Today, I am reading and commenting on  1 Samuel 14-15.

Today I want to compare Jonathan’s faith from the first account in today’s passage with Saul’s faith from the final account in today’s story.  When Jonathan left the Israelite camp and headed over to scout out, and provoke, a Philistine camp, he laid out a test before God of what he should do.  He laid out before God that he and his armor bearer would attack if the Philistines arrogantly called them to come close, but would not do so otherwise.  Then when the Philistines gave him the response to attack, Jonathan gave credit to God for the victory he was about to have.  Then in the last account of today’s passage Samuel told King Saul that God commanded him to attack and completely destroy the Amalekites, killing all of them and destroying everything which belonged to them.  Saul attacked them and completely wiped them out, but he spared their king and kept the best of their sheep and cattle.  When Saul then met Samuel he claimed to have fully carried out God’s instructions.  Then when Samuel confronted him about the sheep and cattle, Saul blamed his soldiers…and claimed that they had only done so in order to offer them to God.  Finally when Samuel told him that he had not obeyed the Lord, Saul claimed the he had done so and only kept the sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice them to “the Lord your God.”  Notice, Saul did not say, “the Lord my God,” or, “the Lord our God.”  King Saul did not view God as his God (not even as his god).

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.