Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 14:24-52
Helpful thoughts:
- Saul’s rash, selfishly motivated (“My enemies”), emotionally charged decisions continue to plague Israel.
- Once Saul figured the Lord was no longer with him in battle, he concluded there was sin in the camp. Jonathan was the one who broke Saul’s oath, but Saul was the one who brought trouble on Israel (Verse 29).
- These were the same words used to describe the sin of Achan at Jericho in Joshua 7:25.
- A foolish oath could be dealt with by following the instructions of Leviticus 5:4-6. Saul did not consider this (Or know about it) and was ready to kill Jonathan.
Questions to consider:
- What kinds of things can happen when a person seeks to be spiritual and godly their own way, without any knowledge of God’s revealed word? (Proverbs 19:2-3) Who gets the blame when things don’t go the way they want?
- What is the role of vows and oaths for Christians today? (Matthew 5:33-37)
- What has God done to redeem all of our foolish sinful acts? Why can we walk forward in freedom, secure in His hands? (Hebrews 10:11-14)