1 Samuel 14 verses 1 to 23 The Son Who Saves

 

Introduction

 

‘Fight or Flight Response’. [Picture]

This is the term used to describe an animal’s reaction to being attacked or feeling threatened. Animals will either run away in fear, hoping to escape the threat, or they will stand up and fight.

‘Fear or Faith Response’- this is the term we could use to describe how God’s People respond to difficult circumstances. It definitely describes the different responses of Saul and his son, Jonathan, in 1 Samuel.

In Chapter 14 Jonathan, accompanied only by his armour-bearer, takes the fight to the massive Philistine army. Jonathan trusted in God’s power and purposes for His People, and he acted accordingly. In this way he was part of God’s plan to deliver His People.

Saul, on the other hand, continued to react to circumstance with fear and leaning on his own understanding. And this contrast is used to teach God’s People it is better to face difficult circumstances with faith in the God who is always sovereignly at work.

And so, we can understand Chapter 14 like this:

Faith is Active

Faith Seeks God’s Leading

Faith is Honoured

In Chapter 14 we witness the triumphant faith of Jonathan. But our story is ultimately about another faithful Son who delivers His People. In Jesus we see the ultimate Rescuer of God’s People. As Followers of Jesus, we must put our faith in Him- He has defeated our Enemy and set us free to live for God in humble confidence.

Let’s see that first as we consider…

Faith is Active

In verses 1 to 6 the author takes time to set the scene for us. He is careful about telling us all about the people involved (we won’t spend too much time on them today). He seems to have a strange fascination with the place where the story will take place (we will see how that’s important later). And, in verse 1, he starts by drawing our attention to an audacious plan that Jonathan is making (we will come back to that in a moment).

It is clear the author wants us to compare the character and actions of King Saul and his son, Jonathan. He wants us to learn all about how God used Jonathan to rescue God’s People. And he wants us to understand the true faith that Jonathan displayed. So, first of all we learn that faith is as ‘active’.

Notice how, in verses 2 and 3, Saul is sitting under a pomegranate tree, away from the action, with a group of questionable characters. Saul, with his six hundred dejected and ill-equipped soldiers, sits and watches as the Philistines terrorise God’s People (we see that back in Chapter 13 where they are sending out raiding parties).

This is very different from what Jonahan is doing. While Saul sits, Jonathan is ready to act. Jonathan is the one man, other than Saul, who possesses proper battle equipment, and he will use his sword to bring honour to the Lord through his active faith.

Jonathan, we see, is a man of action. And, in verse 1, we see this action is rooted in a desire to do something for the sake of God and His People. At this stage Jonathan has no definite plan, he just wants an opportunity to act against the enemies of God’s People.

In verses 4 and 5 the geography of our story today is carefully described. The author uses this description to help us understand that it was not an easy thing for Jonathan to go and attack the Philistines. He would have to climb rocky crags- either one called ‘Slippery’, or one called ‘Thorny’- not ideal terrain for mounting an attack.

In other words, Jonathan was going to attack the enemy using what would be regarded as the last route that anyone in their right mind would choose. But Jonathan thought differently. He saw opportunity where everyone else saw impossibility.

And so, in verse 6 we read:

Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

This was the first in a series of audacious acts motivated by true faith.

A couple of clues in our passage help us understand the motivation behind Jonathan’s actions. Firstly, notice how he describes the Philistines as ‘…uncircumcised fellows…’. Jonathan sees this as more than just a battle between two nations. Jonathan rightly saw this as a conflict between the covenant people of God and the enemies of God.

 

 

And Jonathan also believed that God alone would bring salvation for His People. Notice how he declares: ‘…Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few…’. Jonathan’s faith did not rely on favourable circumstances but looked to God and His mighty plans to save His People.

Jonathan reminds us that clear convictions about God produce great expectations of God. Clear convictions about God (nothing can hinder the Lord from saving) produces great expectations of God (the Lord will act on our behalf).

This was not wishful thinking on Jonathan’s part. Jonathan could recall the true stories of God using a small number in the past to deliver His People. He had used just one man, Ehud, to deliver His People from Eglon and the Moabites. And He had used Gideon and his small band of 300 to deliver Israel from their Midianite oppressors.

Time and again God’s Word records how nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few. This was Jonathan’s conviction. This was the foundation of Jonathan’s faith.

Again, in this true story from God’s Word we see how vital it is that God’s People saturate their minds and hearts with God’s Word. When our hearts and minds are grounded in God’s Word then we can face our circumstances with faith. When we allow God’s Word to penetrate our desires and wills, we are empowered to respond to difficulty in ways that seek God’s glory above all.

The world today needs Believers of fearless faith who will, in the words of William Carey: Attempt great things for God; expect great things of God.

 

You see, we can be so like Saul- overwhelmed by circumstance and paralysed by impossibility. But how might God be leading us- as individuals and as a congregation- to see opportunities and act in humble expectation?

Jonathan reminds us that what we need is a faith that believes our God can triumph as He chooses. It is this faith that dares to do much for God. It is this faith that can impact our homes, schools, workplaces and community for the glory of God.

Faith is active. Faith also…

Faith Seeks God’s Leading

Watching Jonathan in Chapter 13 can bring a sense of conviction: I need to be more active and intentional in my living for God. That is indeed a good thing. It is so easy to become passive in life and allow circumstances to overwhelm us and turn us away from God’s Way.

But there is also a wonderful balance to Jonathan’s faith. Jonathan is active, taking the initiative. But Jonathan also seeks God’s blessing as he acts in faith.

