The Lord Will Act In Our Behalf 

1 Samuel 13:16-14:23

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 14:6b 

“Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

In this passage, we will study about the sovereignty of God in the battle. 

(1) God drove the Israel to the impossible situations to win the battle (13:16-23)

(2) God used Jonathan’s courage and faith to win the battle. (14:1-14)

(3) God saved the Israel. (14:15,23)

May God grant us Jonathan’s faith so that we can fight the spiritual battle with confidence and courage to experience your power and victory. 

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1. Read 13:16-23. Where are Saul and his men staying? (16a) What is the Philistine’s battle strategy at Micmash? (16b-18,23) What disadvantage does Israel have in regard to weapons? (19-22)

1-1) Read verses 13:16-23. 

13:16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. 17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert. 19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. 

21 The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. 22 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. 23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.

1-2) Where are Saul and his men staying? (16a) 

Saul and his men were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin.

About 600 men were there. (v15) 

1-3) What is the Philistine’s battle strategy at Micmash? (16b-18,23) 

a) The Philistine camped at Micmash. 

Raiding parties: With so many troops, the Philistines could raid at will. 

These raiding parties plundered the land and demoralized people of Israel. 

b) Three Detachments (see the map)

North: Ophrah 

West: Beth Horon 

East: Valley of Zeboaim 

1-4) What disadvantage does Israel have in regard to weapons? (19-22)

a) Not a blacksmith could be found. (v19)

The Philistines probably carried away all the smiths from Israel in previous wars. 

b) The Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare. (v20) 

The Philistines charged high price to sharpen instruments. (v21)

c) Only Saul and Jonathan had iron weapons. (v22)

The rest of Israel fought with farming tools, not weapons. 

Philistine outnumbered and also had technological advantage over the Israelites. 

Objectively, they were in impossible situation to win the battle. 

That’s why many soldiers ran away from the battle. (1Sam 13:6-8) 

2. Read 14:1-5. What does Jonathan say to his armor bearer? (1) Where and with whom is Saul staying? (2,3) What is the path like that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost? (4,5) 

2-1) Read 14:1-5

14:1 One day Jonathan 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. 2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. 4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

2-2) What does Jonathan say to his armor bearer? (1) 

a) “Let us go over to the Philistines outpost” [a small group of troops] 

The Israelites were outnumbered, and were greatly surpassed in military technology. 

Yet Jonathan is bold to go over to the Philistine to see what the Lord might want to do.

b) Jonathan’s courage

He did not have fear for Philistine although Philistine had surpassing numbers of soldiers 

and high level weapons. 

His courage must be from His faith in God and His Promises. (Lev 26:8)

c) Young man bearing his armor. He is Jonathon’s armor-bearer

In Ancient time, they were extremely brave and loyal together.

d) He did not tell his father.

Scripture is silent about why he did not tell his father. 

Possibly because he knew his father would have simply said “no.”

Possibly he could not wait for his father since he did not do anything about Philistine.  

He might be outraged how the philistine plundered the Israelite. 

Jonathon might have heard what Samuel said to his father, and he might have wanted to

 do something for his father.

2-3) Where and with whom is Saul staying? (2,3) 

a) He was staying in Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron.

He was sitting under the tree doing nothing when people were plundered by Philistines.

 

b) With About 600 men: 

Earlier, Saul had about 3,000 in his army (1 Samuel 13:2). 

Now, he has 600: many of them scattered while waiting for Samuel (1Sam 13:6-8). 

The Philistines had a huge army. (1Sam 13:5)

c) With Ahijah: 

He is a member of the rejected priestly house of Eli. (1Sam 4, 14:3) 

He is the nephew of Ichabod [“The Glory of God has departed”]

Saul was with a priest, whom the glory of God has departed. 

This implies that the glory of God departed from Saul as well. 

2-4) What is the path like that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost? (4,5)

a) Each side of the pass: cliff between Micmash [Michmash] and Geba

Bozez (slippery): faced south and near Micmash

Seneh (thorny): faced north and near Geba.

This is a difficult route.

This could be a strategic place to fight against a large numbers.

3. Read verses 6-15. What does Jonathan suggest to his armor-bearer? (6a) What does he say about the Lord? (6b) How does his armor-bearer respond? (7) What sign does Jonathan look for to show the will of God? (8-10) What do Jonathan and his armor-bear do to the Philistines? (11-14) After this, what happened to the whole Philistine army? (15a) Why? (15b)

3-1) Read verses 6-15. 

