1 Samuel 11:6-11
6 Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.
7 He then took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out as one person.
8 He counted them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah, thirty thousand.
9 They said to the messengers who had come, “This is what you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be saved.’ ” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they rejoiced.
10 Then the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”
11 The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The Battle Against the Ammonites
The Spirit of God
Although he was elected as king, Saul continued to live as an ordinary farmer. The people reported to Saul the impossible demand imposed on Jabesh by the Ammonites. When Saul heard this report, the Spirit of God rushed upon him. (1) The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament is to descend upon specific person, who was given a certain mission by God, in order to fulfill that mission. (2) As a result of the Holy Spirit coming upon him, Saul’s anger burned fiercely. This is a “righteous indignation” by the Holy Spirit. (3) Saul sent an item, shocking to everyone who receives it, throughout the territory of Israel. It was a piece of a cut-up oxen. By doing this, he called an emergency assembly of all the tribes of Israel. From this point, Saul began to act like a king. (4) However, it seems that Saul still lacked confidence, as he used Samuel’s name along with his own. He probably judged that if he used Samuel’s name, he would be able to gain the people’s respect and obedience.
The battle
A large number of people gathered in response to Saul’s call. (1) The location was Bezek, about 15 miles west of Jabesh across the Jordan River. (2) The number of people who gathered was 300,000 from all Israel and 30,000 from Judah. From this time, it seems that the tribe of Judah was regarded as special. (3) The people of Jabesh greatly rejoiced, as they were informed of the incoming reinforcements. (4) The next day, Saul divided the people into three groups and launched a surprise attack at dawn, continuing the assault until noon. As a result, the Ammonites suffered a great defeat and fled in disarray. He was a king with no experience in warfare, but the reason he was able to win this battle was because the Holy Spirit had given him wisdom and strength. When trying to fulfill God’s mission, there are times when fear overwhelms. Blessed is a person, who choose to step forward even at such times, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples, saying, “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour” (Matt. 10:19). Let us learn today to trust in the Holy Spirit.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, when fear overwhelms my heart, help me overcome that fear by faith. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.