1Sa 14:1 | KingComments | STEP | In 1 Samuel 13 the failure of Saul has become clear. In 1 Samuel 15 Saul fails even more dramatically. Between these two chapters, which contain a double testimony of the failure of the king of the people’s choice, 1 Samuel 14 tells the story of a man of faith who overcomes. This chapter is a great encouragement to anyone who sees how the official authority of God’s people fails, but who continues to believe in the power of God himself. In this chapter, the Holy Spirit opposes two men. We see Saul, the man of the flesh, opposite his son Jonathan, the man of faith. The first part of this chapter ( ) leads to a climax through Jonathan’s faith. The second part ( ) leads to an anticlimax due to the foolishness of Saul, which forbids the people to eat anything before the evening. Jonathan means ‘the LORD has given’. He is a gift from God to His people at a time of great weakness. He is a flower that God makes blossom in the wilderness that Israel spiritually at this time is. Jonathan can no longer remain indecisive as the Philistines brutally move through God’s land. He decides to attack the Philistines’ garrison. This is not an impulsive action. He has thought about this and has been in prayer for it, and one day he is ready for it. The motive for this action lies in his faith. It is not so, that Jonathan has more military insight than his father. Saul is a good soldier. In the battle of God’s people, however, it is not about military insight, but about faith. Faith decides the outcome and not military insight. In 1 Samuel 17 we see this also in the fight between David and Goliath. With Saul we see no action. He is waiting. This is different from what the people wanted. After all, they wanted a king who goes ahead of them to fight. Jonathan cannot accept that his father is so indecisive. He knows his father. He knows it makes no sense to ask him if he can go or even to inform him that he will go. He knows that two can only go together if they have made an appointment ( ) and that this is not the case with his father. Saul, who will see it as a reckless undertaking, lacks the faith to do so. Therefore he goes without telling his father, although he should have. Yet this is not rebellion, but an action worked by God.

‏ 1 Samuel 14:1

Introduction

In 1 Samuel 13 the failure of Saul has become clear. In 1 Samuel 15 Saul fails even more dramatically. Between these two chapters, which contain a double testimony of the failure of the king of the people’s choice, 1 Samuel 14 tells the story of a man of faith who overcomes. This chapter is a great encouragement to anyone who sees how the official authority of God’s people fails, but who continues to believe in the power of God himself. In this chapter, the Holy Spirit opposes two men. We see Saul, the man of the flesh, opposite his son Jonathan, the man of faith.

The first part of this chapter (1Sam 14:1-23) leads to a climax through Jonathan’s faith. The second part (1Sam 14:24-46) leads to an anticlimax due to the foolishness of Saul, which forbids the people to eat anything before the evening.

Jonathan means ‘the LORD has given’. He is a gift from God to His people at a time of great weakness. He is a flower that God makes blossom in the wilderness that Israel spiritually at this time is.

Jonathan’s Proposal

Jonathan can no longer remain indecisive as the Philistines brutally move through God’s land. He decides to attack the Philistines’ garrison. This is not an impulsive action. He has thought about this and has been in prayer for it, and one day he is ready for it. The motive for this action lies in his faith. It is not so, that Jonathan has more military insight than his father. Saul is a good soldier. In the battle of God’s people, however, it is not about military insight, but about faith. Faith decides the outcome and not military insight. In 1 Samuel 17 we see this also in the fight between David and Goliath.

With Saul we see no action. He is waiting. This is different from what the people wanted. After all, they wanted a king who goes ahead of them to fight. Jonathan cannot accept that his father is so indecisive. He knows his father. He knows it makes no sense to ask him if he can go or even to inform him that he will go. He knows that two can only go together if they have made an appointment (Amos 3:3) and that this is not the case with his father. Saul, who will see it as a reckless undertaking, lacks the faith to do so. Therefore he goes without telling his father, although he should have. Yet this is not rebellion, but an action worked by God.