The Philistine garrison at Geba was only about five miles north of Jerusalem (which I offer as a landmark because you may know where it is) and about four miles northeast of Saul’s home town of Gibeah. This was well into Saul’s kingdom. The move to Michmash drew them even closer to the center of Saul’s kingdom. This situation put pressure on the king. We will now see in action this monarchy that the people so wanted.
Note God’s criterion for the king, that he be a man after His own heart. That Saul failed to keep God’s command meant that he was not such a man. Was that fair to Saul, when he offered the sacrifice in the first place to seek God’s favor? All I can say is that he was not sensible to seek God’s favor in a way that violated His command. He failed to do so because he saw the battle as his and not God’s, and was pressured when his soldiers began abandoning his cause. Didn’t he recall Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites, when God severely whittled the Israelite army down so that the victory was clearly His? This king, impressive as he was physically, as promising as he initially seemed, cracked under pressure.
While Saul hung back well away from the enemy, possibly seeking guidance from God through the Urim and Thummim (which of course had proven unreliable in Judges 20), Jonathan took action. He didn’t need the ephod to seek God’s guidance. He stepped forward for service in the assumption that God might want His people to take a stand, knowing that this was God’s battle and He just needed a willing servant to take action. He trusted God to reveal what that action would be. He established as predetermined signs two reasonably likely situations, and defined what action should follow each one. If situation A happened, he would take it as God’s warning to hold back; if situation B was presented, then he would accept it as God’s encouragement to move forward. What a great way to seek God’s guidance! Sovereign God can certainly control the actions of His creatures in guiding His people to do His work. This is a great example for us to follow in seeking God’s guidance in our own lives.
In case you found the action difficult to follow, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed twenty men in the garrison, which triggered a frightened reaction among all of the Philistines not only in the garrison, but also in the camp of the army assembled for battle. Their response alerted Saul that this was an opportunity to strike the Philistines while they were vulnerable, and he led his army of 600 essentially unarmed foot soldiers into battle. That army was joined by Israelites who had defected to the Philistines, and those who were in hiding throughout the land, and they were able to put the innumerable Philistine army with its 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen to flight.
This was a great miracle that would have never happened if Jonathan hadn’t taken action under God’s guidance. In contrast, everything Saul did in his own wisdom seemed to hinder the efforts of the Israelites in achieving a great victory. Both lives are examples to us.
Based on what you’ve learned about the importance God places on the fulfillment of one’s vow, weighing in the rashness of Saul’s vow and foolish pronouncement of death, do you think Saul was right to allow the opinions of the people to keep him from fulfilling his vow to kill Jonathan? What does this teach you about your words?
How pleased should the people have been with this king they wanted in place of God? “These things happened to them as examples to us….”