Jonathan – Living God’s Dreams
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: 1 Samuel 14:1–23
Jonathan is a man – unlike his father King Saul – who lives God’s dreams through his faith. In the face of formidable superiority, he makes the decision to pursue God’s goals. Jonathan makes it clear that initiative and risk-taking are spiritually valuable and necessary qualities. His conviction is: «It is not difficult for the Lord to help by much or little.»(1 Samuel 14:6). Jonathan experienced this impressively together with his loyal armour bearer.
Around 1000 BC, Israelite tribes had elected Saul as king. At that time, the Philistines were their main enemy. They were far superior in numbers and military strength. Israel was completely demilitarised. The Philistines had taken all their weapons. Thus, on that fateful day, 600 primitive equipped men faced tens of thousands of highly armed Philistines. «Thus it came to pass that, with the exception of Saul and Jonathan, not a single Israelite possessed a sword or a spear on the day of battle»(1 Samuel 3:22 NL). All others had to arm themselves with scythes, axes and other implements if necessary. In the course of total demilitarisation, the Philistines had imposed an occupational ban on blacksmiths. If the Israelites wanted to buy or repair agricultural equipment or tools, or sharpen hatchets or scythes, they had to go to the Philistine blacksmiths. But they charged horrendous prices. It cost 2⁄3 of a shekel to straighten or sharpen a ploughshare or a spade. One shekel weighed 11g of silver, so 2⁄3 of a shekel was 7g of silver. That was a horrendous price for sharpening a tool. The Israelites were so intimidated that 80 percent of the soldiers in Saul’s army deserted. Six hundred men remained. The Philistines were camped with their army behind a hilltop, with guards on top. Opposite them were Saul’s son Jonathan and his armour-bearer.
Decide riskily
«One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armour-bearer, «Come, let us go to the Philistine post over there». But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was going to do.»(1 Samuel 14:1 NL). Jonatan makes a risky decision that his father should not know about. Contrast this with: «Saul and the 600 men who were with him camped on the edge of the Gibeah area under the pomegranate tree in Migron. Among them was Ahijah the priest, wearing the linen priestly robe. Ahijah was the son of Ikabod’s brother Ahitub; the latter was a son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, who had served as the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. No one noticed that Jonathan had gone away» (1Samuel 14:2,3 NL). In contrast to Jonathan, his father is passively camped under the pomegranate tree. While the tree provided shade and sweet fruit, it was not the place for Saul to be as the leader of a threatened people. He just barely presumed to offer a burnt offering to God himself because Samuel the priest was late (1 Samuel 13:9 NL). Now he sits out the problem under the pomegranate tree. Saul had lost the sense of walking in step with God. He did religious things, but he did not trust the Lord.
With him was the priest Ahijah. Ahijah’s direct ancestors are Ahitub, Phinehas and Eli. Significantly, Uncle Ikabod also appears in the list. Ahijah’s grandfather Pinhas was an evil priest. He raped women at the temple and helped himself to the best pieces of the sacrificial flesh. As punishment, he fell in a battle against the Philistines. At the same time, the people of Israel were robbed of the Ark of the Covenant. When the wife of Phinehas heard that her husband was dead and that the Ark of God had been taken, she went into labour. She died giving birth to her son. The women who were present named the boy Ikabod, which «Israel’s glory has passed away»(1 Samuel 4:21) means. The mention of this name means that the blessing of God was not with the people under the pomegranate tree. Saul had a clear mission: he was to free the land from Israel’s enemies. In addition, the LORD gave the promise that they would defeat the Philistines (1 Samuel 12:14).
Don’t we often prefer to sit passively under the pomegranate tree instead of making a decision? Those who do not make a decision, even though the will of God is clear, are in danger of losing the glory of God. This is much more dangerous than going into the battle zone in step with God.
Get going boldly
«And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come, and let us go over unto the watch of these uncircumcised. Perhaps the LORD will do something for us, for it is not hard for the LORD to help by much or little.»(1 Samuel 14:6 Lut).
What a kamikaze enterprise! If Jonatan had looked at the circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have gone ahead. The Principality of Lichtenstein is not attacking the USA either. Jonathan did not look at the superiority, the numerical superiority of the Philistines or the military inferiority of the Israelites. He trusted in God’s possibilities alone. Jonatan embodies: «Some nations rely on their armies and weapons, but we trust in the Lord our God»(Psalm 20:8 NL).
«For it is not difficult for the LORD to help by much or little»(1 Samuel 14:6b Lut). From the Hebrew word for help (jascha), the name Jesus (yeshua): God helps us through Jesus crucified and risen. Jonathan was ready to die for the cause he was convinced was right. Victory over the Philistines was a promise just waiting to be taken possession of. Jonathan was so confident that what he was doing was in accordance with God’s purposes that he needed nothing more than a sign that said: «Go on.»
« «Good,» Jonatan said. «We’ll go over to the men and show ourselves to them. If they say to us, «Stay where you are until we are with you,» we stop and do not go up to them. But if they say, «Come up to us,» we go up. Let this be the sign of the Lord, that he helps us to defeat them».» (1Samuel 14:8–10 NL).
