They said to the Ammonites, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like." – 1 Samuel 11:10

Today's Scripture Reading (April 5, 2022): 1 Samuel 11

Have you ever wondered why Batman's enemies don't kill him when they first capture him, rather than tying him up with the intention of killing him later? Or maybe they leave the Dark Knight in a predicament that will kill him slowly. Of course, it is a plot device used throughout fiction, the delay that gives the hero a chance to get out of his or her predicament. It gives our heroes time to plan their escape while allowing for an increase in the suspense present in the story. We all know that the Joker or Riddler will fail in the end, yet we read or watch the movie anyway, But you would think that that kind of a delay wouldn't happen in real life. You would think …

The story of Nahash the Ammonite's siege of Jabesh Gilead amazes me. Nahash surrounds the town of Jabesh, intending to demand not just their surrender but their disgrace by having the citizens of the city all gouge out their right eyes. And the town of Jabesh asks for a seven-day pause so that they can explore the possibility of someone coming to their rescue. What amazes me is that Nahash agrees to the demand. Much like every bad guy that inhabits our fiction, Nahash apparently didn't believe that there was any way out for the town of Jabesh Gilead; he was overconfident in his abilities and the lack of opposition that might be present in Canaan to stand against him. And so Jabesh sends for help, and Nahash waits for the answer.

The answer comes to the elders of Jabesh Gilead that Saul is raising an army and is on his way to help. The town elders need to stall for just a little more time, so they respond to Nahash agreeing to surrender the next day. The NIV translation of this verse is good at providing what Nahash perceived as the intent of the elders of Jabesh, but "Tomorrow we will surrender to you" isn't quite what the elders of the town told Nahash. The actual phrase they used was "Mahar (Tomorrow) yasa (come out) 'el (to you)," or "Tomorrow we will come out to you." There is no doubt that Nahash assumed that the only reason they would come out was to surrender, but in reality, the elders of Jabesh had no intention of surrendering. When the moment arrived for the men of Jabesh to come out of the town, it would be to join the fight against Nahash with the support of Saul and the army of Israel.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 12