“Y’honatan said to his armor-bearer, ‘Come on, let’s go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised people. Maybe Adonai will do something for us, since Adonai can rescue with a few people as easily as with many.’ His armor-bearer replied, ‘Do everything you think you should; I’m with you, whatever you decide.’“-1 Samuel 14:6-8
When we examine Jonathan’s personality in comparison to his father’s personality, we notice something interesting.
Their personalities were pretty much alike.
Jonathan was really a chip off of the old block.
They were both rash, ill-tempered, and impulsive as all hell.
However, there was one huge difference between the men.
Jonathan decided to wholeheartedly surrender to God and the Holy Spirit no matter what the costs.
On the other hand, Saul decided to do whatever he could to manipulate God for his own purposes.
Same personalities, but different inward motivations.
The result was their lives traveled down completely different paths.
Take a look at Jonathan’s attitude when he proposed to his armor-bearer that they go out and provoke those “uncircumcised Philistines” as he put it.
The idea was to show themselves to the Philistines in a display of arrogant bravado and see how they responded.
If the Philistines said, “Stay there homies until we come down to you”, then that’s what Jonathan and his servant would do.
But if the Philistines said “Come up to us”, then that was to be a sign from God that victory was in their grasp.
Now let’s be honest here.
On the surface, what Jonathan was proposing was nothing less than a suicide mission.
We should also give a lot of credit to the armor-bearer for his faith.
I mean look at that guy’s sincere and faithful response.
He said…
“Do everything you think you should;
I’m with you, whatever you decide.”
Wow!
I dunno if I could’ve been that faithful.
I would’ve been more like
“Are you out of your mind man?!
Let’s wait for your father
to send up reinforcements.”
But again, this just shows how determined Jonathan was in his belief in God’s power and wisdom to deliver them.
I mean his faith was so strong he even got his servant on board.
So that’s your lesson for today.
When looking at Saul and Jonathan, we see two men with the same temperament, personality, and character faults, yet with completely different natures.
Jonathan was an example of what happens when a believer focuses on the Lord and not his circumstances.
Saul was an example of everything a Godly leader should NOT be.
Jonathan was led by the Spirit of God.
Saul was led by his own selfish lusts and desires.
Both men were filled with imperfection and character faults.
Yet how their lives turned out were worlds apart due to one single personal choice they made:
Would they surrender their lives to God no matter what the costs?
This should give you great hope…
Especially if you’re a person who struggles with inner demons.
Because when you wholeheartedly surrender to God, He can turn all of your imperfections, personality faults, insecurities, or whatever into advantages for the Kingdom of God, as we’re going to see him do with Jonathan in his battle with the Philistines.
See ya all next time.
The Destiny of Israel in this END OF DAYS/AGE/DISPENSATION!!!
MICAH 4:11″And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see our desire upon Zion. 12But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor. 13Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain unto Jehovah, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.”
ISAIAH 41:8-16 “But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, 9thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away; 10fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11Behold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish. 12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel”
GENESIS 15:18-21 “In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.” BECOMES GREATER ISRAEL AND STANDS FOREVER