6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over 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.” 7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 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. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 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.

3-2) What does Jonathan suggest to his armor-bearer? (6a) 

a) Let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows.

He viewed the Philistines as unbelievers under divine judgment. 

He knew numbers were not necessary for God to give victory. (1Sam 17:47; Judg. 7:4, 7).

He knew that the battle is not won by strength or might, but the Spirit of God. (Zech 4:6)

3-3) What does he say about the Lord? (6b) 

a) “Perhaps, The Lord will act in our behalf”: 

He believed that the Lord will fight for His people. (Deut 3:22)

He believed that the Lord will never forsake his people. (Deut 31:6)

b) Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. 

He believed that the Lord will save His people despite few soldiers.  (Judge 7:4,7)

He believed that the Lord’s saving power would be never hindered by number of people. 

Jonathan fully trusted in the Lord, not in himself or his weapon. 

His faith was shown by his bold action. 

3-4) How does his armor-bearer respond? (7) 

a) “Do all that you have in mind, Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

Loyal to Jonathan: great encouragement to Jonathan. 

3-5) What sign does Jonathan look for to show the will of God? (8-10) 

a) Jonathan wanted to confirm the will of God in his attack. 

He proposes a test; they will show themselves to the Philistine guards. 

b) If they respond (“Come up to us”), God gives them into our hands: 

We will climb up and fight the battle and will win the battle. 

c) If they respond (“Wait until we come to you”) 

We will stay: God does not want us to fight this day.

3-6) What do Jonathan and his armor-bear do to the Philistines? (11-14) 

a) Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armor-bearer after him: 

This was a difficult climb. 

b) The Philistines fell before Jonathan. 

He knocked them down probably with his martial arts. 

His armor-bearer killed them.

3-7) After this, what happened to the whole Philistine army? (15a) Why? (15b)

a) Panic struck the whole army.

They thought their fellow Philistines were the enemy. 

So they began to fight one another, and kill one another! 

(Judges 7:22; 2 Kings 6:18; 2 Chronicles 20:23)

b) The ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

Now God sent a great earthquake to terrify the Philistines. 

God assisted Jonathan by sending an earthquake to frighten the Philistines (Deut 7:23).

4. Read verses 16-23. What do Saul’s lookouts see? (16) What does Saul say to the men and to Ahijah? (17-19) How do Saul and his men find the Philistines? (20) What do the Hebrews who are with the Philistines and all the Israelites who hid in the hill country do? (21-22) Who rescues the Israelites? (23)

4-1) Read verses 16-23. 

16 Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. 17 Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there. 18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.) 19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. 21 Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. 23 So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

4-2) What do Saul’s lookouts see? (16) 

The huge army of the Philistines started to melt away before their eyes.

4-3) What does Saul say to the men and to Ahijah? (17-19) 

a) Muster [assemble soldiers] the forces and see who has left us: 

He could go and fight the Philistines. 

But, he just wanted to check who had left them. 

b) Bring the ark of God: 

It shows Saul’s insecurity and superstitious faith in God. (1Sam 4:3)

c) Withdraw your hand:  it means stop seeking and answer from God

4-4) How do Saul and his men find the Philistines? (20) 

The Philistines were in total confusion striking each other with their swords. 

4-5) What do the Hebrews who are with the Philistines and all the Israelites who hid in the hill country do? (21-22) 

a) Those Hebrew who had been with the Philistine. (v21)

Some people of Israel had forsaken Israel and supported the Philistines.

b) Others who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim. (v22)

Others were simply left because they were afraid of the Philistine. 

c) Both of them probably thought the Philistine would conquer the Israel. 

They did not trust in God who would save the Israel from the Philistine. 

4-6) Who rescues the Israelites? (23)

a) The Lord saved Israel that day.

God could saved them all by himself, but gladly choose to use Jonathan. 

By faith, Jonathan participated in the great battle of God.

He experienced the power of God.

b) Josephus says there were 6,000 Philistines killed in this battle. 

c) The battle moved on Beth Aven. 

Beth Aven stood near Micmash, but the exact site is uncertain.

In Conclusion

God put the people of Israel in the impossible situation. And God really used Jonathan’s faith and courageous act to save them from the Philistine. God is still waiting for a man of faith like Jonathan to fight the spiritual battle. May God grant us the Jonathan’s faith so that we can fight the spiritual battle with confidence and courage.