Commentary - 1 Samuel 14:47-52

Bird's-eye view

This passage serves as a kind of royal report card for Saul, and at first glance, he appears to be passing with flying colors. We have a summary of military victories, a list of his children, and a description of his ongoing war strategy. From a worldly perspective, this is what a successful king does: he wins battles, secures his dynasty, and builds a strong army. But the Holy Spirit does not give us this summary so that we might be impressed. Rather, this section is a masterful setup for the catastrophic failure that is detailed in the very next chapter. This is a portrait of a man-centered kingdom. Saul "took the kingdom," and he is running it on his own steam, by his own wits, and for his own glory. These verses show us the best that the arm of the flesh can do, which is to provide a temporary, external, and ultimately fragile security that will shatter the moment it is tested against the explicit command of God.

Outline

A Resume of Worldly Success (vv. 47-48)

1 Samuel 14:47

The verse begins by telling us that Saul "had taken the kingdom over Israel." The language here is potent. While God certainly gave him the kingdom, Saul's posture is one of a man who took it and now possesses it. He acts like a true pagan king, fighting all his enemies on every side. Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zobah, the Philistines, the whole list of usual suspects. And the summary of his effectiveness is stark: "wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment." In modern terms, Saul's approval ratings would be sky high. He is getting the job done. He is making Israel great again. He is precisely the kind of king the people had demanded, one "like all the nations." But this is the very heart of the problem. God did not want a king like the other nations; He wanted a king who would be His vicegerent, ruling according to His Word. Saul's success here is a worldly success, measured by borders secured and enemies punished, not by covenant faithfulness.

1 Samuel 14:48

Here we are told that "he acted valiantly." Saul was no coward. He was a mighty man, a fighter. And his great accomplishment, highlighted here, is that he "struck down the Amalekites and delivered Israel." This is a verse dripping with dramatic irony. The very next chapter will be dedicated to Saul's campaign against the Amalekites, a campaign in which he flagrantly disobeys a direct and solemn command from God through Samuel. He was told to destroy them utterly, and he failed to do so. So when the historian here gives him credit for striking them down, it is a surface-level credit. Yes, he fought them. Yes, he won a military victory. But he failed the only test that mattered, which was the test of obedience. He delivered Israel from their plunderers, but he did not deliver Israel from their sin of disobedience, because he was leading them in it. This is the valor of the flesh, which looks impressive but which withers under the gaze of God.

The Foundations of a Human Dynasty (vv. 49-51)

1 Samuel 14:49-51

After the military summary, we get the family summary. This is what kings do, they build a house, a dynasty to carry on their name. We are introduced to his sons, Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. Jonathan, of course, is a man of great faith, a stark contrast to his father. His daughters are named, Merab and Michal, both of whom will become entangled in the life of David, used by Saul as pawns in his jealous rage. We meet his wife, Ahinoam, and the commander of his army, Abner, who is Saul's own uncle. This is a family affair. It is a tight-knit, clannish operation. Saul is securing his legacy through his bloodline and political appointments. He is building the house of Saul. But God is in the business of tearing down the houses that men build for themselves so that He can build the house that He has promised. This entire genealogical record is a monument to a failing enterprise, a kingdom built on the sand of human effort and ambition, soon to be washed away by the rising tide of God's chosen king, David.

The Unending War and the Arm of the Flesh (v. 52)

1 Samuel 14:52

The final verse of this section brings us back to the central conflict of Saul's reign: "the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul." Despite all his victories against Moab and Ammon, the primary threat never went away. The Philistine problem was a constant, running sore. And how did Saul address this persistent threat? He implemented a worldly strategy. "Saul would see any mighty man or any man of valor and would gather him to his staff." This is the way of man. You see talent, you recruit it. You see strength, you conscript it. You build your army based on size, skill, and strength. This is reliance on the arm of the flesh. And it is the polar opposite of how God builds His kingdom. God chose a ruddy shepherd boy over his tall, handsome brothers. God gathered to David an army of men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented. God uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. Saul's recruitment policy is the final piece of evidence against him. It demonstrates that his entire reign, from his military campaigns to his family ambitions to his personnel strategy, was conducted according to the wisdom of this world, and not according to the wisdom of God.

Application

The story of Saul as summarized here is a profound warning against the temptation to measure our lives by worldly metrics of success. It is possible to have a string of victories, a secure family, and a strong organization, and yet be in a state of profound spiritual failure. The world applauds results, but God demands obedience. Saul looked like a king, acted like a king, and fought like a king. The only problem was that he was not obedient to the King of kings.

We are constantly tempted to adopt Saul's methods. In our churches, we are tempted to recruit leaders based on their worldly success and charisma, rather than their humble faithfulness. In our families, we are tempted to build a legacy of worldly comfort and achievement, rather than a legacy of covenant faithfulness. In our own lives, we are tempted to fight our battles with the arm of the flesh, trusting in our own strength, our own plans, and our own valor, rather than trusting in the Lord.

This passage sets the stage for Saul's great fall, reminding us that a foundation of human achievement, no matter how impressive, is still a foundation of sand. The only foundation that will stand is simple, trusting obedience to the Word of God, which is the rock upon which Christ builds His church. And against that church, the gates of Hell, and the armies of the Philistines, shall not prevail.