Leave No Man Behind

I remembered that phrase recently while finishing up the book of 1st Samuel in the Old Testament.


The phrase came into new prominence a few years back with the movie "Blackhawk Down", but I think the idea originated in the minds of some loyal warriors in the town of Jabesh-Gilead long, long ago.


1st Samuel ends tragically and a little like "The Empire Strikes Back!" in the first Star Wars trilogy. King Saul and all his sons are killed in battle (Saul at his own hands), David has been distracted and finds himself in a battle to rescue the wives, children and belongings of he and all his men, the armies of Israel has fled before the Philistines and several cities on the West Bank are abandoned to the raiding marauders.

As the dust settles in Israel, the story circulates that the Philistines had abused the body of Saul and his noble son, Jonathan and fastened their bodies to the wall of one of their cities - as a trophy of their military prowess.


It was a gruesome time.

With this news, some talk began in the town of Jabesh-Gilead ... some talk that soon erupted into hurried plans and some rigorous action.

You see some time before this, Jabesh-Gilead had been threatened by a bordering country. They faced a certain and humiliating defeat. Saul -who had only recently been appointed king- inquired about their troubles and they told him the threat they were under.

For some reason, the plight of these citizens of Jabesh-Gilead pushed Saul's buttons. He immediately sent a compelling message throughout the nation of Israel: he was plowing a team of oxen at the time and he chopped them into pieces. Next, he sent a section to every city in Israel proclaiming that - as king - he would do the same to the oxen of anyone that didn't show up to defend Jabesh-Gilead.

Sort of - "The Godfather" meets Twitter.


When the message went out it was effective! Saul mustered an army of 330,000 including Judah's troops. It was his first official act as king.

They soundly defeated the enemy and secured the land of Jabesh-Gilead.


This town owed Saul a debt of gratitude.

Despite the awful defeat they had sufferede earlier that day, the men of Jabesh-Gilead decided they were not going to leave Saul behind.

Stealthily, a team struck at night and rescued the bodies of Jonathan and Saul. Because of their haste and the danger of their mission, they did not bury them but instead burned the bodies - but saw to it that they were disposed in a respectful manner.

I have an admiration for those men and their sense of honor.

Saul was not the great king Israel had hoped he would be. He failed in so many ways and flitted away the waning years of his reign on an endless manhunt for someone he felt "threatened" his throne.

He did not lead in a godly way. He didn't follow the God of Israel.

Despite all of these faults, these few brave men of Jabesh-Gilead remembered the good he had done.


And they did something about it.


I am wondering about my own tendency these days to "write people off". In so doing, I forget the good they may have done - the true value that still may lurk deep within them.

The warriors of Jabesh-Gilead could sleep well after that night, knowing that they had acted honorably.