1 Samuel 14:23-34
The Philistine rout is total. The people have come together to Saul in order to pursue them and to cut them in pieces. However, they are not fired with the same energy which Gideon and his companions had showed in similar circumstances. The latter went after Midian "faint, yet pursuing them" for they were refreshed before going into battle (Judges 7:6; Judges 8:4). Here, on the contrary, Saul has forbidden the people for a whole day to refresh themselves by taking food in spite of the arduous task which lay before them. Legal prohibition, fruit of the imagination, which makes us think of so many other human inventions on the subject of religion! In this case it only brought distressing consequences. Firstly, the defeat of the Philistines is less complete than it would have been with an army in full possession of its strength. Secondly, when the evening comes, and the people at last have liberty to eat, they are so hungry that in killing the animals they prepare meat with the blood, thus committing a sin worthy of death (Leviticus 17:10-14). Was it not far more serious to disobey the LORD than to transgress Saul’s order?