4. Saul's effective leadership in battle 11:1-11

Israel's king not only needed to be an admirable individual in his personal conduct, but he also needed to be an effective military commander. The writer pointed out Saul's abilities in this area in this chapter. The nation consequently united behind him because of his success. This was the third divine indication that God had chosen Saul to lead Israel following his private anointing and his public choice by lot.

 The Ammonite siege of Jabesh-gilead 11:1-5

The Ammonites were Israel's enemies to the east. They were descendants of Lot whom Jephthah had defeated earlier (Judg. 11:12-33). Nahash evidently sought revenge for Jephthah's victory over his nation. Jabesh-gilead lay a few miles east of the Jordan Valley and about 25 miles south of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee).¹¹⁷The men of Jabesh offered to surrender and serve the Ammonites if Nahash would make a covenant with them rather than slaughtering them.

Nahash's purpose to put out the right eye of his enemies was not uncommon in that day. This wound made a conquered nation easier to control, and it testified to the conqueror's superior power. Specifically it made aiming arrows with the right eye impossible and therefore insured the Ammonites' safety. Perhaps Nahash's decision to attack Jabesh-gilead was the result of the Israelites breaking a treaty with his nation.

"In the ancient Near East, the physical mutilation, dismemberment, or death of an animal or human victim could be expected as the inevitable penalty for treaty violation."¹¹⁸

Nahash's willingness to let his enemies appeal for help shows he had no fear that threatening reinforcements would come. He was sure of his superiority and may have viewed the delay as an opportunity to insure victory. At this time Israel lacked a central government, national solidarity, and a standing army. However, Saul was now Israel's king.

The announcement of the messengers from Jabesh led the people in Saul's hometown, as well as elsewhere undoubtedly, to weep. They had again forgotten God's promises to protect them since they were His people. Their reaction was a result of viewing the situation from the natural perspective only.

Why was Saul at home farming since he was Israel's king? He had not yet received direction from God or Samuel to do anything else as far as we know. The fact that he, the anointed king, was plowing shows his humility. Estate owners never worked the land themselves.¹¹⁹Furthermore he was willing to work hard. Thus he was not self-centered at this time (cf. 2 Cor. 4:5).

 Saul's deliverance of Jabesh-gilead 11:6-11

God's Spirit came on Saul in the sense that He stirred up his spirit (cf. 10:6, 10). His response to the messengers' news was appropriate indignation since non-Israelites were attacking God's covenant people (Gen. 12:3). Saul may have had a personal interest in Jabesh-gilead since some of his ancestors evidently came from there (cf. 31:11-13). Following the civil war in Israel, during which many Benjamites had died, many who remained alive had taken wives from the women of Jabesh-gilead and the women of Shiloh (Judg. 21).

Saul did something drastic to impress the gravity of the Ammonite siege on his fellow Israelites. He followed the example of the Levite whose concubine had died in Saul's hometown (Judg. 19:29-30). Later another plowman, Elisha, would slaughter a pair of oxen and host a meal for his friends as he began his ministry as a prophet (1 Kings 19:21).

"Saul's slaughter and dissection of his oxen is reminiscent of the Levite's treatment of his murdered concubine and clearly is designed to connect the commencement of his reign with the historical event which accounts for his Jabesh-Gilead maternal roots."¹²⁰

Saul linked himself with Samuel because Samuel was the recognized spiritual leader of the nation. The Israelites probably dreaded both Saul's threatened reprisals for not responding to his summons and the Ammonite threat.

"In Saul's energetic appeal the people discerned the power of Jehovah, which inspired them with fear, and impelled them to immediate obedience."¹²¹

The response of the Israelites constituted the greatest show of military strength since Joshua's day (assuming elephmeans "thousand"here). Bezek lay about 16 miles west of Jabesh-gilead on the Jordan's western side (cf. Judg. 1:4-5). The division of the soldiers into Israelites and Judahites probably reflects the division of the nation that existed when the writer wrote this book. There is no evidence that such a division existed when the event recorded here happened.

The messengers returned to Jabesh-gilead with the promise that their town would be free by noon the next day. The leaders of Jabesh-gilead used a play on words as they cleverly led the Ammonites into self-confidence that they would win. The Ammonites had threatened to put out the right eyes of the men of Jabesh (v. 2). The Jabeshites now told the Ammonites to do whatever seemed good literally "in their eyes"(cf. 14:36).

Saul wisely divided his troops into three companies. He attacked the beseiging Ammonites early in the morning. The morning watch was the last of three night watches, and it lasted from about 2:00 to 6:00 a.m.¹²²The Ammonites did not expect the other Israelites to show so much support for the Jabeshites. Saul thoroughly surprised and defeated them.¹²³