1 Samuel 14

Chapter Introduction

Faith is sometimes counterintuitive – but not all counterintuitive ventures are faith. Faith isn’t running headlong into shark-infested waters. Faith can, however, be obedience to step forward into what appears to be dangerous to see what the Lord will do.

Men are drawn to valor, especially from a position of weakness. God called us to be valorous, courageous, and bold in our faith.

1 Samuel 14:1-3

Saul and Jonathon were in Gibeah with what was left of the army, which was only about 600 men. Saul must have been fearful, dejected, and utterly incapable of fighting the Philistines. They were vastly outnumbered and did not have weapons.

Jonathon was not one to sit around and stew. He was a man of action and told his armor bearer of his idea to go over to the Philistines. The armor bearer was a young man. He was an assistant apprentice and armor bearer. He was at the mercy of Johnathon’s whims, yet he also got to see and experience his faith. Johnathon doesn’t mention this plan to Saul. He would have stopped them because of his timidity.

The mere thought of a couple of men approaching the vast Philistine army was ludicrous from a military standpoint. But over and over, we see that God’s victories aren’t based on strategy, troop strength, or weapons. Even though they were grossly outnumbered, Johnathon determined it was time to move.

Saul was on the outskirts of Gibeah. Pomegranate is the word Rimmon in Hebrew. Saul could have been at the rock of Rimmon, a cave that served as headquarters. Or, Pomegranate could be a place – some suggest the threshing floor of Migron.

Ahihaj was the resident priest of Saul’s army and wore the Ephod. He was Ichabod’s brother. Ichabod meant the glory had departed and was the name given to Phineas’s son when his wife gave birth after the news of the Ark’s capture.

1 Samuel 14:4-7

Parts of the pass were gentler and wouldn’t provide cover, but nearby were cliffs and crags that one could climb without being detected. Bozez means shiny, and Seneh means thorny or crag.

Johnathon said, “Let’s go!” Calling the Philistines uncircumcised was a derogatory term referring to those outside the covenant. They were godless heathens. He expressed the basis for his faith in the armor-bearer. The Lord may honor their faith and boldness so they would see if the Lord would work for them. He was convinced that nothing restrains the Lord. He could save by few or many.

The armor bearer confirmed his loyalty and commitment to following Johnathon’s call, saying, “Go, and I will be with you.” This may indicate that these two have served in battle previously. They had been tested and bonded together in battle.

God isn’t intimidated by bad odds. Stay with him, even when (& especially when) the odds are bad.

1 Samuel 14:8-10

Saul sat safely in the shade, surrounded by friends, waiting for something to happen. Johnathon was climbing the cliffs in the presence of the enemy to see if God had plans to make something happen. God favors the bold!

This was a simple plan. They asked that God would work through the Philistines to indicate their actions. They would stand up and make themselves known. They would say one of two things:

“Wait, we’ll come to you.” They would not go up.
“Come up to us.” In this case, it would be a sign for Johnathon and his armor-bearer that the Lord had delivered them into their hands.

1 Samuel 14:11-14

The garrison of Philistines was amused at Johnathon and his armor bearer. They responded with a taunt and mockery. The implication was that Israel was always hiding in fear. The invitation was along the lines of, “Come here, and we’ll give you something to fear.” They had no idea their words were a sign from the Lord for Johnathon.

This was the answer Johnathon was listening for. God would deliver them into the hands of Israel. Jonathon and his armor bearer climbed up and began the fight by killing twenty Philistines.

The translation of the end of verse fourteen is difficult. The literal translation is half of a furrow on the land that two oxen could plow in a day. Two oxen could plow about an acre (about 209 feet square). Half a furrow would be a narrow swatch of a plow about 100 feet long.

This may speak of the density of troops they encountered. It also tells us of the skill and bravery of Johnathon and his armor bearer. It has a Braveheart feel about it.

1 Samuel 14:15-23

For the Philistines, the rumble of thunder or the ground shaking was understood as the gods involved in the battle. The gods were finicky in their view, and they were fearful the gods would punish them or leave them to fend for themselves.

At the trembling, panic settled upon the Philistine camp like a dark cloud. The great trembling went through the camp, field, and all the people. This trembling was an overwhelming fear and anxiety. We see this clearly as the hand of the Lord fighting for Israel by using an earthquake that resulted in panic.

In addition to the earthquake, Saul’s network of watchmen informed Saul that something was going on. The Philistine army was melting away, running every which way. Saul ordered a role call to see if it was part of his army that instigated this action, maybe even suspecting Johnathon had acted alone. He found that Jonathon and his armor bearer were missing.

Saul’s response might have seemed very spiritual, but it was likely more fear-driven. He was unsure whether he could make a good decision. The call for Ahijah to bring the Ark was actually a call for the Ephod (as seen in the Septuagint). The Ark was in Kearjath Jearim.

Saul called for Ahijah to “withdraw your hand.” He asked the priest to use the Urim and Thummin to tell him what to do. Saul struggled to figure out when and how to seek God and when to act.

