1 Samuel 14:25-3725And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. 26And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. 27But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 28Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint. 29Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? 31And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. 32And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood. 33Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. 34And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. 35And Saul built an altar unto the Lord: the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord. 36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. 37And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. (1 Samuel 14:25‑37)
While pursuing the Philistines, the Israelites became faint and hungry through not having eaten any food as Saul had charged them. Entering the woods they found honey on the ground, but all were afraid to eat any through fear of Saul. However, Jonathan had not been with Saul, so had not heard the faithless king’s command. He put his rod into the honey and began to eat. Thus strengthened he was able to press forward into the battle, while the rest of the people were too faint to go on. When Jonathan was told what his father had commanded, he spoke to the people saying: “My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
When the battle was over, the people took sheep, oxen and calves, and ate them with the blood, for they were so hungry.
All this, we believe, is very instructive for us. Jonathan, the man of faith, sought the liberation of the people of God from their enemies, and though his heart was not set on honey, he had a happy liberty in his soul which could eat of it when it came before him in the path of the Lord’s service. He was not under bondage, but could enjoy what the Lord provided, and pass on. In this way the Christian also is not under bondage. There is, of course, no liberty to disobey the Word of God, but there is liberty to enjoy the things God has given us in nature, while not allowing them to hinder devotedness to Christ. How many of us enjoy these things in the path of the Lord’s service and are, like Jonathan, refreshed and strengthened to go on for Him.
On the other hand we find those who, like Saul, would impose rules of cold formality. They trouble the saints and hinder that happy liberty in service which should characterize the children of God. Such a path always leads to what took place here. As soon as the people were free from the miserable bondage imposed by Saul, they flew upon the spoil and ate it with the blood. This was disobedience to a positive command of God (Deut. 12:2323Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. (Deuteronomy 12:23)), and was far worse than disobeying Saul. Once again we see how impossible it is for the flesh to please God, and here it is “religious flesh” in which a man can pride himself for what he has done. How empty it all is before God! May the Lord deliver us from all such legality, that we may serve Him gladly and devotedly, yet “with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 12:2828Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28).
When Saul heard that the people were eating the flesh with the blood he undertook to set things right. He built an altar unto the Lord, the first one he had ever built, for he felt that in the face of such a victory he must acknowledge the Lord. Up to this point he had only hindered; now he seeks to be recognized as the champion to utterly destroy the Philistines, but the priest said, “Let us draw near hither unto God.” So Saul asked counsel of God, but we read, “He answered him not that day.” Previously Saul had tarried when he should have been acting; but now when he wished to display his zeal before the people, the Lord did not answer.
ML 08/08/1954