in Deuteronomy, when Moses was leading the people.

Deuteronomy 25:19 – ¹⁹ When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.

Do you know what’s going to happen in the very next chapter? Saul will have a chance to obey this command, but he won’t do it. And so, he knows no rest all the days of his kingship.

And because of that, he had to rule in his own strength. Of course, his ow strength wasn’t enough. So whenever he saw a strong man, he took him. You know, the same verb for enlisted will be used when David takes Bathsheba into his house after having Uriah killed.^[20]

It didn’t matter if that valiant man had other responsibilities, other dreams, other opportunities. No, he was drafted by the king who had to keep his army as strong as he could.

In contrast to when God is your King. When God is the King, He doesn’t need strong warriors, He is the Mighty Warrior.^[21] His goal is not to keep His people in perpetual combat, but to give them rest.

Saul’s reign was made of glass. On paper, we might be impressed with his resume. But the reality is not one we’d want for ourselves. Instead of rest, Saul found himself in a state of continuous combat.^[22] Not only with the Philistines, but with his family, with his countrymen, with the priests, with his God. He tries to kill his own son.

One of the great lessons of Saul’s story is that there’s more to life than material success. More to life than prominence or title or position. More than just expanding our territory. Do we have a growing, personal relationship with the living God? Because if we don’t, no matter what we try to build it will get torn down in the end. It won’t last.

And as believers, Saul’s example gives us a good question to ask as we think about our lives. Are we building or are we always just brawling? Fighting against God’s leading, against His commands? Do we find ourselves constantly in conflict with our brothers and sisters around us? Or can we say, “Yes, sometimes there is a struggle against principalities and powers, but as we do that spiritual warfare there is also building, growth, the bearing of fruit?”

Jesus offers us rest. Not necessarily ease, but rest. We’re encouraged and commanded to make every effort to enter into the rest God wants for us. A rest that flows from obeying God, honoring God, hearing God, and following Him. So that when the final summary of our lives is given, it’s not that we had some earthly success that died with us, but that we were found to be faithful servants of the One True King.