The distressed people

A leader’s foolish decision can bring suffering to the people. In today’s passage, Saul’s foolish oath resulted in the suffering of the Israelites. (1) Saul forced upon the people an oath of fasting with strict curse amidst the battle. As a result, the people had to fight a grueling hand-to-hand combat while starving. (2) When they entered a forest, there was honey dripping everywhere, but no one dared to touch or eat the honey because they feared breaking the oath. (3) However, Jonathan, who was not present when the oath was made, ate the honey without hesitation and immediately regained his strength. (4) He was later informed about the oath and was greatly surprised and criticized his father’s foolishness. Jonathan had been puzzled that the battle result of the day was not as much as expected, but now he understood why. It was because the people were fighting while fasting. Realizing that just a taste of honey could renew one’s strength, Jonathan said that they could have been much more triumphant in the battle if they had been able to eat from the spoil of their enemies.

Lessons to us

Let’s learn from Saul’s foolishness. (1) His decision was not born out of careful deliberation but was an on-the-spot utterance, which was truly foolish. (2) Saul, a frivolous person who went to battle without seeking the Lord’s will, here, is trying to appear zealous and virtuous. While he was zealous, it was a zeal from impure motives. (3) Saul probably thought that it was better to chase the enemy without sparing time for meals, but in doing so, he ignored the basic human need for sustenance. Humans have not only spiritual and mental needs but have physical needs as well. We require food, sleep, and adequate rest. Emphasizing only spiritual matters while ignoring physical needs is an unbalanced teaching. Saul’s behavior in this passage resembles that of the Pharisees in the New Testament. Fabricated piety not only causes suffering to our neighbors but also grieves God.