UNANSWERED PRAYER

Given the right circumstances, the Lord answered the prayers of national leaders who enquired about particular military matters, e.g., Judg. 1. 1; 20. 18, 28; 1 Sam. 30. 8; 2 Sam. 5. 19, 23.

However, when the circumstances were wrong, He would not answer, e.g., 1 Sam. 28. 6; Ezek. 20. 3, and this incident concerning Saul was one such occasion.

Because of the singular bravery of Jonathan, the Israelites found themselves pursuing the Philistines, but they were in great difficulty because Saul had forbidden them to eat that day. Unfortunately, Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and inadvertently ate some wild honey. Worse was to follow, for eventually the pursuing Israelites were so hungry that, after overwhelming the fleeing Philistines, they took the spoil - sheep, oxen, and calves - and ate them quickly without first bleeding them, which was a sin against the law, Lev. 3. 17; 7. 26, 27; 17. 10-14; 19. 26.

When Saul thereafter asked aloud if they should pursue the Philistines in order to complete the victory, the priest with him (Ahiah, 1 Sam. 14. 3) suggested that they should first pray about the matter, possibly hoping to transmit the answer to Saul via the Urim, Num. 27. 21.

When Saul then got no answer to his prayer, and he realized that something was wrong, he determined to find out who was responsible for the problem, saying that once found, they should die.

Eventually Jonathan was selected by lot, as indeed he was the first to eat that day. Saul then, in order to vindicate his decision, was going to kill his own son, who of course had actually been responsible for the initial victory, but who had innocently broken his father’s arbitrary and needless command. However, the people told Saul ‘as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not’, v. 45.

Saul’s apparent religious zeal in first forbidding the people to eat had now caused them to sin, and then later, in suggesting that his own son should die, he had compounded his folly. God would have nothing to do with his prayer which was only prayed as an afterthought at the prompting of another.

Prayer must be spontaneous and sincere if we want an answer.