(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Samuel 11:1–4, “Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.”
As soon as the Lord made Saul Israel’s king, He also gave Saul a battle to fight so that Saul could establish himself as the military leader of the nation. In this case someone came from Ammon and threatened to insult Israel so grievously that their international reputation would be completely destroyed. The Ammonites were descended from Lot and the incestuous relationship that he had with one his daughters, after they had made him drunk. (see Gen 19:31–38, “And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.” These people lived on the eastern side of the River Jordan and south of the territory occupied by Manasseh. The went north to Jabeshgilead and threatened to destroy the city. The people from Jabeshgilead said they were willing to become vassals of the Ammonites rather than fight a battle. In order to insult the nation of Israel, Nahash, their leader said that he wanted to take every person’s right eye out. This was deeply offensive but the people in the city knew they couldn’t win a battle against the Ammonites. They asked Nahash to give them seen days to see if they could find anyone to help them. Nahash was supremely confident that he could defeat any army that Jabeshgilead could find so he told them that he would wait the seven days. After this, the people sent a message to Saul, the newly crowned king of Israel and asked him for help. The people who lived in Gibeah, Saul's home town, knew the significance of the threat so they wept for their brothers on the other side of the River Jordan.
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