1 Samuel 14:31-35
31 They attacked the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. But the people were very tired.
32 So the people loudly rushed upon the spoils, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.
33 Then observers informed Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.” And he said, “You have acted treacherously; roll a large rock to me today.”
34 Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating it with
the blood.’ ” So all the people brought them that night, each one his ox with him, 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.
The Alter Built by Saul
People rushing upon the spoils
Meaningless rules and overly strict regulations often lead to unforeseen consequences. (1) The Israelites, who had pursued the enemy from Michmash to Aijalon, were exhausted due to fasting all day. (2) As soon as the restriction ended, they rushed on the livestock of the spoils and ate the meat with the blood still in it. (3) Eating meat without draining the blood is a violation of the Mosaic Law (Levi. 17:10-14, Deut. 12:23-25). Saul’s foolish oath resulted in people committing an unimaginable sin. (4) Saul himself seems to have been greatly shocked by this. He immediately had a large rock brought over, on which, proper draining of the blood can be done. (5) This stone then served as an altar to the Lord. It was the first altar that Saul built. Since Saul did not have the right to offer sacrifices himself, he likely ordered a priest to offer a sin offering on that altar.
Lessons to us
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses also built altars for the Lord. However, there is a great difference between the altars built by these believers and the altar built by Saul. The believers who built altars, including Abraham, built it to give thanks and worship the Lord. On the other hand, Saul’s altar was a superficial one, built to cover up his own failure. It is impossible for someone who does not believe in the meaning and power of an altar to build a genuine one. Jesus used the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple as examples, to teach that superficial faith cannot please God. The Pharisees boasted their own deeds before God and gave thanks. The tax collectors prayed in anguish and repentance. And Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). Let’s aim to build an altar of Abraham and not of Saul’s.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please enable me to build an altar like Abraham's and offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to You each day. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.