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So, I meant to post more this week, but alas, Michael had other ideas. He showed up late Monday night. Well, late enough to avoid traffic because he didn't leave until around 9. He came to get insurance on the 2016 minivan he bought for us last week*. But, I thought you already had a 2007 Pontiac, you may ask?? Yeah, about that... we were putting more into it than it was worth and ended up selling it back to Michael's friend Kevin. The original plan was for him to go home Tuesday afternoon, but the decision was made for him to stay over another night. Anyway, here we are...
Continued prayers for Mike's and my trip to Hawaii next week. I'm really trying not to freak out about being where we need to be on time and the whole commercial flying long-distance thing. I've been in my own prayer time and such about it, and the other day, I had 1 John 4:18 come to mind. It's about how "... perfect love drives out all fear." I even made a decorative magnet and put it on my range hood, where I can focus on it when I'm cooking. (which reminds me, I haven't blogged it on my Cards and Jewelry Page yet)*
In other news, my oldest is still feeling discomfort (or feeling it again) after her procedure last Friday. As of right now, she has a follow-up appt. on Thursday and plans to wait it out. She'll keep me posted though.
Nothing new from Andrea and Matt, as I haven't been in touch for a bit, but I check her FB page every day to see what's going on. (If anything)
Oh, man!! I just noticed that have this post and the last one out of order... Ooops!! Well, I guess I just have to be glad to get them both done in the same week, even if they are reversed in Scripture... to quote Julian of Norwich, "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things shall be well."*
While I've never personally been outnumbered and still come out on top of any situation, I have to imagine it's like winning the Lottery. The numbers are vastly against everyone who plays; but there's always a winner on some level, if not the top prize every time.
In our passage this afternoon, we find Saul and Johnathan in different areas of the same conflict with the Philistines, both outnumbered, yet ultimately victorious. (In more ways than one, as we will discover)
Let's turn to 1 Samuel 14 to find out more... A longer passage, I know, but don't worry; we'll just skim most of it and grab the important parts out for a closer look.
1 Samuel 14
New International Version
14 1 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.
2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
6 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.”
7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 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.”
11 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.” 12 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.”
13 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. 14 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
15 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.[a]
16 Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. 17 Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)[b] 19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”
20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. 21 Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 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. 23 So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
Jonathan Eats Honey
24 Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.
25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.[c] 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”
29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”
31 That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Mikmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. 32 They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. 33 Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.”
“You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” 34 Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’”
So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.
36 Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.”
“Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied.
But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day.
38 Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. 39 As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of them said a word.
40 Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.”
“Do what seems best to you,” they replied.
41 Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault,[d] respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. 42 Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”
So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”
44 Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”
45 But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.
47 After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings[e] of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them.[f] 48 He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.
Saul’s Family
49 Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. 50 His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle. 51 Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.
52 All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.
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As our title suggests, this passage will help to emphasize the point that NOTHING can stop God's Salvation, no matter what life looks like in the Natural. God's Super-natural power is greater.
Starting in verse 1, we read that Johnathan is curious about the progress of the battle with the Philistines and has the idea to go out and look at the situation from their side of the battlegrounds. He makes his idea known to his armor bearer, and they set out. We also take note here that he didn't tell his father, Saul, where they were going. (You "Literary Types", like me, see a foreshadowing here, don't you??)
