Oct16–22: Jonathan: Born for Greatness

Teaching Points

1. Read 1 Samuel 14 and make a chapter outline.

ANSWER:

• 1Sa 14:1-15 Jonathan and his armor-bearer attack the Philistines
• 1Sa 14:16-23 the Philistines turn against one another in their confusion
• 1Sa 14:24-46 Saul’s oath and Jonathan spared from death
• 1Sa 14:47-52 Saul’s conquests and Saul’s family

OBSERVATION:

• “Because of Saul's sin in his presumptuous offering, the Lord would not give him the honor of vanquishing the Philistines.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 623.
• Yet in 1 Samuel 1:47-52 we learn that God still worked through Saul, gaining victories for Israel.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

• Why do you think God still wrought victories through Saul?

2. What are the steps that Jonathan undertakes before climbing up to the enemy outpost? 1 Sam. 14:6–13.

ANSWER:

• 1Sa 14:6 “Come, and let us” – Jonathan consults his armor-bearer about the attack
• 1Sa 14:6 “It may be” – Jonathan is not presumptuous; he is humble and cautious, yet confident and dependent upon God at the same time
• 1Sa 14:6 “No restraint” – Jonathan is already giving God the credit for being more than able to do the work, whether with large or small numbers
• 1Sa 14:7-13 “The Lord hath delivered” – It is pretty clear that God was ordering this attack 

SOP:

• Jonathan, the king's son, a man who feared the Lord, was chosen as the instrument to deliver Israel. Moved by a divine impulse, he proposed to his armor-bearer that they should make a secret attack upon the enemy's camp….  {PP 623.1} 
• The armor-bearer, who also was a man of faith and prayer, encouraged the design, and together they withdrew from the camp, secretly, lest their purpose should be opposed. With earnest prayer to the Guide of their fathers, they agreed upon a sign by which they might determine how to proceed.  {PP 623.2}
• These two men gave evidence that they were moving under the influence and command of a more than human general. To outward appearance, their venture was rash, and contrary to all military rules. But the action of Jonathan was not done in human rashness. He depended not on what he and his armor-bearer themselves could do; he was the instrument that God used in behalf of his people Israel. They made their plans, and rested their cause in the hands of God.  {YI, November 24, 1898 par. 6}

APPLICATION QUESTION:

• How do you know if you are resting your plans in the hands of God or not?

3. Read 1 Samuel 14:24–46. How could Jonathan, had he wanted, used this incident as an excuse to stop honoring his father? Have not people turned on their own parents for less? What does this tell us about the kind of person Jonathan was?

ANSWER:

• Jonathan could have rebelled against his father’s decree. But this shows the true character of Jonathan. Just when Saul’s rash character is revealed, so is Jonathan’s, who patiently waits on the Lord for his deliverance and vindication. Ps 37:7 “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

APPLICATION QUESTION:

• How do you treat those who are wrong and in authority over you? Do you still obey them, or rebel against them? 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

• We are admonished to obey our parents “in the Lord” (Eph 6:1). Since Saul’s decree was obviously not “in the Lord”, then why do you think Jonathan would allow himself to be killed?
• How can one determine whether or not something is in the Lord or not?

4. Read 1 Samuel 31:1–7 and 2 Samuel 1:5–12. What kind of end did Jonathan have? How do we understand this?

ANSWER:

• Sometimes God rewards his faithful servants at the resurrection morning.

CONCLUSION:

• Ex 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
• Jonathan’s life of unselfish love to his father is a testimony of what it means to truly honor your father and mother. Through the dark times of Saul—even when he was against his own son—Jonathan stood by him, giving him loyal support, even though Saul many times acted out his own rash will.