Jonathan: Standing in Faith
“Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel [because of the Philistines]...So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.” (1 Sam 13:19, 22)
This has been a difficult year for many of us, with the pandemic, the political upheaval, and all of the hatred we see on social media, not to mention the personal battles each of us must fight often without comment or acknowledgment. Sometimes when I look at all of the discord and chaos around us I feel overwhelmed. I see corruption in our government, our universities, and our corporations. Even in our church many would rather conform to church to the standards of the world than seek transformation in themselves. I see people who have no qualms using lies, intimidation, and even violence to achieve their just end. I see people who cry out for justice but are so filled with bitter resentment, they can see no way forward but destruction and vengeance. Who am I to stand against all this evil? How could I even begin to respond? It is easy to feel overwhelmed and outnumbered, but we must remember that God can save by many or by few.
The Apostle Paul says “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11). Among the listed armor of God, Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith. Now faith is one of those words that is tossed around by Christians alot, but it is hard to know exactly what it means in practice. The word can become so abstracted that we even forget it's simple definition: Complete trust or confidence in something. This is a good place to start, we must have complete trust and confidence in God.
We often say, you must “have faith.” But what are you supposed to do with it once you have it. Is it enough to have it and leave it on the shelf to collect dust? Is that kind of faith, faith at all? You might ask, what is the point of a shield if there is no battle?
If you want to see how to wiled your faith in battle, look to Jonathan. During the reign of Saul the Israelites were frequently at war with the Philistines. The Israelites had asked God for a king to defend them and God had given them Saul. Saul rose from a herdsman to a warrior king who fought many successful battles and united the tribes of Israel. But the Philistines were powerful in the modern weaponry of the day. They had a monopoly on blacksmiths and so while the philistines carried swords and spears into battle, the Israelites had only their wooden tools to defend and attack with. There were only two swords in all of Israel--Saul’s and Jonathan’s. How could Saul hope to hold his kingdom together against such powerful weapons? Saul Gathered his army together, but did not act. He instead held a council under a pomegranate tree while the philistines gathered in their thousands.
Who could blame Saul for hesitating when he faced such odds? Certainly not his council of farmers and shepherds. Who would encourage Saul to go into battle? Certainly not his men with their wooden farm tools. Even Jonathan did not challenge his father. But unlike Saul, Jonathan had faith--complete trust and confidence in the power of God, “One day Johnathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “ Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side,” But he did not tell his father.” (Sam 14:1) And while his father was sleeping, Jonathan took up the shield of faith and entered into battle:
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go other to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few. Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said “Go ahead: I am with you heart and soul.”
(1 Samuel 14:6-7)
It is easy to marvel at Jonathan’s courage in this story, but we must remember that it was his faith in God that gave Jonathan and his armor bearer the courage to go into battle alone. In fact if Jonathan had gone into battle without his faith, it would have been a foolish act, not a brave one. Jonathan’s faith was not disappointed:
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. In that first attack Johnathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 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. (1 Samuel 14:13-15)
When the darkness and evil we face seems insurmountable, must remember that it is not on our strength that we gain victory but it is in God’s strength and power.
This story of Jonathan’s faith stands in stark contrast to Saul’s actions in a previous standoff with the Philistines. The Philistines gathered in their thousands to face the Israelites so that God’s people shook with fear, “When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Glead” (1 Samuel 13:6-7) Saul was told to wait for Samuel to come and sacrifice, but grew impatient when he saw his army scattering he took matters into his own hands:
So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
“What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattered, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (1 Samuel 13:9-12)
Saul’s offering here was not an act of faith or reliance on the Lord, rather it was a show of self reliance. Instead of waiting on the Lord, Saul was impatient for things to happen in his own time. So, he took matters into his own hands. He made a show of seeking the Lord’s favor in order to maintain his earthly army. He forgot that God had defeated Pharaoh's army at the red sea and destroyed the walls of Jericho without the help of an earthly army. He forgot about Gideon who faced the Midianites trusting in God even after most of his army had abandoned the cause. Saul did not sacrifice to God to ask for deliverance or to seek direction. He sacrificed to the Lord to his army to keep them from scattering. Even as he made sacrifices to the Lord, Saul trusted in the strength of men instead of the power of God. Here, Saul is like those described to Timothy by the Apostle Paul as , “having the form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Tim 3:5)
We must not be like Saul. The third commandment says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord you God” (Deuteronomy 5:11). We should not be like Saul using God's name to increase our own honor and power. This will only bring our downfall. It is right to feel overwhelmed and fearful if you are relying on your own strength or the strength of man. But we are called to be like Jonathan, trusting in the Lord and putting our faith in Him. Then in taking up the shield of faith, we will be able to stand against the powers of darkness. The world may look at us and say we are brave, but we will know and proclaim that it is our faith that gives us strength and we fear no one but God.