This may be Saul being very careful and particular about discerning the Lord’s will. Saul and his men went to battle and saw the Lord fighting for Israel. At that time, the Israelites, who had previously joined the Philistines, returned to Israel and rejoined Saul and Johnathon.

At the same time, the Israelites who were in hiding came out and chased after the Philistines. Remember, these folks had no weapons other than what they picked up from the battlefield and along the trail behind the fleeing army.

Israel was saved by the courage and faith of Jonathon and his un-named armor bearer, while the King was at a loss with his army hiding in the hills.

The battle shifted to Beth Aven.

1 Samuel 14:24-28

Saul saw the confusion caused by Johnathon and his armor bearer. The Philistine army was on the run. Saul asked for counsel from his priest, but we don’t see him waiting for it. He was instead distracted by what he saw. Perhaps God chose not to offer counsel to the rejected king.

In his attempt to right his wrongs and show his devotion, Saul made a rash vow. He proclaimed a fast for all his people, placing them under oath until he avenged his enemies. This made no sense when the army was in the field and expected to physically perform.

Was Saul trying to impress God? Or was this done to impress others and save face when his son had shown such bravery while he sat idle?

The army could have had honey but honored the oath to avoid the curse. Jonathon wasn’t aware of the oath and ate some honey. He was refreshed. Others watched him eat while they were faint. They informed Johnathon of the oath his father had made.

1 Samuel 14:29-30

Johnathon saw that his father troubled Israel. The word “troubled” is used when Achan took some trinkets from Jericho that God marked for destruction. The trouble he brought Israel led to their defeat at Ai and cost some men their lives. This wasn’t a little quiet and private sin. Johnathon uses the same word here. Saul’s trouble was threatening others, which could lead to defeat.

Saul was not acting wisely. Johnathon wondered how much better the day would have been if the men could have enjoyed the spoils of their victory.

1 Samuel 14:31-35

The Israelites beat the Philistines and drove them back twenty miles to Aijalon. Exhausted and starved, they took the spoils, some of which were animals. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate them without properly draining them of blood. This is a violation of the law and a sin before God.

To keep the troops from sin, Saul built an altar to the Lord. Slaughtering an animal upon the stone elevated it enough that the blood could be drained, showing some leadership. Properly offering sacrifices on the stone altar was a way of giving thanks to God for the victory.

This was the first time Saul had built an altar. This could imply that he and his army had not properly drained the blood, but more likely, this was the first time Saul acknowledged God for the victory!

It was evening, and the rash vow had expired.

1 Samuel 14:36-40

Saul was ready to continue the assault on the Philistines all night long. The priest suggested a consultation with God, and Saul asked for God's counsel through the ephod. The Lord didn’t provide an answer. The use of the Urim and Thummin would give an answer. The answer would then have to be affirmed through some number of repetitions.

Saul understood that God’s silence meant there was sin in the camp. Saul made another senseless vow in the vow to kill the offender, even if it was his son. He had no idea. Johnathon wasn’t aware he violated the oath until it was too late, and no one was talking. Since no one answered, so Saul set up a lot casting ceremony to identify the offending party. Saul and Johnathon were on one side, the rest of the people on the other.

God takes oaths seriously, even stupid ones made for the wrong reasons.

1 Samuel 14:41-46

Lots were cast, and Saul and Jonathon were identified. Lots were cast again between Saul and Johnathon. Johnathon was revealed as the guilty party. He had tasted honey and was guilty. He acknowledged he had to die.

Saul agreed and condemned his son to death.

Was this bravado? Was it his determination to save face after his rash vow? Was it to present himself as a man of God? We can’t know for sure. But he had to realize what a horrible mistake the vow had been.

The rest of the army rescued Jonathon, though. This made no sense to them since it was Jonathon who God used to initiate this great victory. Johnathan worked with God that day – the implication was that Saul did not.

This must have deeply bruised Saul’s pride. It was an open display of disrespect for Saul’s authority. Instead of admitting his mistake, and going to the Lord, Saul turned away from pursuing the Philistines – which appears to have been the Lord’s will.

1 Samuel 14:47-52

These verses provide a brief summary of Saul’s military career as king and his genealogy. Saul's sovereignty was established. He was strong, and his army grew strong. He fought against all of Israel’s enemies.

Abner is introduced to us as Saul’s cousin, the commander of his army.

Saul’s spirituality seemed to be symbolism over substance. He played the part and made an appearance, but in reality, he was far from God. He warred valiantly but doesn’t appear to have accomplished the overall mission of delivering Israel from her enemies.

It’s noted that Saul made a habit of taking any strong and valiant man he encountered. This fulfilled the warning Samuel gave to the people.

The Big Idea

The boundaries of faith are established by God and men's willingness to take that step. Men's boundaries are ever-changing lines formed by politics, fear, a longing for acceptance, good intentions, and pride. The two never work together.

Saul was called by God to deliver Israel from those who killed, plundered, and oppressed them – moving them out of the time of Judges when everyone was doing their own thing. Saul was having military success. However, the more battles he won, the less humble he appeared. He feared men more than God. His actions prove why God rejected him.

1 Samuel