1Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.stylusExodus 12:5, Micah 6:6, Exodus 12:5, Micah 6:62He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.stylus1 Samuel 10:26, 1 Samuel 10:26, 1 Samuel 14:31, 1 Samuel 13:5, 1 Samuel 14:313Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”stylus1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Samuel 10:5, Judges 3:27, Judges 3:27, Judges 6:344And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.stylusGenesis 34:30, Genesis 34:30, Exodus 5:21, Exodus 5:21, Genesis 46:345Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.stylusJoshua 11:4, 1 Samuel 14:23, Joshua 11:4, 1 Samuel 14:23, Joshua 18:126Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.stylusJudges 6:2, Judges 6:2, Hebrews 11:38, Hebrews 11:38, Exodus 14:107Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.stylusDeuteronomy 3:12, Deuteronomy 20:8, Leviticus 26:17, Numbers 32:33, Numbers 32:428And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.stylus1 Samuel 10:8, 1 Samuel 10:89So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.stylus1 Kings 3:4, 1 Kings 3:4, Deuteronomy 12:6, Deuteronomy 12:6, Proverbs 15:810Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.stylus1 Samuel 15:13, 1 Samuel 15:13, Psalms 129:8, Ruth 2:4, Psalms 129:811“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,stylus1 Samuel 13:16, 1 Samuel 13:5, 1 Samuel 13:23, 1 Samuel 13:2, 1 Samuel 13:1612I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”stylusPsalms 66:3, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Kings 12:26, 1 Kings 12:27, Amos 8:513“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.stylus1 Samuel 15:22, 1 Samuel 15:22, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 1 Samuel 15:2814But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”stylusActs 13:22, Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 15:28, Psalms 89:1915Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.stylus1 Samuel 14:2, 1 Samuel 13:2, 1 Samuel 14:2, 1 Samuel 13:2, 1 Samuel 13:616Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.stylus1 Samuel 13:3, 1 Samuel 13:317And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,stylusJoshua 18:23, Joshua 18:23, 1 Samuel 14:15, 1 Samuel 14:15, Joshua 19:318another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.stylusNehemiah 11:34, Nehemiah 11:34, Joshua 18:13, Joshua 18:14, Joshua 18:1319And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”stylus2 Kings 24:14, 2 Kings 24:14, Judges 5:8, Jeremiah 24:1, Judges 5:820Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.stylus21The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.stylus22So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.stylusJudges 5:8, Judges 5:8, 1 Samuel 17:47, Zechariah 4:6, 1 Samuel 17:5023And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.stylusIsaiah 10:28, Isaiah 10:28, 1 Samuel 14:1, 1 Samuel 14:4, 1 Samuel 14:5