I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Samuel 14-15.

    In yesterday’s passage we learned that Saul’s army was down to 600 men and they were facing a Philistine army of over 6,000 men. Some of that army had gone out as raiding parties, but the bulk was blocking a pass. The overall text of the passage suggests that Saul’s army was hiding from the Philistine army. Jonathan, however, was not intimidated by the larger enemy army. Unlike his father, Jonathan had faith that God would overcome his enemies as long as he was faithful. When he approached the enemy camp, he asked God for a sign. That sign was a very pragmatic one. If the Philistines were wise and took advantage of their position to threaten Jonathan and his armor bearer when they first approached, Jonathan would know that he should not attack. On the other hand, if the Philistines were overconfident and dared Jonathan to come into their camp, where the Philistines would no longer have the advantage of position, it would mean that God was with Jonathan and would help him defeat the Philistines.

    The Philistines did indeed demonstrate overconfidence. When Jonathan and his armor bearer entered into the Philistine camp they were able to cause enough of a ruckus to throe the whole army into a panic, even the dispatched raiding parties were disrupted when word reached them. The situation went from being the Israelites hiding from the Philistines to a complete rout of the Philistines. This all happened because Jonathan trusted God.