Long-Haul Faith, Pt 3: Jonathan

When NASA went looking for its first astronauts, it set the bar high. In fact, Alan Shepard was one of only 7 to meet all of the criteria and join the original corps. Eventually, he would become the first American in space, but his ride aboard Friendship Seven lasted only 15 minutes. As NASA turned its attention to the Apollo program, which would send astronauts into space for up to two weeks at a time, Shepard was grounded by an inner-ear condition that would not be corrected until a surgical cure was developed in 1968. Just as it takes certain characteristics to endure a long space mission, it takes certain qualifications to have a faith that will endure for the long haul. Jonathan was a man with just such qualifications.

Jonathan, of course, was the son of King Saul and best friend of David, the king-to-be. He was first introduced in 1 Samuel 13, where he attacked a Philistine garrison and escalated the long-running conflict between them and Israel. As the two armies gathered at Michmash, the Philistines marshaled “three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore” (1 Samuel 13:5) compared to Saul’s 600 men (1 Samuel 13:15). As if that was not bad enough, starting in verse 19, we discover that the Philistines had captured every blacksmith in Israel so that only Saul and Jonathan had weapons of any kind.

One can imagine the spirit in the Israelite camp. Yet, in 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan returned like a breath of fresh air, and in his actions over the next fifteen verses, we can find no less than five keys to a long-haul faith.

We must be bold.

The first of these appears in verse 1, where Jonathan bid his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” Given the circumstances, there were only three reasons why he would suggest such a thing. First, he was insane, having lost his grip on reality so that he had no inkling of would the Philistines could and would do to him and his companion. Second, he was a fatalist, recognizing that the Philistines were going to slaughter the Israelites and resolving that he would just get it over with. Third, he was incredibly bold, fully understanding the gravity of the situation and yet deciding that the objective was worth the risk.

The biblical evidence clearly suggests an answer. Remember, for example, the boldness that Jonathan demonstrated in 1 Samuel 13 when he alone attacked the Philistine garrison. In 1 Samuel 19, he did not hesitate to confront his father when Saul was on a murderous rampage against David, and in chapter 20, when it became clear that Saul was bent on killing his friend, Jonathan sided with David so that Saul tried to kill Jonathan, too.

Indeed, throughout his life, Jonathan demonstrated profound boldness by repeatedly taking risks to accomplish that which was right, and we see hints of this boldness here in chapter 14 as well. Consider how he was contrasted to his father. In verse 2, we read, “Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron on the outskirts of Gibeah.” The Hebrew here, however, is remarkably ambiguous, suggesting that he was actually in hiding. More, Migron was on the outskirts of Gibeah, an hour’s march from where the Philistines were camped. In other words, instead of drawing closer to the attack, Saul actually retreated. In fact, even the verb “staying” suggests that Saul was sitting down and setting up house. That is, he had no intention of attacking anyone!

Consider also the way Jonathan referred to the Philistines in verse 6. Specifically, he called them “uncircumcised men,” a common epithet meaning that they were not God’s people. To Jonathan, who grew up hearing of God’s promise to deliver the whole region into the hands of his people, then, the Philistines were foreigners standing between Israel and the fulfillment of that promise.

In Jonathan’s mind, there was only one right thing to do. Yes, it was risky, but the Philistines had to go, and since it was clear that Saul was not going to do it, Jonathan would.

Jonathan was incredibly bold, and if we are going to have a faith that endures for the long haul, we must be, too. It means being able to see the right thing that God wants us to do – or not do – and resolving that, whatever the risk, whatever the cost, even if we are the only ones willing to go, we are going to see it done. We must be bold.

We must be faithful.

A second key to a long-haul faith is found in verse 3. there, we read that “Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod, was also there” with Saul in his hideout. An ephod was a linen vest worn with pockets carrying the Urim and Thummim, which were used to discern the will of God. Typically, the ephod was worn exclusively by the chief priest, but if Ahijah was a priest, why did the author not say simply that “Ahijah the priest was also there”? That is, after all, how Ahijah’s ancestor Eli was described in the very same sentence: “the Lord’s priest at Shiloh.”

Actually, the reference to Eli was an important clue. In 1 Samuel 2, Eli allowed his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, to desecrate the offerings and abuse the people. In response, God resolved that Hophni and Phineas would die, and Eli’s descendants would no longer be priests. Put another way, Ahijah was not a real priest at all!

If you are familiar with Saul’s story, this is not surprising. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul did not wait for the prophet Samuel to make sacrifices. This was a huge no-no for the king to do. Here in chapter 14, he brought in an illegitimate priest, and in chapter 15, he would blatantly defy God’s directives. Saul was clearly on a trajectory away from God.

Contrast that with Jonathan’s trajectory. We have already seen that he wanted to see God’s promise accomplished. In verse 6, he resolved, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” Put another way, Jonathan was so full of faith that he determined to do God’s will and expected God to save, regardless of the odds.

