MAKES USE OF HIS SWORD.
1Sa 13:22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
Saul pictures a lazy pastor who has no appetite for the word and won’t give the SWORD OF THE WORD OF GOD to his people. (Hebrews 4:12)
Jonathan pictures a man who has the SWORD (the KJV) and isn’t afraid to use it. He is going to put it to good use.
DOESN’T WASTE HIS DAYS
1Sa 14:1 Now it came to pass upon a day,
Right off you see something that reminds you of the second coming of Jesus Christ. It came to pass “upon a day”. Do you know when the LORD will come back to fight for Israel? IN THAT DAY!
Isa 31:5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Isa 31:6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isa 31:7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
Think about Jonathan now. It came to pass “upon a day”. Jonathan didn’t want to waste anymore days like his father. He wanted to “redeem the time”.
Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
DOESN’T SHY AWAY FROM THE FIGHT
1Sa 14:1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side.
He says “COME”. That is one of the LORD’s favorite words. He told Noah to COME into the ark. He says in Isaiah 1 “come now and let us reason together”. The LORD is about making a move.
The LORD doesn’t sit in the stands. He wants to go right into the fight. He wants you to run in and earnestly contend for the faith.
DOESN’T WANT ANYONE TO TRY AND STOP HIM.
1Sa 14:1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
Sometimes it’s best not to tell anyone who will try to talk you out of the LORD’s battles. Do what you have to do. Do what the LORD would have you do. Jonathan didn’t want his father holding him back.
DOESN’T NEED AN ARMY OF SUPPORT
1Sa 14:2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
Saul is “tarrying”. Jonathan is the opposite. He is more like the LORD who won’t tarry. When it is time for the great battle, here he will come!
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Saul is hanging back in the “uttermost” part. That means he is as far away as he can possibly get. Saul is being part of the army of Israel in name only. The true warrior Jonathan his about to back up his title with the works of God.
He doesn’t need an army of support. It will be him and his armour bearer. Saul has 600 men. Hundreds of men can’t help a coward.
DOESN’T NEED ANY RECOGNITION
1Sa 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
Jonathan hadn’t published among the men the great work he was about to perform. He doesn’t need their recognition.
Saul had the priest with him, but Jonathan probably knew he wouldn’t have the support of Ahiah, the backslid priest, who was most likely hooked up with Saul for gain. A lot of preachers will never back someone who is really wanting to do something for the LORD. They back the one who will further their popularity and ministry.
DOESN’T DOUBT THE LORD HAS HIS BACK
1Sa 14:4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
“Seneh” means “thorn bush”. Thorns picture the curse that came on man through Adam. “Bozez” means “shining”. This could picture the warriors obstacles along the way. He will have to fight the curse, the thorns of this world, because of sin. At the same time there is a “shining”, the allure of the world trying to pull you in so that it can wrap around you like a giant thorny plant.
2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
1Sa 14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
1Sa 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
Jonathan knows who he is dealing with. He is dealing with “the uncircumcised”. These are people who aren’t in a covenant with God.
He said “it may be” that the LORD would work for him. He knows that God has his plans and sometimes his plan doesn’t match ours. Whether he worked for him or not, Jonathan would serve him.
I’m reminded of the Hebrew boys who were not willing to bow down to Nebby’s image, whether the LORD delivered them or not.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
May be the LORD will fight for Jonathan, but if not, he would still serve him.
HAS THE HEART OF A LION
1Sa 14:7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
Jonathan can picture Jesus Christ and me and you are the armor bearer. We need to find out God’s heart towards a thing and do accordingly. You can follow Jesus Christ into any fight.
Jonathan was bold as a lion.
Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Jesus Christ will bold as a lion at the second coming. He is the “lion of the tribe of Judah” and he will have ten thousands of saints bearing his armour at the advent.
