Even Jon'a-than, who was responsible for the defeat of the Phi-lis'tines, did not know that Saul had ordered his men to eat nothing during the day. In the woods where they pursued the Phi-lis'tines there was an abundance of wild honey, so Jon'a-than had relieved his hunger by eating of it. When told of his father's strict order, Jon'a-than said, "My father hath troubled the land, see how I am refreshed by the honey; and if the people had been permitted to eat freely of the spoils of the enemy, our victory would have been far greater."
In the meantime Saul had sought counsel of the LORD, but the ear of GOD was deaf to his prayers. Instead of looking into his own heart for the cause of the LORD'S refusal to hear him, he sought to lay the blame upon someone else.
When he was told of the act of Jon'a-than, Saul declared that the failure of the Is'ra-el-ites to wipe out the Phi-lis'tines was the result of a violation of his solemn oath. He also declared his intention to have Jon'a-than slain.
The people rose up in violent rebellion against this blindness to the heroism of his son and deafness to the voice of reason. Saul's unjust sentence upon Jon'a-than: "Thou shalt surely die" was met by the united voice of the people, "There shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground." Up to this moment they had been faithful to the command of the king, but when he acted unwisely they felt justified in rescuing Jon'a-than from his unholy decree, the noble young man who had led them to victory.
The LORD permitted Saul to remain in office for a number of years, sparing him until GOD could find a successor worthy to occupy the throne of Is'ra-el.
