Dull or Bright

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

DULL OR BRIGHT

1 Samuel 14:24-35

24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food. 25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.   28 Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." 29 Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" 31 That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. 32 They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. 33 Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it." "You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." 34 Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it.'" So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this.

NIV

Why would a leader make his people swear the oath he made? His oath was to avenge his enemy, and that should mean he would want his people, his army, to be at their full strength. He would want to build their strength, not weaken them by fasting all day, only to have to fight the battle against their enemy. A leader would not take his people to the point of exhaustion, and perhaps this is why the LORD had taken his kingship from Saul, as he found David, a man after his own heart, who will do whatever the LORD  tells him. The army was so distressed that after they took plunder from the Philistines, they slaughtered animals and ate them raw with the blood still in them, which was against the command of God. Here's the thing: it was not the fault of the people, but squarely on the shoulders of their leader, Saul, because of his oath. The fact is the Lord has said not to make an oath, or swear by his name falsely. Saul made a bad choice because he did not inquire of the LORD, having the priest hold back his hand, or stop asking the LORD. A leader needs to feed his people, to build up their strength so they can stand their ground, taking the sword of truth and cut right into the lies of the enemy of their souls. In fact, we all are to build each other up, strengthen each other, as the Hebrew says, brighten their eyes. Metaphorically, it is meant to strengthen, as when Jonathan ate, he was strengthened, or his eyes were brightened, which implies he was able to see the truth. Then a leader, as well as all of us, should feed each other the truth, which, when we eat the truth, our eyes will be brightened to see more truth, and as we feed on the truth of the word of God, our faith is strengthened. We can see some leaders not feeding their people, but sucking the very strength out of them to serve their own benefit. These are not leaders, but leeches, much like Saul when he drained the strength of his men for his own purpose. Lord, let us lead each other to the truth, feeding each other, brightening our eyes so they can see the truth of God and our faith be strengthened. Let us not have dull eyes, but bright eyes.