The
Book of First Samuel
Chapter 14:1-23
[1] Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the
son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour,
Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other
side. But he told not his father.
[2] And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah
under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the
people that were with him were about six hundred men;
[3] And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub,
I-chabod's brother, the son of Phinehas,
the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing
an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
1) Frank Proposal (V 1-3)
Jonathon showing courage proposes to his armorbearer to go over to the enemy garrison
Saul, his father was under a pomegranate tree
along with the priest (the captain & chaplain rest)
600 men with Saul..... and
they knew not that Jonathon had left
·
Ichabod mentioned as Saul has spiritually become Ichabod- glory of God gone
[4] And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the
Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock
on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez,
and the name of the other Seneh.
[5] The forefront of the one was situate northward
over against Michmash, and the other southward over
against Gibeah.
2)
Fortressed Position (V4,5)
Strategically a great place to cross, between
2 sharp craggy ledges in rugged mountains a pass
Being the military man
that he was, Jonathon knew this was a safe passage
[6] And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour,
Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be
that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save
by many or by few.
[7] And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that
is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
[8] Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will
discover ourselves unto them.
[9] If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand
still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
[10] But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD
hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
3)
Formidable Plan (V6-10)
Something has to be done to defeat the enemy
and Jonathon is willing
He believed that God would bless him if he
acted in faith and accordance to God’s will
There is no restraint to God
The armorbearer was
a real encouragement. Not a discouragement !
Jonathon proposes a test
Lets show ourselves
to the enemy
If they say “we will come to you” we know
that God wants us to wait
If they say “come up
unto us” God is granting to us the victory
[11] And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the
Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews
come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
[12] And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer,
and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a
thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the
hand of
[13] And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and
his armourbearer slew after him.
[14] And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer
made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a
yoke of oxen might plow.
4)
Faith Prompted (V11-14)
They showed themselves
The enemy thought these were defecting Hebrews that had
been hiding in holes and were surrendering
“Come up”- This was the confirming sign
Jonathon needed and his faith was prompted to action
He climbed up, along with his armorbearer and slew 20 in a ½ acre of land
[15] And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the
people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth
quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
[16] And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin
looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down
one another.
[17] Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who
is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
[18] And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at
that time with the children of
[19] And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise
that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said
unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
[20] And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and
they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow,
and there was a very great discomfiture.
[21] Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time,
which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they
also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
[22] Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim,
when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after
them in the battle.
[23] So the LORD saved
5)
Fright & Panic (V15-23)
The enemy heard this, maybe saw this and
thought they were under full scale attack
The become excited and begin to panic and
tremble in fear
Then an earthquake, now they tremble more...........
and they begin to fight one another
Saul calls the roll and find that Jonathon,
his son and Jonathon’s armorbearer are missing
Now Saul calls for the ark........... he calls for the priest begins to pray or cast lots
Saul is afraid of failure
(insecurity and stalls)
The only way the king will enter
the battle is if it is a sure thing
The noise from the enemy’s panic
increases so much that Saul stopped the priest
The king knew the odds had swung
into his favor and now he will enter the battle
Now the Hold-Outs enter the battle
He and his army were Hold-Backs-
not trusting in complete faith until he had odds
Non-the-less there is a great dicomfiture
Better to come out now than never, but how much better to have the bold
trust of Jonathon
Now the Sell-outs enter the battle
They had forsaken
They hated the enemy but were
afraid to stand free in the Lord
They only come out to
“They are the fair weather crowd”
Better to come out now than never, but how much better to have the bold
trust of Jonathon
Now the Hide-Outs
enter the battle
They had left the scene of the
battle and run and hid I Sam 13:6,7
They sat on the sidelines until
everything looked safe and secure
Better to come out now than never, but how much better to have the bold
trust of Jonathon
The victory was not credited to Saul, or
Jonathon but it was the Lord that saved
*WWI (Allenby’s army in