When the Israelites wanted a king, God
chose Saul. A people called the Philistines were constantly oppressing Israel.
One day Israel and the Philistines gathered to wage war. But Israel had no
weapons yet. Only the king and his son had swords. His son’s name was Jonathan.
I find Jonathan to be a wonderful
example of faith, humility and courage.
This first story about Jonathan shows his faith in the power of God.
1 Samuel 14 (abridged)
One day
Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to
the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to
the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by
few.”
“Do all that you have in
mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
(Jonathan
asked God for a sign.)
Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them
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.”
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.”
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.
In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an
area of about half an acre.
Israel Routs the Philistines
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.
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. So on that day the Lord saved Israel and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven."
Jonathan had probably
remembered how God had fought for and saved Israel using Gideon and 300 men against
the many thousands of Midianites.
Jonathan knew God could do anything and acted
accordingly. His faith is a beautiful example to all of us.
