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Here in 1 Samuel 13, we see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites begin when Jonathan decides to attack a Philistine garrison. Up until this point, the Israelites were at peace because they kind of just accepted their place in the hierarchy.
It is not likely that Jonathan made a mistake here, as he was an incredible military leader. So, it’s safe to say that boldness was stirred up in him and that he had the faith of the Lord when he stood against the Philistine garrison.
We also see an impatient Saul take matters into his own hands. Instead of waiting like he is told, he decides to offer a sacrifice before the battle and without Samuel. We saw the same thing happen many chapters ago with the ark of the covenant. The elders decided (without asking God) to bring it into battle. Both situations show impatience and a lack of trust in the Lord.
This is one characteristic of Moses that was exceptional. When the people were complaining, and all hope seemed to be lost, Moses (usually) waited patiently on the Lord. He waited because he trusted and he knew his own limitations.
What is interesting about these two stories of Jonathan and Saul is that Jonathan was not rebuked for attacking the Philistines, yet, Saul was heavily rebuked for deciding to offer up a sacrifice. What was different about the two?
Once again, we don’t know all the details about why Jonathan chose to attack. However, we do know Jonathan was a man of great faith and Saul was not. We discover through the rest of 1 Samuel how each of them operated when they were under pressure. Jonathan was a brave man, willing to listen to the Lord, and move on his command. Saul was a paranoid man of little faith who relied on his own decision-making to achieve victory. Keep this in mind as we read on…