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1 Samuel 14 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing.
It becomes obvious to observers those who are living by the Spirit and those who are faking it. When Jonathan was meditating on the power of God, Saul was lounging under a pomegranate tree. When Jonathan was climbing up toward the enemy’s garrison, Saul was sitting comfortably on the outskirts with his troops. When Jonathan had the enemy on their heels, Saul decided to do a roll call. Are you kidding me?
“When Saul and Jonathan are compared, there is an obvious contrast: Saul constantly concerns himself with the number of his troops, especially with the decrease from 3,000 to 600, while Jonathan is concerned only with whether the Lord will act on his behalf. If the Lord is on his side, numbers do not matter for God saves whether by many or by few (1Sa 14:6). It is impressive that this incident of Jonathan’s act of trust is sandwiched by two incidents of Saul’s acts of disobedience in chs. 13 and 15. The narrator thus lucidly contrasts Saul and Jonathan before moving to Saul and David in the subsequent story.” –
New International Commentary – Old Testament
Saul was focused on Saul. He didn’t just do a roll call, he preceded to order the priest to seek an answer from God with the urim and thummin (breastplate). But here’s the thing… God was already moving! Jonathan was battling the Philistines. Saul knew his son was gone. The noise of the battle was deafening.
There is a time to pray and seek God and a time to move. This story illustrates to us the importance of personal conviction. Jonathan broke rank because his allegiance to God was greater than his allegiance to his father, King Saul. It also illustrates that we can identify those who are Spirit-filled and those who are not by their actions.
“Instead of inquiring of the priest, Saul commands him to do specific things, which are primarily under the authority of the priesthood. He commands Ahijah to seek divine guidance by means of the ephod, but, at a crucial time, he interrupts the consultation. Saul is a person who prays when he should act and acts when he should pray. Such inconsistency is one of Saul’s characteristics.”
New International Commentary – Old Testament