The decline of Saul’s rule over Israel is again evident in 1st Samuel 14. His son Jonathan shows himself to be a great warrior against the Philistines with some characteristics of David.
Food for thought from the recorded discussion
How can there be a priest who is a descendent of Eli?
Who started this war with the Philistines?
Were there Israelite soldiers in the Philistine army? Was this an unusual situation? What incentive did the Israelites in the Philistine army have to obey their Philistine commanders?
How many trained warriors did Saul and Jonathan have at this time? Who accompanied Jonathan on his mission?
Is Jonathan challenging God? Is Jonathan asking for an omen? Why did Jonathan ask for this sign?
How is Jonathan’s character similar to David’s? What was the result of Jonathan’s raid?
How large was the Philistine army in comparison with the Israelite army? Why did this raid strike terror in the Philistine army?
How does Saul respond to the sight of the fleeing Philistine army?
What was Saul’s first mistake in this chapter? How often does God tell the army to kill everything with out taking the spoils such as cattle? Why is Saul making these mistakes? Why does Saul have the Ark?
Why would Saul tell the men to fight but not eat the spoils?
What edict did Saul make? What was the consequence of violation of this ban? Was Saul’s ban a violation of Torah (Lev. 27:29)?
What sins did Saul already know about before he even requested the casting of lots? How did this ban cause both Jonathan and the people to sin? Did Jonathan excuse his sin? How did the people respond to this? Why didn’t the people agree with the edict against Jonathan? Was the redemption of Jonathan a mistake?
Who ultimately holds the blame for all the sins and mistakes in this chapter?
Reader: David De Fever. Speaker: Daniel Agee.