I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Samuel 11-13.

Shortly after Samuel anointed Saul as king, the king of Ammon attacked Jabesh-gilead.  This was probably something which happened on a regular basis as Jephthah became judge over Israel by defeating a previous attempt by a king of Ammon to conquer this territory.  In this case, the people of Jabesh-gilead were willing to surrender to the king of Ammon, but the king of Ammon demanded that, as a price for letting them live after surrender, the men of the town would need to have their right eye plucked out.  This demand is almost certainly what infuriated Saul when he heard the news.  When the people of Jabesh-gilead received word that Saul would march to their relief they told the king of Ammon that they would surrender to his demands the following day. 

I always write about the account of Saul offering sacrifices over the command from Samuel not to do so.  This represents one of the transitions from judges to kings.  The judges had less authority than a king, but they functioned as a final arbiter of God’s will to the people.  Kings on the other hand had greater authority to conscript men for the army or labor and to tax, but had to consult a priest regarding God’s will.  When Samuel did not show up on Saul’s schedule, Saul attempted to combine the two roles.  By offering the sacrifice, Saul was asserting that he was not accountable to anyone else.  This unwillingness to be held accountable for his decisions is what led to Saul’s downfall.