Jonathan Trusts God

 As a result of his hesitation, most of Saul’s army had deserted, and he was no longer able to send out troops to stop the Philistine raiding parties, so they became more aggressive, as we see in I Samuel 13:17-18.  “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.”

 

In their raids on Israel, the Philistines had killed or captured the metal workers who could make effective weapons and had seized any weapons they found, leaving the Israelites unarmed, as I Samuel 13:19-22 describes.  “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.”

 

The main Philistine encampment was at Michmash, making it easy for them to raid the Israelites and control the main trade route, as I Samuel 13:23 tells us.  “And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.”  They were able to prevent the caravans passing through from trading with the Israelites,  After Jonathan’s victory over the Philistine camp at Geba, Saul had gathered the army, but when he kept dithering and did not attack, the people lost confidence in his leadership and returned home, leaving him only about six hundred men, as I Samuel 14:2-3 descries.  “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; 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.”

 

Knowing his father was afraid to attack with such a small force, Jonathan decided to secretly scout the Philistine camp and see if there was anything they could do, in I Samuel 14:1.  “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.”  There was a canyon between the Israelite and Philistines camps, that Jonathan would need to cross in order to spy on the Philistine camp, according to I Samuel 14:4-5.  “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.”  With philistine guards posted along the edge of the canyon, it would be almost impossible to sneak into their camp. 

 

Remembering the stories about Gideon, Jephthah and Samson, Jonathan decided to just trust God to guide them, and his armor bearer agreed to go with him, in I Samuel 14:6-7.  “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.”

 

Their plan was really simple.  If the philistines ordered them to halt or started shooting, they would run, because they were almost out of range.  If the Philistines invited them up in hopes of intimidating them, they would take it as a sign God wanted them to attack the outpost, as described in I Samuel 14:8-10.  “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.”

 

The Philistines did not see two men as a serious threat, and asked them to come up, making fun of the Israelites and intending to intimidate them, as I Samuel 14:11-12a describes.  “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…”

 

It was clearly the sign they had asked for, so Jonathan and his armor bearer climbed up the cliff, even though it was so steep they had to use their hands to climb and would not be able to defend themselves, as I Samuel 14:12b-14 describes.  “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.”

 

When they reached the top, they were surrounded by the Philistine guards.  Since Jonathan had the only sword, he made the primary attack wounding them and his armor bearer finished them off.  They only killed about twenty men, but the Philistines had heard the stories about Israel’s victories in the past and God used those stories to instill fear.  The fear was compounded when he also sent a small earthquake, as I Samuel 14:15describes. “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.”

 

Panicked by the earthquake and desperate to escape, the Philistines killed anyone who got in their way, as I Samuel 14:16tells us.  “And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.”