The Israelites faced a dire situation. Saul and Jonathan’s forces numbered only in the hundreds, while the Philistines, just four miles away, had thousands of soldiers. The Philistines were determined to destroy and pillage.
Later in the story of Jonathan and Saul, we’ll see that the Philistines had a tactic to keep their enemies away from iron. They had thousands of chariots, each with two people. Meanwhile, the Israelites only had farm tools.
Jonathan took the initiative, while his father stayed under a pomegranate tree, a luxury in that day.
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.
Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron (1 Samuel 14:1-2a).
Saul didn’t know his this son was heading to fight the Philistines, and was with a priest from Eli’s rejected house.
His own glory had faded, and he was with a relative of Ichabod, who was named for the time when God’s glory departed Israel.
The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 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 (1 Samuel 14:2b-3).
Jonathan’s Plan
Jonathan believed that God would fight for Israel and that nothing could stop God from saving them. He also knew that with God on his side, even a small group of men could win.
A group of Philistine soldiers was stationed on a rocky cliff. Saul planned to sneak up the cliff and use a test to see if God was with him before deciding to engage in battle.
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.”
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.”
Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them.
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.
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” (1 Samuel 14:6-10).
Many Israelite soldiers had defected to the Philistines. So, when Jonathan and his armor bearer approached, the Philistines thought they were more deserters.
That was the sign Jonathan needed. He and his armor bearer attacked and, with God’s help, defeated an entire garrison of soldiers.
The result of God’s actions was remarkable. As we read the story, we see the confusion that struck the Philistines. Their troops were shocked, realizing they weren’t just fighting two men, but the Lord himself.
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 (1 Samuel 14:15).
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
We all face battles, whether we realize it or not. Many of these battles are within ourselves. We struggle with thoughts, broken places, and hurts that lead to bad habits and behaviors. So, how do we win?
I heard something on a podcast that has stayed with me for several days. Sister Miriam Heidland said that healing is simply becoming more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.
This was Sister Heidland’s experience. She met Jesus after a sports career in college, and her life changed. She was freed from her hurts and pains and began a 20-year journey of further healing. For her, healing meant becoming like Christ.
Below is a link to one of her messages as a way to introduce you to this wonderful servant of the Lord.
Have you ever considered that the battles we encounter are won by progressively becoming more like Jesus? Give it a try and see what the Lord will do with you.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 