Jonathan Trusts The Lord

With only about six hundred of his original two thousand remaining, Saul withdrew his forces from Gilgal and Michmash and joined Jonathan’s forces in Gibeah, as I Samuel 13:16 tells us.  “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.”  The Philistines occupied Michmash and made it their command post.  The sent out three separate forces to drve the people away and destroy any opposition according to 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.”

Over the years, the Philistines had focused on destroying Israel’s ability to produce weapons, killing or enslaving their blacksmiths and skilled workers and burning their shops.  This placed the Israelites at a serious disadvantage 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.”  Saul and Jonathan had the only two swords.  Everyone else would have to use tools such as axes, hoes, pruning hooks, and sickles, placing them as t disadvantage. 

The Philistines Knew where Saul was, and remembering Jonathan’s raid on the camp at Geba, they blocked off access to Michmash.    Jonathan decided to look over their arrangements and see if their was any way a small force could do much damage, in I Samuel 13:23-14:1.  “And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.  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.”

Most of Saul’s army and volunteers had deserted because Saul had waited so long to attack.  Not wanting to have to wait for Samuel again, he had Eli’s great grandson on standby to offer sacrifices if needed, but he his only plan was to try to hold their position.  No one knew Jonathan was gone, as we see in I Samuel 14:2-3.   “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.

While they might be able to hold their position in Gilgal for a while, Jonathan knew sooner or later they would be defeated.  He went looking for some way to improve their chances, in I Samuel 14:4-5.  There was a canyon running east and west between the Philistine position and Saul’s 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.”

Realizing God was not dependent on the size of Israel’s army, Jonathan decided to see how the Philistines would respond to seeing Israelites in the canyon, in I Samuel 14:6-10.  “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.

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.”

If the Philistines were much on guard and ordered them to halt, the element of surprise would be lost and they wouldn’t attack, but if they seemed over confident and unconcerned, they would take it as a sign God would bless their efforts to attack.  I Samuel 14:11-15 describes the result.  “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.

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.  And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.”  While Jonathan and his armor bearer only killed about twenty, the Philistines were caught completely off guard by the attack.  A small earthquake at the same time added to the confusion and resulted in panic and the Philistines fled, justifying Jonathan’s faith.