Fighting the Philistines Again

The Philistines still held the center of Palestine following their defeat at Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:10, 11). They maintained strongholds in the hills and had a strong grip on the coastal areas. In an effort to deprive Israel of weapons, the Philistines had not allowed blacksmiths to ply their trade. If a farmer wanted a metal implement, he had to visit a Philistine smithy.

The armies of Israel could put their hands on slings and bows, but no one, save Saul and Jonathan, possessed a sword or spear. Israel also had fewer men it could put onto the battlefield. Outnumbered, lacking adequate weaponry, strategically divided, short on equipment, and without a method to even make metal weapons, Israel was oppressed by Philistia. There was peace, but there was no liberty. Against this backdrop, Saul disbanded his army after the victory at Jabesh-gilead. He kept only two thousand men at his headquarters at Michmash and a thousand men stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah. Saul should have attacked Israel’s enemies while he had an army flush with recent victory. Now, two years into his reign, he came to the realization that if Israel was to unite, they must fight. Jonathan struck the first blow.

The Philistines reacted swiftly and raised an army at Michmash to challenge Israel. Saul, having retreated east to Gilgal, now sounded the trumpet, calling all Israel to his aid. Things went poorly from the start. “When the tidings reached Saul and his army at Gilgal, the people were appalled at [the] thought of the mighty forces they would have to encounter in battle. They were not prepared to meet the enemy, and many were so terrified that they dared not come to the test of an encounter. Some crossed the Jordan, while others hid themselves in caves and pits and amid the rocks that abounded in that region. As the time for the encounter drew near, the number of desertions rapidly increased, and those who did not withdraw from the ranks were filled with foreboding and terror.” It was in this atmosphere of impending doom that Saul’s faith faltered. The morale of his troops hit rock bottom, and he could no longer maintain order in the camp. Too often, men and women call upon the Lord for assistance only after they have gotten themselves into trouble.