1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

44 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 EditionIsraelites to show so much support for the Jabesh-gileadites. Saul thoroughly surprisedand defeated them. 1345. The confirmation of Saul as king 11:12—12:25Israel's commitment to Saul 11:12-15Admirably, Saul sought no personal revenge on those who initially had failed to supporthim (10:27; cf. Judg. 20:13; Luke 19:27). Furthermore he gave God the glory for hisvictory (cf. Jon. 2:9; Ps. 20:7; Prov. 21:31). He was not self-serving at this time.What Samuel called for was a ceremony to renew the Mosaic Covenant. 135 It was to besimilar to those that had taken place in Joshua's day (Josh. 8 and 24) in which the nationwould dedicate itself afresh to Yahweh and His Law as a nation (cf. Deut. 29). Asmentioned earlier, it is not clear whether Gilgal refers to the Gilgal near Jericho oranother Gilgal a few miles north of Bethel. 136 A Gilgal north of Bethel would have beencloser since most of the activities recorded in these first chapters of 1 Samuel (at Ramah,Gibeah, Mizpah, etc.) were near Bethel. Yet the Gilgal near Jericho was the Israelites'first camp after they entered the Promised Land and the place where they first renewedthe covenant in the land (Josh. 4—5). For this reason that site would have stimulated thepeople's remembrance of God's faithfulness to them and His plans for them as a unitednation. Hopefully further archaeological discoveries will enable us to solve the puzzleconcerning which Gilgal this was.The people now gave united support to Saul as their king at Gilgal. This is the first ofthree significant meetings of Samuel and Saul at Gilgal. The second was the time Saulfailed to wait for the prophet, offered a sacrifice prematurely, and received the prophet'srebuke (13:7-14). The third meeting was when God rejected Saul as king for hisdisobedient pride following his victory over the Amalekites (15:10-26).Peace offerings expressed thanks to God for His goodness. This offering also emphasizedthe unity of the participants in the sacrifice (Lev. 3)."Saul's ascent to the throne was now complete, and the 'great celebration'that accompanied the sacrificial ritual more than matched Israel's earlierelation upon their receiving the messengers' report of the imminent doomof the Ammonites (v. 9)." 137134 For another interpretation of 11:1-11 that views it as an artificially constructed story, see DianaEdelman, "Saul's Rescue of Jabesh-Gilead (I Sam 11:1-11): Sorting Story from History," Zeitschrift für dieAlttestamentliche Wissenschaft 96:2 (1984):195-209.135 Klaus Baltzer, The Covenant Formulary, pp. 66-68; William J. Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation, p.135; Lyle M. Eslinger, Kingship of God in Crisis, pp. 37, 383-428.136 See my comments on 7:16.137 Youngblood, p. 642.