Saul had laid an oath on the people
Tue, 22 August, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”
31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
Jonathan and his armorbearer attacked a Philistine outpost, and win a great, though small victory. Saul observes the chaos in the Philistine camp, attacks, and there is a rout of the Philistines. But for some unknown reason, Saul makes a oath that curses anyone who eats during the day.
The people become weak in their fighting because of the lack of food, and when the oath expires, they are so hungry from the exertion that they violate the dietary laws in their haste get food.
What do we learn from this?
There is a time and place for an oath, but oaths are dangerous things. Particularly as a leader, you must be careful what you bind your people to do. There is a particular danger when you take something that is a basic need but isn’t sinful in itself, and forbid people to do it in the name of being pious. People will try to hold to the oath, but because of their fundamental desires, they will be greatly tempted, and often end up meeting the need in a sinful way. So something that is good and right in itself becomes sin because someone made up an unreasonable and unbiblical requirement. (Think of the harm done by the Roman Church requiring their priests to be celebate.)
We must not setup unbiblical standards and bind those around us to hold to them.
Where is Christ in this passage?
Jesus Christ warned us against causing His little ones to
stumble into sin. He cares greatly that we don’t harm others by our wrong requirements we place upon them. If as a leader we require people to hold to an unbiblical standard, and it drives them into sin, Jesus Christ calls woes upon us.
