Story 78: A Prince More Noble Than His Father ll

   Finding that hundreds of his men had deserted him, and that he had only six hundred warriors left, Saul joint Jon'a-than in the fortress which he had captured from the Phi-lis'tines. In the meantime the Phi-lis'tine army at Mich'mash had been divided into three bands which raided the valleys to the north, west, and east.
   While Saul and his six hundred men were encamped on a high rock near Gib'e-ah, from which place the Phi-lis'tine garrison at Mich-mash might easily be observed, Jon'a-than suggested a daring exploit to his armor-bearer. The two of them went down into the valley between the outposts of the opposing armies, and approached the camps of the Phi-lis'tines at a point where there was a great cliff. Thinking that they were deserters from the army of Is'ra-el, the Phi-lis'tine sentries scornfully invited them to climb the rocks to their camp.
   With daring faith in GOD, Jon'a-than said to his armor-bearer, "This is a sign that the LORD hath delivered them into our hand." Then they scaled the rocks, slew twenty of the sentries, and spread confusion through the entire camp of the enemy. Simultaneous with this bold adventure of Jon'a-than, the LORD sent a terrific earthquake into that vicinity, and all the Phi-lis'tine bands were dispersed in terror.
   When the sentries of Saul observed the tumult among the armies of the Phi-lis'tines, they tried to discover who had left their camp. When it was found that Jon'a-than and his armor-bearer were absent, Saul ordered the priest in the camp to bring out the ephod and pray for victory. His army of six hundred men, strengthened by thousands who left their places of hiding and alliances with the Phi-lis'tines, pursued the scattered forces of the enemy. It was a great victory, and the Phi-lis'tines who escapt the slaughter were glad to return to their own land. Thus the power of the Phi-lis'tines over Is'ra-el was temporarily broken.
   The two unhappy incidents which accompanied this great victory are to the discredit of Saul. Although he did not enter the field of battle until the enemy had already been routed by Jon'a-than, he assumed full credit for the triumph. There was no word of recognition for the bravery of his son, nor acknowledgment of the Divine power which had given the victory to Is'ra-el. Saul pretended to be very religious, but inwardly his heart was wrong with GOD. He took advantage of a natural mistake of his soldiers to excuse his own sin.
   So eager was Saul to "avenge himself of his enemies" that he ordered his men to pursue the Phi-lis'tines when they were already in a weakened state, at the same time forbidding his soldiers under oath to take any food. When the day had passed, his soldiers were so hungry that they slew the animals taken from their enemies and ate them without properly draining the blood according to the law of Mo'ses. For this act Saul charged them with sin, and they were punished by being forced to bring offerings to the LORD from their own sheep and oxen.