Have you ever said something you wish you could take back?

Perhaps you are familiar with the old object lesson regarding the things we say and comparing them to a tube of toothpaste. The lesson is of course that we need to be very careful about the words we say because once they leave our lips, they are much like toothpaste squeezed from the tube — when the toothpaste is out, it is impossible to get it back in.

Newly coronated King Saul is a prime example of speaking rash words when he foolishly made an oath threatening his own army with death if they ate any food before he could wreak his vengeance on the Philistines.

The passage reads, “When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers told him, ‘Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food today!” That is why the men are faint.’ Jonathan said, ‘My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?’” (1 Samuel 14:26-30, NIV).

Saul’s stubborn heart even kept him from admitting his mistake. If not for the Israelite army’s intervention, he would have killed his own brave son to validate his foolishness. 

Lord, help me to measure my words before I speak and give me the humility to seek forgiveness when I am wrong. AMEN

Joe Pritchett

Extended Scripture: 1 Samuel 13–14