CONFIDENT AND BOLD IN THE LORD
1Sa 14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
Meaning they will reveal themselves to the enemy face to face. Man to man. This is the way we should be with the gospel. We should discover ourselves to the lost world unashamed.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
1Sa 14:9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
God told Moses to tell the children of Israel to stand still, here the LORD would have Jonathan go up. There is a time for you to do some fighting.
1Sa 14:10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
Jonathan is not only outnumbered but also at a disadvantage positionally because the philistines have a higher position. It is a lot easier to defeat someone at a lower level than at a higher level.
Let this be a reminder that if your enemy has all the advantages that you can see, you have the only real advantage in the fight, someone they cannot see, GOD ALMIGHTY!
The Jews require a sign. That is how they operated. Today we operate by the faith in the word of God in the King James Bible.
When a lost person shows an interest in the word of God we hold that is like them saying “come up unto us”, then we take out our spiritual sword and try to win them to the LORD.
VICTORIOUS BEFORE THE BATTLE IS FOUGHT
1Sa 14:11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
They made themselves known to the enemy. They weren’t ashamed. They weren’t afraid. They didn’t want the enemy thinking the saints were a bunch of chickens hiding out.
1Sa 14:12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
The Philistines said “come up to us”. The lost world always believes they are on a higher level than a bible believer.
They said “we will show you a thing or two”. They think they are so smart with the wisdom of the world. But we have the mind of Christ on our side.
Victory has already been promised to me.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as Jonathan knew the battle was in his favor before he ever entered the fight, we know we have won before our life is even over.
1Sa 14:13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
“Climbed upon his hands and upon his feet”. That is a picture of prayer going into the battle.
Also picture this, when Jesus Christ triumphed over the enemy, he was pierced in his “hands and feet” on the cross. (Psalm 22:16) Then he wants you, his armour bearer to “take up his cross” and follow him, just as the armour bearer does here. He follows right after Jonathan on his hands and feet. Walking on all fours like a lion to the prey. They shall not escape the lion of the tribe of Judah and the righteous who are bold as a lion.
1Sa 14:14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
2 vs 20. But God can save by many or by few. What a slaughter. What great warriors. But most of all by far…WHAT A GREAT GOD!
1Sa 14:15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
Just like the second coming of the LORD JESUS CHRIST! At the second coming when we come back with the LORD in our glorified bodies it says “the earth shall quake before them”. (Joel 2:10) It says “let all the inhabitants of the land tremble”. (Joel 2:1).
1Sa 14:16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
If you sit around too long like Saul and his men then you are going to miss the fight!
It says “the multitude melted away”.
Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Isa 13:7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
Isa 13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Notice the Philistines went on “beating down one another”. The world will fight amongst themselves, but the LORDS army won’t have any friendly fire. Joel 2:8 says “neither shall one thrust another”. Just as Jonathan and his armour bearer are in perfect sync.
1Sa 14:17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
They were so busy doing absolutely nothing that they couldn’t see their brothers were out there performing a great work that they could have supported and backed up.
1Sa 14:18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
Saul still thinks the power is in the ark, but the power was in the God of the ark. Just like this world today thinks the power is in flashy preaching, in looking the part, in numbers, in big names, but the power is in the word of God. That is what the true warrior lives and dies by.
1Sa 14:19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
1Sa 14:20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
The Philistines swords were turned on each other. It was a “great discomfiture”. I imagine being in a church where everyone has a different version of their false bible. Their swords eventually go against each other and there is a great discomfiture.
1Sa 14:21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
These Hebrews had become something like slaves to the Philistines. The heroics and bravery of Jonathan caused these Hebrews to come back with Israel.
When you trust in the LORD and he brings a great victory through you, you can cause many Christians to come back to the LORD’s army.
1Sa 14:22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
Men can “wax bold” by seeing your braveness.
Php 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
1Sa 14:23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
Notice it ends with this phrase “the LORD SAVED ISRAEL THAT DAY”. Just like he will save the LORD “in that day” (at the second coming). The lord Jesus Christ is a man of war, the ultimate warrior.
