Chapter 14:1-23
We ended Chapter 13 with Israel in a very sad state. They were subject to their enemies because of their King’s disobedience. He refused to wait on the Lord and listen to His Word. He was disobedient. He thought he could go to battle without God.
1. Jonathan Moves Against the Philistines (14:1-5)
14 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
In the beginning of Chapter 14 we are told the account of what Jonathan has in mind.
Jonathan and his armor-bearer are going to fight against a garrison of the Philistines. That’s the plan, but notice… But he did not tell his father.
Saul is sitting under the Pomegranate Tree in the shade. While Jonathan goes on the offense. Remember Saul was the King not Jonathan. Saul was sitting in the shade while Jonathan sneaks off to fight the Philistines. This should have been Saul, after all, he was the King.
Also remember, Saul had been rejected by God for his disobedience.
Saul was accompanied by a rejected priest…
3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod.
Remember, God had also rejected Eli’s household from being priests, but there he is just the same wearing his priestly clothes.
1 Samuel 3:12–13 (ESV)
12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
So, we have a rejected King and a rejected Priest holed up with a trembling army in a cave.
4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
This terrain is extremely rugged and many viewed it as impassable. The two crags one Bozez means slippery and the other Seneh which means thorny.
So, we have the setting…
Jonathan and his armor-bearer are plotting an attack while his father and a rejected priest and 600 men are sitting in the shade. The place is very rugged terrain seen as impassable.
Impossible odds, and an impossible place…
2. Jonathan’s Faith to Do the Impossible (14:6-23)
6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.
Everything looks bad for Israel. The King is hiding in a cave with some reject priest and a few hundred men who are trembling in their boots. That’s one side then there is Jonathan. He doesn’t care about the odds. Saul is busy counting everything while Jonathan is ready just him and his friend.
Jonathan counts his army…well there’s me and another guy…
It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.
Jonathan knows the character of God. He knows God as Savior of His people. He also knows that it doesn’t matter if God has an army of 30,000 or an army of 2…many or few. It doesn’t matter because God can win with an army of 0.
What does Jonathan have that Saul doesn’t have? He has faith that God can win the victory. All that Jonathan needs is God’s green light to go.
Great faith knows God is able to save. Faith has certainty with God’s ability to save. That’s not the question in Jonathan’s heart. Will God work for us? There is no doubt He is able but will He?
8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”
If they say come up to us then that’s Jonathan’s signal from God to go.
This is great faith. This is faith that tells God, I’ll do whatever You ask but I need to know what it is You want me to do. He has a trust rooted in God’s character.
Remember the Hebrew children and the fiery furnace?
Daniel 3:16–18 (ESV)
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
What do the Philistines say?
11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”
Their response was literally, come up here and we will show you a thing or two. Jonathan heard come up to us and that’s all he needed to hear…He tells his armor-bearer follow me!!
15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
Here we see the emphasis the narrator has placed on the panic. Three times the same Hebrew word is used hrd which means great terror that produces great panic.
What brought this great panic was that God was with them. Just two Hebrews soldiers against the Philistine army was a joke, but God was there…
The Lord was fighting with Jonathan and his friend, the earth quaked and He set confusion and panic in the camp and the Philistines started killing each other. Jonathan killed some and his friend killed some and the Philistines killed the rest.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
Saul goes to counting people again. He discovers Jonathan and his armor-bearer are missing.
The battle begins to head the direction of Saul and his army. So, Saul and the rest get up and move toward the battle. What is something we should notice is that Israel has no weapons. Remember from Chapter 13? They had no weapons and even had to go down to their enemy to have them sharpen the farming tools.
The reality is they didn’t need any. The Philistines begin to kill each other in their terror and panic. All Israel needs to do to engage in the battle is to pick up swords off the ground. God is winning the battle for them.
23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.
The central theme of this passage is found in verse 23. The Lord won the battle.
It’s important to see the faith of Jonathan and the commitment of his friend…
6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
We see what faith looks like.
We see what a true friend and partner in ministry looks like.
These are traits we should also seek to model.
The point of the spear is not to be found in Jonathan or his friend but in the faithfulness of God.
23 So the Lord saved Israel that day.
God is able to save us from our enemies with many or with few.
Resources Used:
1 Samuel by Dale Ralph Davis
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