A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

Philistines disarmed the nation so much so that the only known weapons in the land apparently
belonged to Saul and Jonathan.
While the Philistines continued to conquer Israel, Saul apparently took no action against
the invading army. He moved into a defensive position and “was sitting in the outskirts of
Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron” (14:2). The name Migron means “fear”
and describes not only the place Saul was hiding but also the emotional state of both Saul and his
army. His son Jonathan, however, felt the best defense was a bold and daring offense. Without
first consulting with his father, Jonathan and his armor-bearer scaled the steep ridge between
Michmash and Gibeah and attacked the first Philistine garrison they encountered.
In that initial struggle, the two Israelites killed about twenty men over an area of about
half an acre. Though the victory was insignificant in light of the size of the invading army of the
Philistines, it shook the confidence of the Philistines which was further disrupted by an
earthquake occurring about the same time. “And there was trembling in the camp, in the field,
and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so
that it was a very great trembling” (v. 15).
When Saul heard of the confusion within the Philistine camp and realized Jonathan and
his armor-bearer were missing, he organized his small army and attacked. They were assisted in
fighting the Philistines by a number of Israelites who had formerly supported the Philistine army.
As word of the defection of these Hebrews spread quickly through the Philistine army, the
Philistines began suspecting each other and began fighting among themselves. “So the Lord
saved Israel that day; and the battle shifted to Beth Aven” (v. 23).
In the heat of the battle, Saul forbade his army to eat until the sun set. So severe was the
order that even though the men of the army saw honey dripping from honeycombs in the forest,
no one even paused to sample it. Jonathan, however, had not heard the order and helped himself
to the honey when he was hungry. At the end of the battle that evening, Saul finally allowed his
men to eat. In the midst of enjoying his victory over the Philistines, Saul moved closer to God.
“Then Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord” (v. 35).
Saul realized he had the advantage in the battle and might lose his momentum if the battle
was delayed. He decided the best course of action for Israel was to surprise the disorganized
Philistines with a night attack. But when he sought counsel from God, God was silent. Saul
perceived the silence of God was due to a violation of his earlier prohibition against eating
during the battle. By use of casting lots, Jonathan was exposed as the guilty party. When
Jonathan confessed to his action, a self-willed and stubborn Saul sentenced his son to death.
Only when the people intervened on Jonathan’s behalf was he spared.
The whole incident revealed the weak character of the king and led to constant struggles
for the nation. Saul’s willingness to kill his son was not the sign of a leader but rather a dictator.
Though some Christian leaders fail to remember it, there is a difference between a leader and a
dictator. A leader is someone you want to follow. A dictator is someone you must follow.
Because of his personal insecurity, Saul could not bear having his orders broken even when the
guilty party was ignorant of the order at the time and was primarily responsible for the victory.
Only when faced with what seemed a greater act of rebellion on the part of the army was Saul
then willing to spare the life of his son.
Before the controversy over Jonathan erupted, Saul was inclined to lead a night attack
against the Philistine army before they had time to reorganize and recover from the battle of the
day. But by the time Jonathan’s life had been spared, Saul had lost interest in fighting the
Philistines. Probably his confidence had been shaken by the people’s refusal to let Jonathan die.