Notice again what he says in verse 6:

“Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

It is as if Jonathan says: God can do mighty works, and God may do mighty works- and how can we know unless we place ourselves at his disposal. This is so refreshing.

 

Jonathan was expressing the conviction that is basic to all true faith in God. God’s Word declares again and again that our God is infinitely powerful. For example, in Genesis 18: Is anything too hard for the LORD?. And, in Luke 1: Nothing will be impossible with God.

Do you know that all things are possible with God- that nothing is too hard for Him- that He can do anything? That is what Jesus taught. It is what the whole Bible teaches. And it means true faith in God is possible because there is nothing that can hinder Him.

Faith in God knows that He is of infinite power, but it does not presume on that power. True faith in God knows His power to do all things but trusts that whatever He choses to do is both wise and good.

Jonathan both confesses the power of God and the freedom of God to act according to His perfect purposes. He does not tell God how to use His infinite power. Instead, Jonathan was offers himself to God. Jonathan honours God’s power and purposes by seeking God’s leading.

And so, as these two men approached the Philistine outpost Jonathan sought God’s leading; in verses 8 to 10 we read:

Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

In this Jonathan sought God’s direction and God’s favour.

 

 

Jonathan may have been asking for a sign from the Lord. But it is also likely he combined that request with some sanctified common sense. If the Philistines allowed Jonathan to come up this narrow and difficult path, then he could fight them where their superior numbers counted for little.

In verse 11 the plan was implemented. Both showed themselves to the garrison of Philistines. The Philistines were unimpressed. In verses 11 and 12 we hear their response. They basically say: ‘You weaklings can come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough’.

Jonathan took the Philistine dare as a sign of God’s intentions and got to work. In verse 13 we see Jonathan and his armour-bearer, on their hands and feet, scrambling up this high, steep bank. And then they get to the top, just the two of them. This is where it gets interesting.

Before the Philistines knew what had hit them, Jonathan attacked the unsuspecting Philistines with his sword. One by one he slays his enemies, with his armour-bearer coming behind to finish them off; in no time at all they take out twenty of the enemy.

Jonathan, with fearless faith and God’s direction, triumphs. This commando raid could have been explained by purely human factors- one well-trained solider, with surprise tactic, gains a swift advantage. But Jonthan would not hold this view.

We see this as we turn to our last section…

Faith is Honoured by God

Jonathan honoured God with his fearless faith and audacious actions. He sought to act for God and His People. He sought God’s direction and God’s blessing. He took the fight to the enemy and God honoured him; in verse 15 we read:

Then panic struck the whole army-those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties-and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

There was trembling everywhere, and the very earth shook. This was a clear indication that God Himself was at work in these events.

God is not a bystander in the panic and confusion of our world, or when our personal world begins to shake. God is not distant and disinterested. Instead, He draws close in compassion and grace. And He is always at work for the good of His People and the Glory of His Name.

Jonathan’s faith led him to audacious activity which God honoured. And Jonathan’s faith inspired Israel’s army to action. It is often that case that fearless faith inspires God’s People.

In verse 16 we are taken back to Saul’s camp. Guards that had allowed Jonathan to leave unnoticed now notice the commotion in the Philistine camp. In verse 17 Saul responds by seeking out who was responsible. The muster reveals Jonathan and his armour-bearers are the ‘culprits’

At this point, we see another contrast between Saul and Jonathan. In verse 18 Saul calls for the Ark of God. Perhaps, like in Chapter 4, he was planning to march into battle against the Philistines with the ark, as the Israelites had done (disastrously) before. More likely he was thinking of seeking God’s guidance at this point.

Whatever his intentions, in verse 19 he quickly changed his mind. The noise from across the valley apparently assured him that the Philistines were in big trouble, and so he dropped his interest in the Ark.

Saul apparently felt he was supposed to be ‘religious’ and observe certain procedures, but these were not his deep convictions. He used religion but did not have a living, personal faith. Jonathan, on the other hand, had a true faith that sought to honour God.

And, in verses 20 to 22 we see how God, again, honoured that faith- Philistines turn on one another, deserters return to the army, the united Israelite forces chase away their oppressors.

What a victory faith had won for Jonathan! He not only had he won against the Philistines but he had won the Israelites back to the cause of the Lord. How often the faith of just one man or woman will revive the faith of others! Jonathan’s faith had brought the Lord’s help.

The story concludes in verse 23: ‘So the Lord saved Israel that day…’.

That sounds like a great place to end the story, with the Philistines fleeing into the hills and the Israelites in hot pursuit. But the events of that day had only begun, and our second instalment in 1 Samuel 14 will bring some very surprising developments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

In Jonathan we are given a glimpse of the kind of leader we need- one who knows God enough to trust Him wholly and act for the good of God’s People and the glory of God’s Name. Jonathan trusts in the Lord and His saving purposes- in His awesome power and amazing grace.

And there’s no doubt that Jonathan is a good example of faith and godly leadership. But he’s not in the Scriptures, ultimately, so that we can copy him.

Instead, what we have in Jonathan is a pointer to the True Warrior-King who truly saves God’s People. In Jesus, God’s Son, we see the One who took the fight to the Enemy on our behalf- whose fearless faith won a great victory for us and inspires us to faithfully follow Him. Jonathan points us to Jesus.

And as we fill our minds with the truths of this Gospel that are secured in Christ, we come to see that God is bigger than anything life can throw against us. With the help of God’s Spirit, we can face any circumstances with faith in the One who saves His People. In Christ we are called to a life of faith in the God who delivers His People- the One who gave His Son the most glorious victory over the ultimate Enemy of God’s People.