Isra’el Routs the Philistines
First Samuel 14: 15-23
Isra’el routs the Philistines DIG: How did ADONAI help Jonathan when he attacked the Philistines? Why do you think Sha’ul asked for the Ark? What is meant by Sha’ul’s command to the high priest? What did that action reveal about Sha’ul? How did Sha’ul hurt himself? Who is credited with the victory?
REFLECT: On a scale of 1 (trusting self) to 10 (trusting God), how would an impartial observer rate your current trust level? What story lies behind that rating? How committed are you to worldwide missions, church planting, Jewish evangelism (Romans 1:16), Isra’el, and to the peace of Jerusalem?
One man with God is always in the majority.
Contagious faith (14:15-22): How could the success of Jonathan’s commando raid be explained (to see link click Ce – Jonathan Attacks the Philistines)? It might be explained by entirely human factors: one well-trained and well-armed attacker comes by a difficult route, springs on his enemies and gains an immediate advantage. Of course, Jonathan would have none of it. His theological perspective was immediately reinforced by more dramatic help from the LORD. And there was panic in the field camp among all the Philistines; likewise, the garrison and the raiding party panicked. ADONAI Himself had intervened! Besides all this, there was an earthquake; thus it grew into panic caused by God (14:15). This was God at work with Jonathan, just as He had been with Gideon before (see the commentary on Judges Bb – Gideon’s Victory Over the Midianites), clouding the minds of Isra’el’s foes and driving them away in panic and fear.301
Jonathan’s faith was contagious and succeeded in rallying the failing hearts of all Isra’el, so that the nation was inspired to action. With this in mind, the scene returns to Sha’ul’s camp. Sha’ul and his 600 men were back at Gibeah where Sha’ul lived, and the watchmen on the walls could see the Philistine forces retreating and couldn’t explain why. Sha’ul’s lookouts at Gibeah of Benjamin saw the enemy camp scattering and running in all directions (14:16). Did part of the Israeli army plan a sneak attack without Sha’ul’s permission? Then Sha’ul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who is missing.” When they did, they realized that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not present (14:17). This was the second time that Jonathan had acted on his own (13:3), and it probably irritated Sha’ul that his own son should be independent. As we study the life of Sha’ul, we can see more and more evidence that he was what some people call a “control freak.” He envied other people’s success, he was suspicious of any strategy he didn’t come up with himself, or at least approve, and he was ruthless when it came to removing people who challenged his leadership or exposing his foolish actions.302
Sha’ul told Ahijah, “Bring the ephod of God here” (see Exodus Fz – Make the Ephod of Gold, Blue and Purple Yarn) so you can determine God’s will for the battle by casting the Urim and Thummim (see Exodus Gb – The Urim and Thummim: The Means of Making Decisions); for at that time the ephod of God was with the people of Isra’el (14:18). The Ark was at the house of Abinadab (see Bl – The Ark at Abinadab’s House), at least a day’s journey away. Sha’ul didn’t have that kind of time. So Ahijah never got the chance to determine God’s will, for while Sha’ul was talking to the priest, the uproar in the camp of the Philistines continued and kept getting louder. Once again, Sha’ul’s impatience got the best of him, and he acted without knowing God’s will or receiving His blessing. So, Sha’ul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand down,” meaning he was to stop seeking divine guidance (14:19). Sha’ul was desperately anxious to prove himself as good a soldier as Jonathan, and he badly wanted to avenge himself against his enemies (14:24). The point was that his purpose was to fulfill his own personal ego, not to honor YHVH, that he rushed into the battle spiritually unprepared. What a contrast there was between Sha’ul’s fake religion and Jonathan’s bold faith!
But even Sha’ul’s royal incompetence was not enough to stem the tide of victory for the Israelites that day. Sha’ul’s confidence was rallied by Jonathan’s contagious faith. There was nothing orderly about the ensuing battle. Then Sha’ul and all his men assembled and went to battle, but they found all the Philistines turning on each other with their swords (Judges 7:22) in utter panic and confusion (14:20).
Jonathan’s faith had brought the LORD’s help.
As Sha’ul and his army moved toward the battlefield, they were joined by Israelites who had deserted to the enemy camp. Likewise, on hearing that the Philistines were fleeing, all the men of Isra’el who had hidden themselves in the hills of Ephraim joined the battle in hot pursuit (14:21-22). We wonder what kind of soldiers those quitters turned out to be. But the fact that Sha’ul accepted them may indicate that he was trusting in his army and not trusting in ADONAI. Six hundred soldiers don’t make a large army, so he welcomed even the weakest of the deserters. Yet in a few hours, Sha’ul would be willing to kill his own son for eating some honey and breaking his father’s foolish vow (see Ch – Sha’ul’s Foolish Oath)! Sha’ul’s emotional unbalance will show up again and again, and do great harm to the kingdom. One day he would rush ahead like a horse, and the next day he would hold back like a mule (Psalm 32:9).
