Saul Defeats Nahash_Saves Jabesh Gilead

1 Samuel 11:1-2 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.” ² But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

The Ammonite army, led by Nahash surrounded this Israelite city and made their demands clear. Either they surrender to Nahash under agreed upon terms, or they will simply be killed and plundered. The men of Jabesh Gilead felt this was their only hope of survival. To make a treaty with the enemy and be subject to him.

So, Nahash agrees—but only if all the men of the city would agree to have their right eye gouged out.

Nahash makes this demand for a couple of reasons.

One, to humiliate and discourage the men of Jabesh Gilead (God’s people) and bring disgrace on all of Israel.

Two, half-blinding the men of Jabesh Gilead would make them unable to fight effectively in battle. In hand-to-hand combat, the man with one eye would be at a huge disadvantage fighting a man with two eyes. (step out–make sense)

I see a similarity in these events between the serpent, our spiritual enemy, and Nahash, the enemy of Israel, who are God’s chosen people.

The devil (serpent) attacks us, but cannot do anything against us without our agreement.                 He always asks for and requires our total surrender.

Serpent wants us to serve him and will attempt to intimidate us into giving in to him. The serpent wants to humiliate us and exalt himself over us. Because he knows by humiliating us or bringing down one saint, he can bring disgrace on all God’s people.

The serpent wants to take away our ability to effectively fight against him. Serpent wants to blind us and if he cannot blind us completely, he will blind us partially.

The name Nahash means:***  Nahash = “serpent or snake” (many faces)

These are God’s people, but instead of humbling themselves and crying out to God, they offer to become the servants of Nabash… How sad it is to see God’s chosen people willing to submit to such a vile master! Yet how often is this event repeated! How often do God’s people say to the serpent, ‘Make a treaty with me, and I will be subject to you.

Unfortunately, the serpent today has blinded many of God’s people, whether partially or fully, and rendered them ineffective in our spiritual.

1 Samuel 11:3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us (to save us), we will surrender to you.”  (if they only had someone to save them from the serpent)

The men of Jabesh Gilead were in a difficult spot. Horrified at the demand of Nahash, but they also believed that their choices were limited. And if there was no one to save them, Nahash would do to them as he pleased, and for them losing an eye seemed like a better option than losing their lives.

They also knew there was no hope in and of themselves. They knew that they needed someone to save them; they needed a savior. (fate of Nahash)

1 Samuel 11:4-5 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. ⁵ Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

The messengers come to Gibeah, Saul’s home city. They heard about the terms of Nahash, and all the people wept aloud. This was exactly the reaction Nahash their enemy hoped for.

Saul was returning from the fields with his oxen. This again shows us the humility of Israel’s new king. (What he said to Samuel—Saul was hiding)

Saul has been anointed by God and recognized/proclaimed as king to the people, yet in a sense there was nothing for him to do. He really didn’t know where to begin when it came to setting up a royal court or a government because Israel never had a king before. So, Saul just goes back home, went to work in the fields and trusted God would tell him what to do when the time was right.

(But God is working) Take a breath-James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.

1 Samuel 11:6-8 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. ⁷ He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. ⁸ When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

It was time for Saul to act, and God was with him. The Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and it came to equip him for service so that he could do something to bring honor and glory to the LORD.

This is always God’s pattern. He doesn’t want us to seek the Spirit selfishly, but to be empowered and used by Him to help/touch others. To deliver them from the schemes of Nahash the serpent.

Saul burned with anger: This was a Spirit-led anger within Saul. Saul’s anger was not out of a personal sense of hurt or offense, but out of a righteous concern for the cause of the LORD among His people.

So he takes his own oxen and cuts them in pieces and delivers them throughout Israel: In doing this, Saul delivered a clear threat to the people of Israel.

The manner of this threat seemed more from the Mafia than from the people of God, but Saul wanted it to be clear that failure to step up and defend the cause of God was sin and it would be punished as sin.

When the cause is a righteous cause and the need is desperate, it is wrong to do nothing. And when it comes to the sin of doing nothing the bible says, “be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Reubenites and Gadites-east of the Jordan) (sin of omission)

Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. Saul’s bloody threat worked. When those hunks of ox-flesh came special delivery, all Israel knew there was a leader in Israel who was serious. They knew the LORD was calling them to do something about the crisis at Jabesh Gilead.  330k (10 times Weatherford) GOD IS WORKING

1 Samuel 11:9-10 They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. ¹⁰ They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”

Before they didn’t know there was anyone to save them. Now they know there was someone to save them. Knowing they had a savior, they were elated.

We see here they also deceived Nahash. They spoke as if they would surrender to Nahash, so that his army would be unprepared for battle. (surrender)

1 Samuel 11:11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Saul has a good military strategy. He thought about the attack before the battle started. (No doubt with the help of the Holy Spirit)

Through Saul’s willingness to act and by God’s power, there was total victory. Nahash and his army were slaughtered, and the city of Jabesh Gilead was saved.

1 Samuel 11:12-13 The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.” ¹³ But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”

In this moment of great victory, the supporters of Saul wanted to expose and kill those who didn’t support him as king before. (scoundrels 10)

Saul wisely knows this was no time to take revenge on his opponents. Satan, having failed in the attack through Nahash, now tried to attack Israel — even in victory — by dividing the people against each other. The serpent is relentless and will attack us anyway he can, even in times of great victory.

Saul was the man the LORD raised up to bring this victory, but Saul gives the credit where the credit is due: for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”

1 Samuel 11:14-15 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

Samuel wisely sees this time of victory as a strategic opportunity to renew the kingship at Gilgal.