This historical event describes the
circumstance whereby Saul is accepted and acclaimed as king. This is a
high-water point in Saul’s life. Nahash the king
of the Ammonites[1]
attacked Jabesh-gilead and refused to accept surrender unless all the
Israelites captured allowed their eyes to be gouged out. The elders of the city of Jabesh asked for a
7-day reprieve. During this time, they would look for someone to save them.
Saul heard of their plight and we read that “the Spirit
of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was
greatly kindled” (1 Samuel 11:6, ESV). He slaughtered a yoke of oxen cutting them in
pieces, threatening the oxen of any Israelite the same fate if they did not
help save their brothers.
News was sent to the captives and the expected deliverance
came. The Israelite army struck down the Ammonites.
Saul’s military success prompted some people to threaten his
naysayers[2]. But Saul’s leadership protected even those
who were against him. “Then Samuel
said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” So
all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in
Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul
and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly” (1 Samuel 11:14–15, ESV). It seems that this “renewal of the kingdom”
was a public reaffirmation of Saul’s kingship.
The establishment of the king reunited Israel.
All in all, this is a highlight of Saul’s leadership. His
decisive and persuasive way that he mounted the support for his fellow
Israelites at Jabesh-gilead is admirable.
He reflects a godly and righteous response to the predicament of his
fellowmen, i.e., anger. He soon let Israel know that he had the will and the
power to respond to a crisis. Even his
persuasion was couched in the value of human life. He could have exacted capital punishment on
any refusal to fight, but he levied the threat against the oxen not the
owner. He offered clemency to his opponents. His call to worship at Gilgal was a worthy
way to give the glory to God. “For today the Lord has worked salvation in
Israel,”[3] he
said.
Again, here we see Saul at his best, filled with the Spirit
of God, filled with righteous anger to the oppression and endangerment of his
kindred. This is godly masculine
leadership at its best: Decisive; Spirit-filled; Convincing; Courageous;
Caring; and God-glorifying.
There is an anger that is right and good. We call it
righteous anger. It’s the anger we ought to experience when our family is
threatened. It’s the anger we ought to
experience when sin assaults our home.
It’s the anger we ought to feel when a lack of justice and compassion is
withheld from people we care about. Indeed, the Scriptures teach us: “Be
angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (Ephesians
4:26, ESV). It would serve our churches
and our homes well to have godly Spirit-filled compassionate men lead with
righteous anger.
Tim Challies[4]
reviews a book called Uprooting
Anger, by Robert Jones. In this
book, Challies, notes 3 ways to identify righteous anger:
1. The first mark of righteous anger is that it reacts
against actual sin. It arises from an accurate perception of
what is actually evil. Righteous anger reacts against actual sin,
not a violation of my desires or preferences.
2. Righteous anger is
motivated by Godward and biblically-informed concerns . . . Jones says it
well: Righteous anger throbs with kingdom concerns.
3. Finally, righteous anger is accompanied by other godly
qualities and expresses itself in godly ways . . . But righteous anger
expresses itself in a controlled way. It does not rant and rave, it does not
swear and curse, it does not mock and sulk, it does not sink to self-pity and
despair, it does not blow off people and storm away from them.
This account is Saul at his best. It also epitomizes a godly
man at his best: decisive, daring, compassionate and forgiving, yet expressing
outrage at sin; and acting in protection of God’s people and for the purposes of
God.
Today, as in any day, there is a need for godly men to stand in righteous anger against sin.
[1] According to Genesis 19:36–38, the Ammonites
originated from the incestuous relationship between Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and
his younger daughter, resulting in the birth of Ben-ammi (בֶּן־עַמִּי, ben-ammiy, “son of my people”). - Hulbert, W. G. (2016). Ammon, Kingdom of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D.
R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham,
WA: Lexham Press.
[2] “But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man
save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his
peace.” (1 Samuel 10:27, ESV)
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