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.
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 furrowÆs 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. – 1 Samuel 4:4-15 ESV
It’s important to reflect on the fact that God had set Saul apart for a very specific purpose. Even before Samuel had laid eyes on Saul, God had given the prophet very specific instructions.
“Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” – 1 Samuel 9:16 ESV
God had a plan to deliver His people from the oppression of the Philistines and it was to involve “a man from the land of Benjamin.” But as the story unfolds in chapter 14, Saul is hiding in a cave somewhere near Gibeah. A good portion of his army has deserted him and he is at a loss as to what to do next. But his son Jonathan remained with the remnant of the Israelite forces, not far from the Philistine base of operations near Michmash.
Despite Saul’s disobedience which had led to Samuel’s departure and the removal of God’s anointing, God was still going to fulfill His promise to save His people. Saul had forfeited the right to be used by God by refusing to remain completely submissive to His will. The prophet Samuel had delivered a stinging rebuke to Saul that left little doubt as to his fate and God’s future plans for the nation of Israel.
“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 ESV
Samuel didn’t divulge the timeline for these events. He simply informed Saul that God had already selected his replacement and set a deadline for his reign. Saul would have no royal heir or lasting dynasty for which to be remembered. A new king would rule in his place and serve as the shepherd of God’s people.
But in the meantime, the Philistine army remained a threat to the people of Israel, so God chose to use another man from the land of Benjamin to fulfill His promise to deliver. This story presents Jonathan as a stark counterpoint to his unfaithful father. While Saul had chosen to hide from the enemy, safe in his cave near Gibeah, Jonathan had remained with the troops not far from the enemy lines. Surrounded by his personal contingent of armed guards and with Ahijah the high priest nearby, Saul seems content to wait out the Philistines. He took no action and gave no orders. His troops waited for a word from headquarters but none ever came.
Yet, Jonathan was unwilling to sit back and watch as the Philistines raided and plundered Israelite villages with no resistance whatsoever. He had to do something and this led him to come up with a plan that, at first glance, seemed doomed to failure. Turning to his personal armor bearer, Jonathan shared the details of his strategy.
“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans…Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” – 1 Samuel 14:6 ESV
This brief and outlandish plan reveals a great deal about Jonathan and his view of Israel’s God. Despite the odds stacked against them, Jonathan believed that the Lord (Jehovah) could deliver the enemy into their hand. He had no guarantee of victory but he was willing to take the risk because he trusted that his God was greater than whatever enemy he faced. His attitude stands in stark contrast to that of the rest of the army. When they had set eyes on the superior forces of the Philistines, many of the Israelite soldiers had turned tail and run.
The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. – 1 Samuel 13:5-7 NLT
Even Saul, their new king, had taken up residence in a cave somewhere near Gilead. But Jonathan was in the thick of it and more than willing to take a stand against the enemy, even if it cost him his life.
Amazingly, when Jonathan’s armor-bearer heard the details of the plan, he gave his full consent and offered his willing participation, saying, “Do what you think is best, I’m with you completely, whatever you decide” (1 Samuel 14:7 NLT). This man’s reaction to Jonathan’s risky plan speaks volumes about Jonathan’s integrity and trustworthiness. The armor-bearer had learned to trust his master and would do anything to serve and protect him, even if it meant sneaking into the enemy camp with no backup and little hope of success.
But this wasn’t a let’s-throw-caution-to-the-wind kind of plan. It was based on Jonathan’s belief in and understanding of God. He wasn’t going to allow the negative nature of their circumstances to dictate his view of God or deter his hope in the faithfulness of God. As a student of Israel’s history, Jonathan knew that God had a track record of delivering His people in the most amazing and unexpected ways. He would have been familiar with the story of Gideon, whom God used to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites (Judges 7). In that story, Gideon and his servant, Purah, snuck into the Midianite camp and received divine confirmation that victory would be theirs. The next day, Gideon led a force of 300 men in a lopsided victory over the far more powerful Midianite army. It was a rout.
It’s likely that Jonathan had this story in mind when he shared the next phase of his plan with his armor-bearer.
“We will cross over and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.” – 1 Samuel 14:8-10 NLT
Jonathan was looking for a sign from God. There is no explanation as to how he came up with this part of the plan but he clearly expected God to intervene and provide divine direction. Jonathan knew that God was still on their side and He alone could provide them with victory over their enemy. So, he took a chance and set out to seek a word from Jehovah, and he wasn’t disappointed.
Jonathan got the sign he was looking for and he stepped out in faith and took the battle to the enemy.
So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre. – 1 Samuel 14:13-14 NLT
Two men against twenty. Those are poor odds no matter how you look at it but not when God is involved. Jonathan and his armor-bearer responded to God’s sign with action. Rather than run back to seek reinforcements, they picked up their swords and did what needed to be done. They fought in the strength of God based on their trust in the faithfulness of God, and He gave them victory. Not only that, God confirmed the success of this small skirmish with another and more dramatic sign of His presence.
Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified. – 1 Samuel 14:15 NLT
God was still King of Israel. Despite Saul’s apparent failure. Jehovah remained on His throne and was fully capable of delivering His people through “a man from the land of Benjamin.” It just happened to be Jonathan and not Saul. God was officially done with Saul but He had not abandoned His people. He could and would deliver but He wanted His people to know that faith was the key to victory over their enemies. God didn’t need Saul any more than He needed Gideon. Jehovah wasn’t dependent upon kings or armies. He didn’t require mighty men to accomplish great victories. He simply needed people of faith, like Jonathan and his armor-bearer.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
