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Jonathan - The Great Example

1 Samuel 14:1-52

1 Samuel 14 shows us Saul?s finest moments as a military leader, and some of his not-so-fine moments as a spiritual leader and as a king. The same chapter also shows us the contrast between Saul and his son Jonathan. Jonathan is wise militarily, brave, valiant, and a spiritual man who relies on God. He is also a practically wise man and would have been an awesome leader. It?s no wonder that Jonathan becomes best friends with the man God chooses to replace Saul as king over Israel: David. And he shows us a great example of what we can do if we just have the audacity to trust God above ourselves.

 

1 ? 5

 

Was Jonathan being disobedient or sly by sneaking out like that? I think it may be that he was being humble. Instead of sounding the trumpets so that everyone would know of his exploits, Jonathan goes out quietly doing God?s work. A good lesson for us as well.

 

Notice who accompanies him: Ahijah the priest wearing his ephod. I think this is significant when you compare what accompanies Saul in verse 18?the Ark of the Covenant. We?ll talk more about that in a moment. But here we see Jonathan seek the Lord and expect the Lord to direct and give credit to the Lord for the victory. Saul continues a tragic tradition of superstition and in verse 24 focuses on Saul being avenged, rather the Lord being glorified.

 

Notice also Jonathan?s lack of fear. Here is going against a well armed battle trained army with just him, an armor bearer and a priest. In our battle against the enemy, all we need is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and we will also see victory. It?s not the size of your army that counts but the presence of your God!

 

6 ? 15

 

Look at Jonathan?s trust in Yahweh. He is not arrogant, saying ?it may be that the Lord will work for us.? He wasn?t assured of victory but he was assured in his trust in God. Look too how he inspired hope and faith in others. In verse 7 his armor bearer is emboldened by Jonathan?s faith in God. His father, Saul, engenders fear (26) weakness (28) and sin (32). How does your relationship with God affect others around you?

 

Jonathan?s battle plan is simple: go out in the open and see what the enemy does. It?s pretty stupid by human standards but brilliant by God?s standards. In a way, that?s what we should do too. Instead of hiding our faith we should live our lives in Christ in the open. We do open ourselves up for attack but we also open ourselves up for God to move in mighty ways. We all have a choice, though. We can hide out and hope Satan doesn?t see us or we can trust that God will protect us no matter what we face.

 

I don?t know if there is any difference between Jonathan?s two options strategy-wise. He just feels a prompting from the Lord, perhaps that if the Philistines say ?come up? then it is a sign that God is moving. Perhaps he figured that if the Philistines are arrogant enough to invite the enemy up to them then they will be just cocky enough to let their guard down.

 

What starts as a small victory?20 men?turns into a route of an entire garrison, thanks to a God-given panic (he?s pretty famous for that) and for an accompanying earthquake. What might seem like small victories in our lives can be used to bring about major victories in the spirit world and for the kingdom of God.

 

16 ? 23

 

Saul was what you might call a ?control freak.? If anyone did anything he wanted to know about it. It seemingly irritated him that Jonathan acted so independently because it challenged his leadership.

 

Saul, it seems, planned to bring the Ark into battle like they did in Chapter 4. Did he learn nothing from history? This is another sign that Saul?s relationship with Yahweh was primarily superstitious. Saul starts to ask God for direction but when he sees that battle raging anyway and the possibility that someone else will get the credit he grows impatient, again, and sends the troops out.

 

So defectors and cowards join in the battle. Jonathan had just finished saying that with the Lord you can defeat an army with many or few. Saul seems to believe that it is only with the many?and no matter what kind of people they are!

 

The victory was a weak one, however, because of a rash vow Saul had made earlier.

 

24 ? 35

 

Saul was trying to impress the people that he was a man of God, but God never told him to declare this fast. In fact it was very counter-productive?the men needed the strength of sustenance to fight. Perhaps Saul thought that by fasting in the presence of the Ark that God would be impressed. This is another sign of Saul?s superstitious faith. One way we know it wasn?t of the Lord is the effect. The men were faint, not sustained.

 

The second effect of the vow was that it created such an abnormal hunger that it caused the men to violate the actual Law of God by eating meat with the blood in it (Lev 3 and 7:11-34). Saul?s vow brought out the worst in people and in the end it brought out the worst in Saul. He takes the priestly function and slaughters the animals himself. Then he built an altar trying to turn the debacle into a worship service. It?s like Saul will play Yahweh worship for appearances and in a way that works for him, never giving God real sway or honor.

 

36 ? 46

 

Finally someone is seeking the Lord! Saul wants to rush off and make up for lost time due to his rash vow, but Abijah wisely says ?Hey, let?s pray about this.? Whatever way Abijah sought the Lord, God did not answer. This is not the last time this happens.

 

But though God didn?t answer, he did honor Saul?s rash vow. That?s why the Urim and Thummim singled out Jonathan. But though Saul might have thought ?now we?ll see who?s king in Israel? what he really found out was that the people loved his son more than he! Verse 39, by the way, is his second rash vow and was taking the Lord?s name in vain.

 

The whole debacle made it so the victory over the Philistines was not complete and it would be up to the next king, David, to completely route them.

 

How hard do you stick to a stupid statement or promise you?ve made just because you don?t want to look foolish? A wise man or woman realizes their folly, cops to it, and changes their minds and their words.

 

47 ? 51

 

Saul drafted every good man he found and had some military victories. But military might without a relationship with God will mean only temporary victory for Saul.

 

Lessons

 

Be a Jonathan in battle?not a Saul. Jonathan was not afraid despite the odds, sought the Lord, fought valiantly, and gave God the glory?while also being practical and not stupid. Saul on the other hand, was in it for his own glory, was jealous of anyone else doing good things, made stupid vows then out of pride would kill that which was closest to him to protect that pride and ended up having to turn handsprings with God?s word to try to turn a mistake around.