![]() ![]() So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. (4-5) Saul hears of the plight of Jabesh Gilead. Second, by allowing the messengers to go through all of Israel he made his name big and his reputation feared throughout the whole nation. First, he was confident of Israel’s disunity and figured they couldn’t find anyone to save them. That we may send messengers: Nahash let the messengers go for two reasons. They knew that they must have a savior.Ĭ. But they knew there was no hope in and of themselves. ![]() If there is no one to save us: Was there no one to save them? The men of Jabesh didn’t know for certain. If there is no one to save them Nahash could do to them as he pleased, and losing an eye seemed better to them than losing their lives.ī. They were horrified at the demand of Nahash but they also knew they had no other choice. if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you: The men of Jabesh Gilead were in a difficult spot. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”Ī. Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. (3) The elders of Jabesh Gilead answer Nahash. The name Nahash means serpent or snake.Satan wants to blind us and if he cannot blind us completely, he will blind us partially.Satan wants to take away our ability to effectively fight against him.Through humiliating one saint, Satan wants to bring reproach on all God’s people. Satan wants to humiliate us and exalt himself over us.Satan wants us to serve him and will attempt to intimidate us into giving in to him.Satan attacks us but cannot do anything against us without our agreement.We can see in this account a similarity between Satan, our spiritual enemy, and Nahash, the enemy of Israel. “He who opposes his shield to the enemy with his left hand, thereby hides his left eye, and looks at his enemy with his right eye he therefore who plucks out that right eye makes men useless in war.” (Theodoret, cited in Clarke) In hand-to-hand combat the man with one eye has less depth perception and is at a disadvantage to a man with two eyes. Second, it would make the men of Jabesh Gilead unable to fight effectively in battle. Half-blinding the men of this city would bring reproach on all Israel by making Israel look weak and unable to prevent such an atrocity. First, it was to glorify himself by humiliating the men of this city and all of Israel. ![]() Nahash made this demand for many reasons. That I may put out all your right eyes: When the men of Jabesh Gilead asked Nahash for a covenant, he agreed to settle peacefully with them – if all the men of the city had their right eyes gouged out. Oh, it is pitiable to see men tamely submitting to a vile master! Yet how often is the sight repeated! How often do men virtually say to the devil, ‘Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee’!” (Blaikie)Ĭ. “Instead of humbling themselves before God and confessing the sins that had brought them into trouble, they put God altogether aside, and basely offered to become the servants of the Ammonites… We see here the sad effect of sin and careless living in lowering men’s spirits, sapping courage, and discouraging noble effort. Either they must surrender to Nahash ( we will serve you) under agreed terms ( make a covenant with us), or they would simply be killed and plundered. Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you: The men of Jabesh Gilead felt this was their only hope of survival. The Israelite city must either surrender or be conquered.ī. Encamped against Jabesh Gilead: The Ammonite enemy surrounded this Israelite city, and simply by doing so they made their demands clear. Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”Ī. (1-2) Nahash the Ammonite gives an ultimatum to an Israelite city. 1 Samuel 11 – Saul’s Victory at Jabesh Gilead A. ![]()
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