Jonathan was faithful, and not just in the sense that he did what God expected of him. He was faithful also in the sense of expecting God to do what he promised, and once again, if we are going to have a faith that endures for the long haul, we must do the same. It means doggedly pursuing what we know to be God’s will. It means believing unswervingly that, whatever we are facing, God can and will deliver. We must be faithful.

We must be strong.

A third characteristic that enabled Jonathan’s faith to endure is found in verses 4-6:

There were sharp columns of rock on both sides of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh; one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba. Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

1 Samuel 14:4-6 CSB

Notice the visual description of the landscape in verse 4. The Hebrew behind the phrase “sharp columns of rock” is more literally rendered “tooth.” Moreover, one of these teeth is called Bozez, meaning “the gleaming one,” and the other is called Seneh, meaning “thorny.” We can, then, imagine that one wall of the valley was smooth rock face with few handholds, and the other featured numerous outcroppings and other obstacles that Jonathan and his armor-bearer would have to climb around.

And did we mention that the Philistine army was camped on the other side?

If Jonathan and his armor-bearer were going to succeed, they would need to be superhero strong, and if we are going to have a long-haul faith, we must be the same. It means recognizing that the task ahead is difficult, implausible, and perhaps even humanly impossible. It means pressing on and scaling that nearly impossible task. It means possessing both the character and stamina to accomplish the mission. We must be strong.

We must be wise.

Then, starting in verse 7, things became interesting. After his armor-bearer agreed to go with him, Jonathan in verses 8-10 unveiled his plan:

“All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”

1 Samuel 14:8-10 CSB

From my perspective, this plan was ludicrous. Perhaps the duo would have a chance if they could somehow surprise the Philistines, but they would let the Philistines see them. While I might say that God was blessing the attack if the Philistines immediately lay down their weapons and begged for mercy, Jonathan resolved that the sign of God’s favor was an invitation to walk into the hornet’s nest.

Fortunately, Jonathan was wiser than me. He must have known that the cliffs between him and the Philistines would lead them to position all of their defenses facing the other way. After all, no strategist would attack up a sheer cliff. More, he knew that the Philistines’ overwhelming advantage yielded overconfidence, and that was what his test checked. If the Philistines saw him and told them to stay where they were, then they were on their guard against an attack. If, however, they invited them to approach the camp, it meant that they were not at all prepared for a fight.

Indeed, after the Philistines invited Jonathan and his armor-bearer to climb the cliff, they did not bother to drop rocks on their heads or shoot arrows down upon them. In fact, they did not bother even to call in reinforcements. When Jonathan and his armor-bearer reached the top of the cliff, we learn in verse 14 that they “struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.” Had they been ready for an attack, the Philistines would have amassed those twenty people at the top of the cliff and killed Jonathan and his buddy as soon as they arrived, but this translates to about one person per 1,000 square feet. That is, there was an average of 60 feet between each Philistine, allowing more than enough time for a skilled warrior such as Jonathan to dispatch them as they came.

Jonathan was wise enough to understand all of this, counterintuitive as it may have seemed, and if we are going to have a long-haul faith, we must also be wise. This means not just knowing stuff, but being able to figure out what we must do with what we know. It means reading Scripture and then working to figure out what we just read should affect our words, actions, and attitudes. And it means seeking to understand the world around us and then endeavoring to live and minister in a way that brings hope to the current situation. We must be wise.

We must be selfless.

As he implemented this battle plan, however, there was one more thing that Jonathan did that was key to realizing a long-haul faith. As the Philistines panicked and fled before them, Jonathan did not pronounce, “I’ve won the battle!” In fact, he did not even say, “The Lord handed the Philistines over to me!” Instead, he proclaimed, “The Lord has handed them over to Israel” (1 Samuel 14:12).

The importance of this statement becomes clear when we contrast again Jonathan to his father, Saul. In 1 Samuel 13:4, when Jonathan successfully attacked the Philistines at Gibeah, Saul announced, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison.” In 13:8-9, when Saul realized his troops were deserting him, he took matters into his own hand, calling, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” He then proceeded to sacrifice the offering. And in 1 Samuel 15:30, after he disobeyed God’s directive to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites, Saul bid Samuel, “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel.” Saul’s concern for his own glory and honor stands in stark contrast to the selflessness demonstrated by Jonathan!

Indeed, Jonathan did not attack the Philistines for his own glory, but for the glory of God and God’s people, Israel, and we must operate with the same mindset. Rather than being about our own honor and glory, we should do everything in our power to ensure that what we say and do brings glory to God and his people. In short, we must be selfless.

Conclusion

Boldness, faithfulness, strength, wisdom, and selflessness are essential to a long-haul faith. We must, therefore, ask ourselves in which of these we excel. More importantly, in which of these could we use some improvement? And then, we must ask God to help us grow in each of them!