So we must remember that it was not Sha’ul and his army who won the battle, but the LORD who used Jonathan and his armor-bearer (14:23). The Israelite army followed the Philistines for the next fifteen miles from Micmash to Bethel, and ADONAI enabled them to defeat the enemy. But Sha’ul had joined the battle so late, and his men were so weak and famished, that they couldn’t achieve the kind of victory that would have been decisive against the Philistines (14:30).303 As a result, Sha’ul’s poor leadership would ultimately cost Sha’ul his life (see Dj – Sha’ul Takes His Own Life).
One person with God (14:23): The passage concludes with the postscript: So ADONAI delivered Isra’el that day, and the battle spread as far as Bethel. While the praise rightly belonged to ADONAI alone – for who authored Jonathan’s faith if not the LORD; who answered his prayer, and who used his otherwise suicidal assault to rout the whole Philistine army? – We are nonetheless invited to reflect on the faith of young Jonathan. Do we believe, as he believed, that circumstances do not determine outcomes when God is involved? Do we believe in the possibility of God’s acting in our circumstances: opening doors for evangelism, providing resources for ministry, offering His might to give success where otherwise there would be only failure? If we believe these things, then we will not sit in idle hopelessness as the Adversary’s forces hostile to the Kingdom of God sweep our generation. We will not play the part of Sha’ul in his inaction or in his pragmatic, unprincipled religion. Rather, if we are inspired by Jonathan’s contagious faith, we will do as Jonathan did in offering ourselves to the Lord’s service, stepping out into the scene of the action, praying for YHVH to give openings and strength, and leaping into the opportunities that Ha’Shem provides, confident of His grace to empower and multiply our efforts.
One man who stood out for the Lord in his generation was John Knox. An early follower of the Reformation Gospel in Scotland, Know joined forces with the persecuted band of Gospel preachers, narrowly escaping with his life. Exiled to Geneva, he grew strong in faith under the ministry of John Calvin, seeing firsthand the power of God to transform a whole society. Returning to his homeland, he boldly advanced the Reformation cause, sending out the Gospel message and aggressively opposing the religious perversions that dominated in the land. Under his leadership, Scotland emerged from the darkness of medieval Roman Catholicism. How did John Knox accomplish so much? His own answer was given in memorable words, recalling the words of faithful Jonathan! Knox declared that “one man with God is always in the majority.” So it was for Jonathan: one man, accompanied by only one comrade, but aided by the thunder of almighty God, routed a vast army set against his people.
What will ADONAI do today through men and women who stand in the power of God for the cause of the Gospel truth and grace in our times? We will never know unless we, like Jonathan, step forward into the world, offering ourselves to God, believing that He can save with a few just as well as with many, saying: Maybe ADONAI will do something for us (14:6a), as He has so often worked for His daring people before. Jonathan’s example challenges us to be daring in giving and bold in our commitment to worldwide missions, church planting, Jewish evangelism (Romans 1:16), Isra’el, and to the peace of Jerusalem. Let us not sit under a pomegranate tree (14:2a), despondent over the evil around us. But go forth in faith, knowing that with God we will certainly be a majority, for if it is His gracious will, nothing can hinder ADONAI from saving, whether by many or by few (14:6b).304
Dear heavenly Father, praise You that having Your power is something that cannot be bought by any amount of money, nor by saying any number of superstitious chants, nor can it be obtained by having a religious object. The answer to how to obtain your power is very important. Your power is obtained by loving and trusting in You (John 1:12) so that You come to live within me (John 14:23). You are Almighty power. You give Your fantastic power to me because I love You, and You have promised to live within those who love You! Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23).
Having a relationship of love with You is the most important thing to have in the world. Things, homes, clothes, food, parties will someday all be gone. Trials and problems, frustrations and anxious situations will also someday be gone forever, but the relationship of loving You will last throughout all eternity! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). Thank you so very much for offering to be my heavenly Father. But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). I am so thrilled to have You as their heavenly Father! I want to please You in all I do, and I am looking forward to praising You throughout all eternity! In Yeshua’s Name, my holy Messiah, and through His power of resurrection. Amen
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