I Samuel 13:15b-14:15
“And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.” (I Samuel 13:15b-16)
Saul had a standing army of three thousand. When the Philistines invaded, he had called for all Israel to come help. Delaying while he waited for Samuel to come give his blessing had resulted in his army shrinking to only about six hundred men, camped in Gibeah.
“And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.” (I Samuel 13:17-18)
The Philistines maintained a large army to keep Saul busy while they sent three raiding parties out to pillage the unprotected cities and farms. With almost all the men in hiding, the land was easy pickings.
“Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.” (I Samuel 13:19-23)
The Philistines had successfully disarmed the Israelites, by banning them from doing their own blacksmithing for fear they would build their own weapons and overthrow the Philistines forces. To have their tools repaired, they had to go to a Philistine blacksmith, although they were allowed files for sharpening them. Only Saul and Jonathan had been allowed to keep their swords and spears. Armed only with farm tools, it is not hard to understand Israel’s fear of a well armed army with thirty thousand iron chariots.
“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.
“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; 1sa And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod'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.” (I Samuel 14:1-3)
Like the others, Jonathan got restless and decided to go over and spy on the Philistine army. Knowing that Saul had no plans to attack, he didn’t bother to tell him where he was going. He just went trusting God to lead and protect him. Neither Saul nor the others even noticed that he was gone. Saul and the priests were probably waiting for some miraculous sign from God to tell them it was time to attack.
“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. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
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.
And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.” (I Samuel 14:4-7)
There was a large canyon between Micmash and Gibeah. Jonathan had suggested that they go down and look over the situation and see what God wanted because He was able to give the victory regardless how small the army was. It was totally and act of faith, as was his armor bearer’s response.
“Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 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. 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.
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. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” (I Samuel 14:8-12a)
After looking and praying about it, Jonathan suggested the expose themselves to the Philistines. If they ordered them to halt they’d just wait and see what happened. If they dared them to come up, on the other hand, they would take it as a sign that God wanted the two of them to attack the camp. When they showed themselves, the Philistines made fun of them and dared them to come up where they could show them something.
"And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
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. 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. 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.” (I Samuel 14;12b-15)
It was exactly the sign Jonathan had asked for, so by faith he said let’s go and started climbing the rock wall using both hands and feet. There were about twenty Philistines at the top of the cliff in an area about the size of a large city lot. They had no fear of two Israelites crawling on their hands and knees, especially since a lot had already surrendered. Since Jonathan had the only sword, he led the attack, knocking them down while the armorbearer made sure they were dead.
For six hundred years, the Philistines had heard how God protected Israel, and had been defeated several times during Samuel’s judgeship. Already on edge, the noise of fighting caused a ripple of fear throughout the Philistine camp, and especially when it was accompanied by a small earthquake.
“And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.” (I Samuel 13:15b-16)
Saul had a standing army of three thousand. When the Philistines invaded, he had called for all Israel to come help. Delaying while he waited for Samuel to come give his blessing had resulted in his army shrinking to only about six hundred men, camped in Gibeah.
“And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.” (I Samuel 13:17-18)
The Philistines maintained a large army to keep Saul busy while they sent three raiding parties out to pillage the unprotected cities and farms. With almost all the men in hiding, the land was easy pickings.
“Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.” (I Samuel 13:19-23)
The Philistines had successfully disarmed the Israelites, by banning them from doing their own blacksmithing for fear they would build their own weapons and overthrow the Philistines forces. To have their tools repaired, they had to go to a Philistine blacksmith, although they were allowed files for sharpening them. Only Saul and Jonathan had been allowed to keep their swords and spears. Armed only with farm tools, it is not hard to understand Israel’s fear of a well armed army with thirty thousand iron chariots.
“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.
“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; 1sa And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod'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.” (I Samuel 14:1-3)
Like the others, Jonathan got restless and decided to go over and spy on the Philistine army. Knowing that Saul had no plans to attack, he didn’t bother to tell him where he was going. He just went trusting God to lead and protect him. Neither Saul nor the others even noticed that he was gone. Saul and the priests were probably waiting for some miraculous sign from God to tell them it was time to attack.
“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. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
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.
And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.” (I Samuel 14:4-7)
There was a large canyon between Micmash and Gibeah. Jonathan had suggested that they go down and look over the situation and see what God wanted because He was able to give the victory regardless how small the army was. It was totally and act of faith, as was his armor bearer’s response.
“Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 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. 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.
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. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” (I Samuel 14:8-12a)
After looking and praying about it, Jonathan suggested the expose themselves to the Philistines. If they ordered them to halt they’d just wait and see what happened. If they dared them to come up, on the other hand, they would take it as a sign that God wanted the two of them to attack the camp. When they showed themselves, the Philistines made fun of them and dared them to come up where they could show them something.
"And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
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. 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. 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.” (I Samuel 14;12b-15)
It was exactly the sign Jonathan had asked for, so by faith he said let’s go and started climbing the rock wall using both hands and feet. There were about twenty Philistines at the top of the cliff in an area about the size of a large city lot. They had no fear of two Israelites crawling on their hands and knees, especially since a lot had already surrendered. Since Jonathan had the only sword, he led the attack, knocking them down while the armorbearer made sure they were dead.
For six hundred years, the Philistines had heard how God protected Israel, and had been defeated several times during Samuel’s judgeship. Already on edge, the noise of fighting caused a ripple of fear throughout the Philistine camp, and especially when it was accompanied by a small earthquake.
Jonathan was a very godly son for a carnal man like Saul. It goes to show that faith is not inherited and godly parents won't always have children who follow suit, for vice versa.
ReplyDeleteEach person makes their own decisions. It is easy to understand why David and Jonathan were such good friends when you realize how much alike their attitudes were.
ReplyDelete