{"id":57616,"date":"2019-06-17T15:05:51","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T12:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=57616"},"modified":"2023-01-10T15:27:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T13:27:20","slug":"saul-champion-of-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/saul-champion-of-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Saul, Champion of Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[835,885,434],"acf":{"old_id":"57616","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34243,"related_cahpter":"243","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"In mustering popular support, he wins a war and cements his rule","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Samuel had all but promised Saul the kingship, and although his selection was made at God\u2019s behest, Saul still lacked the popular acceptance that would cement his rule. This chapter tells us how that transpired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The citizens of Jabesh-Gilead were threatened by the Ammonites and they sought a champion (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">moshi`a<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) to fight for their cause (3). Saul was upset by the news of their plight and he received a divine inspiration (6) that led him to gather an army of 330,000 soldiers (8). [Bear in mind that the IDF standing force is only about 200,000.] By dividing his forces into three parts, he was able to infiltrate the Ammonite lines and rout them so thoroughly that \u201cnot even two remain together\u201d (12).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Gilead region was in Transjordan; could they find no closer assistance than Benjamin? Indeed, they \u201csent throughout the borders of Israel\u201d (3) in search of a champion, implicitly drawing no response. Why, then, did Saul enlist? Recalling Judges 21, Jabesh-Gilead was the only place that had not participated in the ban on marrying Benjaminites and the prospect of the eventual elimination of that entire tribe was forestalled by forcibly taking 400 women from Jabesh-Gilead and giving them in marriage to Benjaminites. Is it possible that Saul was the product of such a marriage and was, as it were, repaying a debt?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speculation aside, the result of Saul\u2019s overwhelming victory is precisely the affirmation of his rule that was absent heretofore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the people said unto Samuel: Anyone who says: Is Saul fit to reign over us? Turn them over and we will put them to death. (12)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saul declared, magnanimously, \u201cNo one will die today, for today has been a day of divine deliverance\u201d (13), and Samuel, taking his cue, declared to the people: \u201cLet us go to Gilgal and inaugurate the monarchy\u201d (14). They went there and coronated Saul amidst great festivity (15) and, at least for the time being, everything seemed satisfactory. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: King Saul on Israeli stamp (1960) designed by Asher Calderon \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":57617,"id":57617,"title":"isam11-stamp","filename":"isam11-stamp.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/isam11-stamp.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/saul-champion-of-israel\/isam11-stamp\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam11-stamp","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":57616,"date":"2019-06-17 12:05:40","modified":"2019-06-17 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