Seven Days

“How many are left?”

“Less than we started with. Sir.”

Saul didn’t roar his rage, but he wanted to. Less than they started with. Any fool could see that. He’d started with two thousand men with him, and a thousand with his son, Jonathan.

But seven days staring down an enemy that far outnumbered them had changed all that.

Seven days they’d waited. For seven dawns they had stared out at the sea of Philistines. For seven noons they’d waited, hoping the invaders wouldn’t attack. And for six sunsets now the Israelite army had gotten smaller and smaller and smaller as more and more men deserted.

Saul couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t like they had weapons. The Philistines had taken all the weapons. Only Saul and his son had swords.

“Any news of Samuel?” the king asked.

“No, sir.”

The king cursed. Samuel never wanted a king, did he? He’d said as much. And now, when they were supposed to wait for him, when they had to wait and wait for him to show up and give the sacrifice so God would look with favor on them, now he wasn’t showing up.

And without the sacrifice, there was no hope.

Enough of this.

“Get the sacrifice,” Saul growled.

“Sir?”

“You heard me.”

“Sir.” The general turned to pass along the command. Soon two goats were brought forward, along with a skin of wine and sacks of grain.

Saul took them and snapped at his general, “Go count the men!”

As the general plodded away, Saul turned to the altar. He raised his eyes to the sky. “Here’s your sacrifice!”

He slaughtered the goats and laid them on the altar. He himself carried the flame to light it. He snatched the wineskin and poured it out. He took the sacks of grain and emptied them.

“What have you done?”

The voice made Saul jump. He spun.

Samuel had arrived. The seer’s face spoke thunder.

“The men were scattering. You didn’t come at the set time. The Philistines are gathering. I knew I was facing battle, and I hadn’t sought the Lord’s favor.” Saul gestured to the altar. The meat still sizzled. “I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

Samuel closed his eyes and shook his head. “You’ve acted foolishly.” He sighed so, so deeply.

“You haven’t kept the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

But now the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader over his people because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Then Samuel turned and walked away, leaving Saul standing by the burning sacrifice.

The general climbed the hill. “Six hundred, sir.”

“What?”

“Six hundred. That’s how many men are left. How can we face such a huge army with so few people?”

The flame on the altar died, and with it all the hope Saul had.

No. The battle was hopeless.

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This story is based on I Samuel 13.