# 1 Samuel 14 - Saul's rash oath and God honours it?



## Eoghan (Jul 15, 2013)

I am intrigued as to why God appears to honor Saul's oath and Jonathan is discovered by Urim and Thummin (apologies if I got the spelling wrong).

Was G-d 
A. Honoring Saul's oath
B. Intent on confronting Saul with the moral dilemma and his own stupidity


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## C. M. Sheffield (Jul 15, 2013)

I do not believe he was "honoring" his rash oath. Nor does the text explicitly state that God was "in" the casting of these lots in the sense that he was behind Saul in his mad quest. 

Some commentators have pointed out Saul's formalism in this regard. The error of thinking that God was with him simply by going through the motions of a ritual. 

It is worth noting that Samuel isn't present with Saul at this time. But notice who is: Ahijah, wearing the priestly ephod (v. 3). Ahijah is from the deposed house of Eli. He and his family have been rejected of God. He has no right to wear the priestly garments or to minister the things of God. Yet Saul has him there performing priestly functions. Saul had fallen out of Samuel's good graces and thinks that he can just replace him with anyone wearing a priestly garment and that God will be with them simply for that reason -- this is the essence of formalism. 

God is not with him, though he is clearly with Jonathan. And I think your second statement is closer to the true significance of what God is doing in this place. This episode ends with Saul's designs being frustrated and him being publicly humiliated by the very people he supposed to be ruling.


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