SUMMARY
Desperate to prevent the desertion of his army in the face of a major Philistine threat, SaulThe first king of Israel. More takes on a priestly role in sacrificing animals that SamuelThe judge who anointed the first two kings of Israel. More explicitly claimed for himself.
ANALYSIS
Saul, as a gifted warrior and general, knew that perception and morale are often more important on the battlefield than equipment or even skill. When Saul’s son JonathanSon of King Saul and friend of David. More won a victory over the Philistines with a relatively small force, Saul made sure that all the Israelites heard of it. Saul’s public relations victory quickly turned to disaster, as the Philistines grew to hate the Israelites (more than they already did, apparently).
A massive Philistine force assembled to eradicate the Israelites once and for all. The Israelites who saw the thousands of Philistine chariots fled in fear. As the Israelite army waited for Samuel to arrive to conduct the offerings prior to their battle, soldiers drifted away and deserted. To improve the morale of his soldiers, Saul decided to conduct the sacrificial offerings by himself. Ironically, Saul sinned by offering the burnt offering for sin, but before he could also sacrificeSacrifice is commonly understood as the practice of offering or giving up something as a sign of worship, commitment, or obedience. In the Old Testament grain, wine, or animals are used as sacrifice. In some New Testament writings Jesus' death on the cross as the... More the peace offering for renewing relationship with God, Samuel arrived. Samuel was apoplectic that Saul had seized the priestly rights (that Samuel, as maybe a LeviteA Levite was a member of the tribe of Levi. This tribe had priestly and political responsibilities for the Israelites. Levites appear prominently in Old Testament accounts, and they accompany priests to question John the Baptizer's identity early in John's Gospel. More, also did not technically hold).
For the first, but certainly not last, time Saul was told that his kingdom would not endure because God wanted a leader who would keep the LORD’s commands. This incident is the first of Saul’s major failures. Saul overstepped his authority in the religious sphere here. He will proceed to make major mistakes as a military commander, and then also as a king.
