64
Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4a
much through faintness, and when the time of the vow expired, the
people were so faint that they transgressed the commandment of the
Lord, and ate meat with the blood, which had been forbidden of God.
Saul was determined to slay his son Jonathan, because in his faintness
he had tasted of a little honey, being ignorant of his father’s vow.
Here was seen Saul’s blind zeal, and failure to judge righteously
and wisely in difficult matters. He should have reasoned thus: God
has been pleased to work in a special manner through Jonathan, thus
choosing him among the children of Israel to deliver them; and it
would be a crime to destroy his life, which God has miraculously
[72]
preserved. He knew that if he spared his life he must acknowledge
that he had committed an error in making such a vow. This would
humble his pride before the people. Saul should have respected the
ones whom God had honored by choosing them to deliver Israel. In
putting Jonathan to death, he would slay one whom God loved, while
those whose hearts were not right with God he would preserve alive.
God would not suffer Jonathan to die, but led the people to oppose
Saul’s judgment, although he were a ruling monarch, that he might be
convinced that he sinned in making so rash a vow. “And the people said
unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation
in Israel? God forbid. As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of
his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So
the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.”
Saul was an impulsive man, and the people of Israel were soon
made to feel their sin in demanding a king. The Lord directed Samuel
to go unto Saul with a special command from him. Before he related
to him the words of the Lord, he said to him. “The Lord sent me
to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel; now therefore
hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.”
Samuel had lost confidence in Saul’s religious character, because
he had been so regardless of following the word of the Lord. He had
sinned in his presumptuous offering, and greatly erred in his rash vow.
Therefore Samuel gave him a special charge to heed the words of the
Lord. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek
did to Israel. How he laid wait for him in the way when he came up
from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they have, and spare them not.”