Pastor Matt brought out the point here, that the term, "uncircumcised", used by Johnathan in verse 6, was a general term of derision for anyone who didn't belong to the Nation of Israel. Reading on in verse 7, we find that his armor-bearer was 100% faithful, knowing that God would be with them no matter the numbers.* Later, in verses 15-23, we read about how God confused the Philistine Army so that they began attacking each other. Next, starting in verse 24, we see that Saul had decreed earlier that day that no one should eat or drink until their victory was secured. Anyone caught breaking this rule was to be put to death. (Now remember, Johnathan had already left and didn't know about the excessive edict his father had announced) So, on the way back home, later that day, Johnathan passes by a honeycomb. He hasn't eaten all day simply because he was busy exploring and challenging the Philistines from behind. Finally, we read in verses 38-45 what happened when Saul found out that the only one to have eaten that day was his own son, Johnathan. We see that the soldiers defended Johnathan due to the victory he had brought them with God's help. And Saul spares him. (What did I tell you??) ;)
So, now that we have an overview of the major events, let's look at the core themes in this passage:
Verse 6 shows Johnathan's humble courage and bravery in setting out more-or-less on his own; but at the same time, showing faith in God to save them. "Perhaps God will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
Verse 23 emphasizes the fact that it was God Who saved Israel.
Verse 45, once again, shows that the men (many) rescued Johnathan (one). Other words that may be used here include, redeemed, ransomed, and delivered. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?? While Johnathan was rescued by many, God (one) rescued all of Israel.
In Saul's declaration of "No one eats until we win", he is showing pride. (As per usual, right??) He was more concerned about making ridiculous, and potentially harmful rules than he was about the well-being of his men. He cared not a whit about any collateral damage that may have resulted.
The basic fact brought out in this story is that nothing can hinder the Lord; even if the math doesn't make sense, as in the numbers in each army.* And even in the face of death, the Lord saves; as in Johnathan's case.
God was looking for a man after His own heart. Could Johnathan have been the one?? Maybe, but we know that God had other plans. While Johnathan showed great humility and looked to God for help; Saul's pride was at such a level that he was willing to kill his own son over an otherwise pointless rule. That's how it works in the spiritual realms. Good and Evil in constant battle.*
The fact is, God has built a longing for Salvation into the human heart. Who will deliver??
We find the answer to this question by turning over to Matthew 1:21 where the angel is speaking to Joseph saying, "She will give birth to a son..." Jesus. Or Yeshua, in the Hebrew. No matter how you spell it or say it, the meaning is the same -- "the Lord Saves". We see in Hebrews 2:14-15 that we are called Children of God because Jesus shared in our humanity, breaking the powers of sin and death over us. Therefore, those of us in Christ need not fear death.
Pastor Matt closed out the service with the idea that Scripture suggests that we "go to sleep" here and wake up in the presence of unfiltered love.* He shared that this is what his mother believed, and so this gave her peace as she passed recently.
Can you even fathom how relationships could change if we had no existential fears?? We could be so much more open rather than being defensive of ourselves.*
-- God Bless!!
Footnotes:
1. He let me drive it while he was here; and I just have to say that it is, "hands-down" the best vehicle I've ever driven. God has truly blessed us with being able to get a fully inspected car for such a good price so quickly after the other one was overwhelming us. On the Pontiac, Mike went to have the rocker panels looked at as the next project, but when the guy dug his hand under the "good side", and came away with a handful of rust... nope...
2. I'll take a pic on my phone and post the magnet as soon as I finish on here.
3. As I've mentioned before, I may not respect the Catholic Church as a whole Denomination; but I do like some of the quotes by the Mystics.
4. I don't know about you, but Johnathan's armor bearer puts me in mind of Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings. <3
5. As someone who has always struggled with Math, most of it doesn't make sense to me regardless... ;p No, I can get it after a fashion, it just takes me longer than some.
6. Ephesians 6 reminds us that, "our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual powers in high places..."
7. The question of what happens when a Christian from after the Resurrection dies as opposed to those who came before is one I'm currently discussing on Quora. My thoughts rely on 1 Thess. 4 while others are looking at 2 Cor. 5:8. I feel like they are missing the point that Paul thought Jesus would be returning in his lifetime, so that's the perspective from which he was writing. I directed someone's attention last night to Revelation 20 to support my position.
Music -- No rights!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6I5T_rflfk
CityAlight ~ Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me (Lyrics),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zundjUFazfg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Q5gI2FX8w
Great Are You Lord w/ Lyrics (All Sons & Daughters),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQLMnPYoR9k
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