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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 28 July 2025:
1 Samuel 14:6 – Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
Jonathan’s words reveal a heart wholly devoted to the Lord, undeterred by circumstances. His phrase “it may be” does not reflect uncertainty in God’s power but rather humility regarding God’s specific will. This is not presumption; it is submission mixed with bold faith. His confidence is anchored in the character and sovereignty of God — “for nothing can hinder the Lord.” His trust in God’s ability transcends human calculation. In contrast to Saul’s earlier panic and disobedience (1 Samuel 13:9-13), Jonathan neither rushes ahead nor stalls in fear. He moves forward in faith with reverence.
Jonathan’s courage was not reckless but the overflow of a spiritual clarity that saw through the fear and paralysis that had overtaken Israel. Surrounded by Israelites hiding in caves and holes (1 Samuel 13:6), Jonathan could not bear to see God’s name dishonored. This is a righteous indignation, similar to David’s later response when he heard Goliath taunt the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:26). Jonathan could not allow God’s people to shrink in fear when the Lord had already promised to fight for them (Deuteronomy 20:4).
1 Samuel 14:7 – And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
The armor bearer’s loyalty reflects the strength of Jonathan’s leadership and the Spirit behind it. It shows the power of godly companionship. Just as Aaron and Hur upheld Moses’ arms in Exodus 17:12, so the armor bearer stands “heart and soul” with Jonathan. Faith is contagious. This is true Christian fellowship: “Encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Whose faith is strengthened by yours? Whom do you strengthen?
1 Samuel 14:14 – And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.
Faith acted upon is honored by God in mighty ways. Jonathan’s mustard seed of faith leads to a trembling among the enemy and an earthquake from heaven (v.15). The victory begins with two men—but it’s God who brings the confusion and panic in the camp. Just as the walls of Jericho fell without a single blow (Joshua 6), so too here the Lord brings the deliverance. As Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
1 Samuel 14:20-23 – …every Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion…. So the LORD saved Israel that day….
The results of Jonathan’s faith ripple outward. His courage calls others to rise. Even those who had fled or hidden return to the battle. Fear gives way to boldness when someone stands up with conviction. Leadership matters. One man’s trust in God reignites the army of Israel. As Paul reminds Timothy, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). We must not wait for the crowd. We must be willing to be the first one out of the cave.
1 Samuel 14:24 – And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.”
In sharp contrast to Jonathan’s faith and God-honoring initiative, Saul operates from pride and human control. His vow is not rooted in obedience or faith but in ego — “until I am avenged.” Fasting as a spiritual discipline is for seeking God; Saul uses it for personal victory. He burdens his people, weakens them in battle, and then blames others when trouble comes. Spiritual leadership detached from the Spirit only brings harm.
1 Samuel 14:29-30 – Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey….”
Jonathan calls out the senseless vow. He is clear-eyed both physically and spiritually. He sees what his father does not: that legalistic burdens wear down God’s people and inhibit the very mission God gave them. Jesus would later condemn the Pharisees for similar burdens (Matthew 23:4). Jonathan speaks truth with wisdom and restraint. He is not insubordinate; he is discerning.
1 Samuel 14:32 – The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood.
When leadership is prideful, impulsive, and oppressive, the people stumble. Saul’s foolish vow leads to exhaustion, and that exhaustion leads to sin. Starving men disregard the Law (Leviticus 17:10-12), and Saul bears responsibility. His self-centered governance drives the people into disobedience. Godly leadership leads others toward holiness. Saul’s leadership leads them toward compromise and chaos.
1 Samuel 14:35 – And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
This is a telling detail. After all of Saul’s posturing, rash vows, and shallow repentance, this is the first time he builds an altar to the Lord. But it rings hollow. It appears more like an attempt to regain favor than true worship. Outward gestures of religion mean nothing if the heart is far from God (Isaiah 29:13). God certainly doesn’t appreciate self-centered worship, and people won’t be fooled for long if at all.
- Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18 – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven…. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you…. And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (see also Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-27; and Matthew 7:21-23)
God’s silence is loud. Saul seeks the Lord, but the Lord does not respond. He cannot bend God to his will. Sin has consequences. The psalmist writes, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Rather than repenting and seeking the true reason for God’s silence, Saul begins scapegoating, ready to execute even his own son for the “sin.”
1 Samuel 14:45 – Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it!”
The people, who had once trembled under Saul’s leadership, now resist him. They recognize true godliness in Jonathan and will not allow Saul’s delusion to take his life. Even in a broken system, truth rises. God preserved Jonathan because his heart was right before Him. The Gospel reminds us that it is not titles or crowns that make a leader, but righteousness (Philippians 2:3-11).
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 28 July 2025: Lead by Faith, Not by Fear. Take one bold step today that aligns with God’s promises, not just your logic. Let Jonathan’s example challenge you to act not when all is certain, but when your faith sees what others don’t. Look around you: who is hiding in caves of fear, waiting for someone to show them what faith looks like? Be that someone. Encourage your armor bearers. Stand shoulder to shoulder with someone walking in faith. And examine your own leadership — are you burdening others with pride-driven rules, or lifting them toward God with Christlike love? Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and He still calls His people to step into the unknown — confident in His power to save by many or by few.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 