Jonathan Defeats The Philistines
July 2, 2021
Commentary
For a time Saul failed to take any action against the Philistines (vv. 1-3). Jonathan decided to initiate the battle by attacking an outpost guarding the pass between Michmash and Geba. It does not tell us what motivated him to do this but perhaps it was because he had become weary of the long hopeless standoff in the battle and his father wasn’t doing anything. Jonathan probably didn’t tell his father what he was doing because he thought Saul would not let him go. His courageous faith stands out in bold relief against the background of Saul’s paralysis. The king had only six hundred men in his encampment on the outskirts of Gibeah. Perhaps the author intends to say that Saul’s situation was desperate, but not hopeless.
Jonathan attempted to bolster the confidence of his young armorbearer by reminding him of two things (vv. 4-7). First, the enemy was “uncircumcised.” This was a kind of ethnic slur used to mock the enemy and thus express confidence in victory. Second, Jonathan stressed that God is capable of giving victories to the few as well as to the many. Yet Jonathan did not presume that his action automatically would fall within the will of God. The plan was to cross the valley and reveal themselves to the Philistines who controlled the heights above (vv. 8-10). If the enemy ordered them to halt they would not ascend the height where the enemy was camped. If the Philistines challenged them to climb up, Jonathan would regard that as a sign that God would give a victory. Such a challenge would indicate overconfidence, even carelessness on the part of the defenders. Since this fight with the Philistines was ordered by a prophet (I Sam.10:8) and consecrated by sacrifices, Jonathan believed that God would make his will clear.
When the Philistines spotted Jonathan and his armorbearer, they assumed that they were “Hebrews” coming out of hiding (vv 11-15). This challenged the two to climb up to their camp. Jonathan then began to make the precipitous climb confident that the vidtory was his when they reached the top. Jonathan and his armorbear slew twenty of the enemy in a very small area. Before the main force of the Philistines could come to the aid of their outpost, a tremendous earthquake began to shake the ground. The enemy was thrown into panic and began to flee back to their homeland.
Application
If I ever feel surrounded by the enemy with problems on every side and just felt like going into hiding I need to remember that God is never intimidated by the size or complexity of my problems. He just wants me to commit the resources I have to Him and rely on Him to lead me to victory.
1 Samuel 14:1– 15 (NET)
1 Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know.
2 Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about 600 men. 3 Now Ahijah was carrying an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left.
4 Now there was a steep cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan intended to go to reach the Philistine garrison. One cliff was named Bozez, the other Seneh. 5 The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba.
6 Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.” 7 His armor-bearer said to him, “Do everything that is on your mind. Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way!”
8 Jonathan replied, “All right. We’ll go over to these men and fight them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay right there and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the Lord has given them into our hand—it will be a sign to us.”
11 When they made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” 12 Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up behind me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel!”
13 Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor-bearer came along behind him and killed them. 14 In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.
15 Then fear overwhelmed those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God.