One Man, God's Rescue

Introduction

Last week we saw that the Philistines—the arch enemies of Israel were angry that Israel—Jonathan—had attacked their outpost at Geba.

We read in 13:4 that Israel was saying, “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.”

We saw that Saul waited seven days for Samuel to come and offer sacrifices and get direction from God. But Samuel did not arrive right when Saul thought he should have arrived.

So, when Saul should have “waited,” he “rushed in” and disobeyed God’s commands by offering the sacrifices himself—without a priest.

In our story today, Saul waits when he should have been rushing into battle.

While Saul waits (when he should have been going) Jonathan, his son takes action.

If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 1 Samuel chapter 13, and let’s look at the last verse in the chapter—verse 23.

Jonathan Takes Action

1 Samuel 13:23 NIV84

Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.

Now there’s a detachment of Philistines, and they are watching, or guarding the pass at Micmash.

They are guarding the pass so that no one can get through the pass. But Jonathan decides to do something. [Remember it was Jonathan’s attack of the outpost that got Israel into this situation in the first place.] Look at verse 1 of chapter 14.

1 Samuel 14:1 NIV84

One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

Jonathan’s Plan

Jonathan talks to his armor-bearer.

“Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.”

But Jonathan didn’t tell his father, King Saul, what he was doing.

Saul’s Plan—NOT

1 Samuel 14:2–3 NIV84

Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

Saul is camped outside his home town of Gibeah.

He’s sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron.

He has about 600 men with him.

One of them is Ahijah—who is wearing an ephod, the priestly vest.

Note the genealogy. Ahijah is the grandson of Phinehas. His father was Phinehas’ son, Ahitub.

This passage mentions Ichabod the brother of Ahitub—because his name means “The glory has departed from Israel” (4:21).

Once again, we are told that no one knew Jonathan had left.

The Pass

1 Samuel 14:4–5 NIV84

On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

On each side of the pass was a cliff.

On one side was the cliff called “Bozez” which means “The gleaming one.”

On the other side was another cliff called “Seneh” which means, “The thorny one.”

The gleaming one was facing south toward Micmash.

The thorny one was facing north toward Geba

Jonathan Takes Action

1 Samuel 14:6 NIV84

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Jonathan asks his armor-bearer to go to battle with him.

Jonathan says, “Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.”

What I love is Jonathan’s faith, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving whether by many or by few.” Jonathan knows that the Lord can save, sometimes He uses a lot of people. Other times he uses a few people.

I also loves his armor-bearer’s response.

1 Samuel 14:7 NIV84

“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

The armor-bearer tells Jonathan to go ahead and do whatever he had on his mind.

The phrase “I’m with you heart and soul” is like saying “I’ve got your back.”

So Jonathan tells him the plan. Look at verse 8.

1 Samuel 14:8–10 NIV84

Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

First, they are going to actually show themselves to the Philistines.

If the enemy says, “Wait there until we come to you” then they will wait for the enemy to come to them.

But if they say, “Come up to us” then they were going to climb up to the enemy. And this would be a sign to the two of them that Yahweh had given this outpost into their hands.

It’s a pretty simple plan, but humanly not a very good plan. But Jonathan has faith in God.

The Rest of the Story

1 Samuel 14:11–12 NIV84

So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

They show themselves to the Philistines.

Their response told Jonathan that God was going to give the Philistines into their hands.

So Jonathan tells his armor-bearer to climb up after him!

1 Samuel 14:13 NIV84

Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him.

Jonathan heads up the cliff using his hands and feet.

His armor-bearer climbed up behind him.

And the Philistines fell before Jonathan.

While the armor-bearer killed all those who came from behind.

1 Samuel 14:14 NIV84

In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some 20 men in that first attack.

The battle covered about 1/2 an acre.

Panic Strikes the Philistines

1 Samuel 14:15 NIV84

Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

Panic strikes the entire army:

—Those in the camp

—Those in the field

—Those at the outposts

—Those in the raiding parties

All of them felt panic!

The panic was sent by God—by shaking the ground! One thing I find interesting is that the shaking ground didn’t cause Israel to panic—just the Philistines.

1 Samuel 14:16–17 NIV84

Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

Saul Sees the Philistines Fleeing

Saul receives the report that the Philistine army is “melting away in all directions.”

Saul gather’s his troops to see who’s missing.

They discover that Jonathan and his armor-bearer are missing.

1 Samuel 14:18–19 NIV84

Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

Saul wants Ahijah to bring the ark of God (like it was some kind of magic trinket.

But while Saul is still taking to the priest, the panic continued to grow worse.

Then we have the interesting phrase, “So Saul said to the priest, ‘Withdraw your hand.’” Scholars believe this is a reference to the Urim and Thummim which were stones used by the priests to determine God’s will (cf. 14:3).

Here’s the thing. Saul didn’t need any Urim and Thummim, because he could see God’s will. Look at verse 20.

1 Samuel 14:20 NIV84

Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

Saul assembled his men and went to battle.

They found the Philistines in total confusion.

They were striking each other with their swords.

1 Samuel 14:21 NIV84

Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

Those “deserters” joined in the fight against the Philistines—joining Saul and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 14:22 NIV84

When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.

And all of the Israelites who had been hiding in the country of Ephraim came out of hiding and joined in the battle in hot pursuit.”

Yahweh Rescued Israel!

1 Samuel 14:23 NIV84

So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

The battled continued beyond Beth Aven.

That’s not the important point! The important point is the first part of the verse: “So the Lord rescued Israel that day. . .”

So What?

Nothing can hinder the Lord! He will fulfill His plan and purpose!

The Lord can save using many, or using a few!

We need to move when God is on the move. A favorite verse of mine is in Joshua. After telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, God tells him, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Joshua 1:8).

We need to wait when God is waiting. I love Isaiah 40:31. Now I learned it in the KJV. There is says—“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (NKJV).