Jonathan embodied the heart of God and went forward in accordance with God’s purposes. It was as if God had given flesh and blood to his purposes. Instead of ikabod under the pomegranate tree, waiting for a sign, he went ahead as best he knew how. The confirmation came in the middle of the action. Can it be that we said to God: «I do nothing, risk nothing and go nowhere until you give me a sign?» Have we chosen to live in safety, comfort and convenience and justified this lifestyle by not getting signs to live differently?
What would happen if we were to ignore Jesus» first word in his Great Commission, «Go!», as the only permission we need to do God’s will. How different would our lives be if we started from a huge YES and not a huge NO? Even without a special invitation, we are never without a mission or calling. Every follower of Jesus has the prime directive to represent his Lord on this earth. Often when we claim that we are waiting for God, He is actually waiting for us. Let’s remember, Adam and Eve could have made countless good choices in paradise. There was only one bad option. Maybe we think we don’t know God’s will. I feel that my life is not enough to do all that God asks me to do in the Bible. Put your skis in the direction of God’s goals and give submission. Make the decision to trust Jesus completely and be baptised! Give a sign of hospitality to the migrants in your neighbourhood! Love your spouse! Have the conversation that is coming up! Tell your work colleagues about Jesus! You are not called to be a survivor, you are called to be a conqueror. Jonatan teaches us to attack the biggest challenges head on instead of running away from them.
«When the two of them showed themselves to the Philistine posts, the Philistines shouted, «Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes where they were hiding!» And they called out to Jonathan and his armour-bearer: «Come up here, we will teach you a lesson!» «Come, climb up behind me,» said Jonathan to his armour-bearer, «the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel!» » (1Samuel 14:11,12 NL). Jonathan understood the warning of the enemies as a sign from God that he should go on. Nothing could stop him from moving forward and doing what was right. He defied the unfavourable circumstances and fear.
Divine victory
«They climbed up on hands and feet. Then the Philistines rebounded in front of Jonathan and his armour-bearer, walking behind him, killed them. So in this first attack Jonathan and his armour-bearer killed about 20 men in half a furrow of a yoke of field. Then panic broke out in the army of the Philistines – both in the camp and in the field, among the guards and the assault troops. Then the earth shook and everyone was beside themselves with horror at God’s action.» (1Samuel 14:13–15 NL).
The Philistine army at Michmash and Saul’s soldiers at Geba were separated by a rocky valley. The Philistine sentry had a good view from this higher rocky plateau. Every war strategist knows that it is a great disadvantage to attack from below. To get to the plateau, the two soldiers had to climb up with their hands and feet. The Philistines controlled the high plateau with 20 heavily armed and battle-hardened guards. But it was precisely this more difficult variant that was to be the sign for Jonathan that the LORD would give the Philistines into Israel’s hands. Jonathan crawled up the mountain on all fours towards the guards with his armour-bearer. The king’s son landed on his knees. There was no hand free for the sword. The Bible is so good at pointing out that it is never by army or by might or by human strength that God’s purposes are achieved. His great concern is that his work be done out of weakness. That is why he often does not allow us to be strong. The problem of strength is that we – like Saul – forget God, which prevents blessing and victory.
«Then the Philistines recoiled from Jonathan.» When we go forward with God, there is a conflict with many other forces. The kingdom of God can only expand in confrontation with the kingdom of darkness. Decisive, God-given moments abound for people who are ready to absorb the initial impact. Jonathan went with God, and God went with Jonathan. The situation changed quickly: Now it was no longer Jonathan and his armour-bearer against the armies of the Philistines, but Jonathan, his companion and the living God against the enemies of God’s purposes. Samuel describes that great confusion arose among the Philistines so that they killed each other with their own swords. Because Jonathan became a fighter for God, God became a fighter for Jonathan. The promise was fulfilled: «The Lord himself will fight for you. Stay calm!» (Exodus 14:14 NL). But it took a Jonathan who believed. Faith is not an inner psychological force of which one has more or less. Faith is a verb of action and means to go forward in God’s purposes, to take land and defeat enemies.
It was only when the battle was almost won that Saul heard about it, called his few people together and arrived just in time to claim this victory for himself. But he was ikabod and thus not useful as a king.
«So the Lord saved (yasha) Israel that day, and the battle extended beyond the borders of Beth-Aven»(1 Samuel 14:23 NL). Behind this great victory was Yeshua, our Lord Jesus Christ. Like Jonatan, he was ready to take the first impact. He was all alone on the cross. God paves the way through the willing sacrifice of individuals. Before he died, Jesus cried out: «It is done!»(John 19:30). This accomplished is the key to a victorious life. Believing, we may go forward, receive the first impact and experience how to live God’s dreams.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: 1 Samuel 14:1–15
- What characterises Saul? What is believe after the example of Jonatan?
- What does it mean, ikabod to live? What was the cause of this in Saul?
- Which inner or outer enemies in your life should you courageously attack?
- Do you agree that a life with God consists first of all of a big YES? Why do we often express a NO through our lives?
- To whom could you be a weapon bearer and support him with your loyalty on his way?
