Jonathan’s Daring Plan
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. 3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.
No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. 6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”
8 “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”
13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.
Israel Defeats the Philistines
16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. 17 “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.
18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. 19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”
20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 21 Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 14:1-23 NLT
Jonathan’s Daring Plan
14:1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” (Michmash)
The Philistines were north of the gorge at Micmash and the Israelites were south of the gorge.
Jonathan acted.
- Jonathan took the initiative to do something about Israel’s plight.
Jonathan’s actions were in harmony with God’s plans for Saul.
1 Samuel 9:15-16 NLT
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man (Saul) from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
In our previous lesson we learned about Jonathan’s victory over the garrison of Philistines at Geba.
1 Samuel 13:3 NLT
3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba.
But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
Scripture does not tell us why Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing. We can only speculate why this happened.
2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron.
Jonathan was being aggressive whie his father Saul remained in Gibeah, evidently on the defensive.
- Saul’s comfortable position under a fruit tree in secure Gibeah, surrounded by his soldiers, contrasts with Jonathan’s vulnerable and difficult position with only the support of his armor bearer.
3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.
The ephod and breastplate (or chestpiece) were two separate items of clothing worn by the high priest.
The Ephod was an elaborate garment worn by the high priest, and upon which the breastplate containing Urim and Thummim, rested.
A breastplate wore over the ephod had pouches that were used by the priests to carry certain devices used in determining the will of the Lord (Urim and Thummim or sacred lots.)
In this way, the high priest will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.
- Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest.
Read Exodus 28:6-30
Sacred garments for the priests.
Exodus 28:6-30 NLT
Design of the Ephod
6 “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. 7 It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. 8 The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
9 “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. 10 Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. 11 Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. 12 Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord. 13 Make the settings of gold filigree, 14 then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.
Design of the Chestpiece
15 “Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. 16 Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. 17 Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. 18 The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. 19 The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. 20 The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree. 21 Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal.
22 “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. 23 Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. 24 Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. 25 Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. 26 Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. 27 And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. 28 Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash.
29 “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord. 30 Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.
- Ahijah the priest was considered to be a spiritual advisor who could use the items in the breastplate to determine the Lord’s will and give Saul divine guidance.
Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.
- Saul was keeping company with a priest from a family of priests rejected by God.
No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp.
- Jonathan and his armor bearer were acting without any support from the Israelite army.
4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba.
- The Philistines had secured the area around Micmash.
6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
Jonathan had no guarantee of survival.
Jonathan believed that God would work for His people in response to faith, as He had done repeatedly in Israel’s history.
Jonathan had learned that superior numbers were not necessary for God to give victory in battle.
Jonathan most likely knew the story of Gideon.
- Jonathan knew the outcome of his venture was in God’s hands.
7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”
- Jonathan trusted in the Lord. Jonathan’s armor bearer trusted Jonathan.
8 “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
- Jonathan put out a fleece.
If they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40)
11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!”
The Philistines knew that many of the Israelites were hiding in caves.
1 Samuel 13:6 NLT
6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.
12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”
- When the men from the Philistine outpost shouted, “Come on up here” Jonathan took that as a sign that the Lord would help them defeat the Philistines. (see verse 10)
13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck,
and everyone was terrified.
- Jonathan and his armor bearer killed twenty Philistine soldiers and panic broke out in the Philistine army.
- Clearly, divine intervention was taking place.
This is similar in many ways to the time when Gideon went up against the Midianite army.
Judges 7:19-22 NLT
19 It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. 20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
21 Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. 22 When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
Israel Defeats the Philistines
16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. 17 “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,”
- Saul suspected someone had invaded the Philistines, but he had no idea who it was.
Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.
18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!”
Numerous translations say, Bring the ark of God here.
The language in this passage better fits the ephod rather than the ark.
For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.
- It appears that Saul was about to ask Ahijah to use the items held in the ephod to determine the Lord’s will for them at this point in time.
19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”
Saul ordered the priest to stop the inquiry into the will of the Lord.
- Again, Saul chooses not to wait for the word of the Lord.
Saul’s decision rests on his own insights rather than a dependence on the Lord.
20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.
- Saul acted after he saw the confusion in the enemy camp.
21 Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites.
- Israelite deserters who were fighting for the Philistines changed their allegiance and took sides with Jonathan.
This was not unique to this battle.
1 Samuel 27:1-4 NLT
David Among the Philistines
27:1 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath (a major Philistine city) with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away.
23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.
- The Lord(not Saul) saved Israel that day.
