1 Sam 14: 1-23

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 14: 1-23
It’s not fun or enjoyable seeing the character of King Saul drop lower and lower. He started with such promise; young, strong, handsome and loyal... but it seems all that fame, money and power has gone to his head. Already we’ve seen him demonstrate his unbelief and impatience (ch13) and now it just gets worse!
Thank goodness for Jonathan...
Most of this chapter tells us about Jonathan, Saul’s oldest son. What do we already know about him from last week?

First we see that Jonathan initiates the attack...
[Read 1 Sam 14:1-15]
Jonathan decided to go and “see” the Philistine outpost. Why?

Then we see that Jonathan didn’t tell his dad where he was going. Why?

Saul was chilling under a pomegranate tree with his 600 men while Jonathan was crossing the enemy lines with one man. What does this tell us?

Again we see Saul with a priest and an ephod, but what’s going on? What does this tell us about Saul?

Read Lev. 26:7-8 and Deut. 28:7. How do these verses relate to this story as Jonathan and his armour-bearer are coming up to the Philistine outpost?

What is Jonathan’s plan once they’re inside the Philistine’s territory?

How do the Philistines respond to them?

[Activity] > Can you think of other examples where people chosen and called by God are treated this way?
By not taking Jonathan and his armour-bearer seriously what happened?

Saul watches the battle...
[Read 1 Sam 14: 16-19]
What could the Israelite lookouts and King Saul be thinking as they saw the Philistines retreating?

This was the second time that Jonathan had gone off and acted on his own. How might Saul be feeling?

Saul had a priest with an ephod and called for the ark. What could Saul have been doing? What did he actually do?

What were the motives behind Saul’s actions?

Israel enters the battle...
[Read 1 Sam 14: 20-23]
As Israel begins to pursue the “confused” Philistines, what do we see happen?

What does this tell us about these types of soldiers?

How could Saul have dealt with these soldiers? What does he do instead and why?

Saul is confusing. One day he will rush in like a horse... and then the next day he will hold back like a mule. Why?

Who won this battle?

Saul and his army chased the Philistines all the way to Beth Aven (15 miles) and by the time they caught up with them, they did win, but not the sort of victory they would have wanted...