Faith that Climbs, Religion that Trips, and Honey that Drips
Yesterday we watched Saul’s impatience cost Israel dearly (1 Samuel 13). Today the story tightens around two cliffs, a secret climb, a rash vow, and a taste of honey. Chapter 14 invites us to let courage rise, let empty religion fall, and let God’s sweetness flow.
14 :1–5
Archaeology helps us picture the scene. The pass of
Michmash (modern Wadi Suweinit) cuts a narrow ravine
west–east between sheer chalk cliffs. The text gives their local
nicknames:
• Bozez – “shining” (sun-bleached, glaring
white).
• Seneh – “thorny” (overgrown with acacias).
Philistines camp the north rim; Saul sits under a pomegranate tree at Gibeah across the valley; only six hundred men remain (cf. 13 :15). Iron weapons are still rare in Israel (13 :19–22). From a human view nothing has changed overnight, yet Jonathan whispers to his armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go…”
Cross-references
• 2 Chronicles 14 :11 – “Lord, nothing can hinder you.”
• Judges 7 – Gideon’s few overcoming many; same Hebrew verb for “save”
(yashaʿ).
14 :6–14
Jonathan’s watchword: “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few” (New International Version). A short sentence, a whole theology:
Hebrew Note
“Perhaps” (ʾûlay) in v. 6 carries humble hope, not doubt. Faith does not
dictate to God; it ventures.
Literary device
The narrator uses rapid verbs—“climbed… fell… struck”—to mirror the
scramble up the cliff and the sudden rout.
Within half an acre twenty Philistines lie dead. Earthquake follows human faith; the text calls it “ḥărādâʾ ʾĕlōhîm”—literally “a trembling of God” (v. 15). The Septuagint keeps the divine source; modern versions say “panic sent by God.”
Hymn suggestion
“God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (William Cowper, 1774). It sings
Jonathan’s theology.
14 :24–35
While divine panic spreads, Saul imposes a fast: “Cursed be anyone who eats before evening, till I have avenged myself.” Notice the pronoun shift—“I.” The king mistakes self-denial for spirituality and ties it to personal vengeance.
Historical echoes
• Jephthah’s vow (Judges 11) – tragedy born of zeal without
knowledge.
• Jesus warns of Pharisaic fasting (Matthew 6 :16–18).
The army grows faint. Jonathan, unaware, tastes honey seeping from a comb. His eyes “brighten.” The Hebrew verb ʾôr (to shine) intentionally links his face to the shining cliff Bozez. Honey becomes a quiet sermon: God’s gifts illuminate when legalism darkens.
Western readers may miss how rare wild honey is in late summer. In the Judean highlands, bees store honey in rock crevices; the drip suggests new, unharvested sweetness—grace waiting in plain sight.
14 :31–35
Starving troops pounce on captured livestock and eat “with the blood”—a direct breach of Leviticus 17 :10–12. Saul builds his first altar (telling detail: “the first he built to the Lord,” v. 35). The irony is sharp: a king who forbade food ends up presiding over blood guilt.
Church Fathers
• Augustine read the scene allegorically: Jonathan prefigures Christ
breaking death’s siege; Saul stands for the law without grace.
• Calvin warned pastors against “immoderate burdens” that drive people
into worse sin.
14 :36–46
When God answers no inquiry (v. 37) Saul assumes hidden sin and casts lots—Urim and Thummim or perhaps marked stones—to isolate the guilty. The lot singles out Jonathan. Saul is ready to execute him to keep face; the soldiers intervene: “He has worked with God today.” Popular intercession overrules royal rashness.
Cross-references
• Exodus 32 :11–14 – Moses intercedes, God’s wrath relents.
• 1 Timothy 2 :1 – “petitions, prayers, intercession” remain
crucial.
14 :47–52
The closing verses list Saul’s campaigns, family, and the perennial conflict with Philistia. The summary is mixed: external victories, internal cracks.
Theological thread
1 Samuel 13–14 paints a contrast:
• Jonathan—quiet trust leading to decisive action.
• Saul—impressive office masking insecure religion.
The Spirit whispers: choose faith that climbs, not vows that choke.
Cliff-Climbing Faith
Where are the “garrisons” that intimidate you? Pray Jonathan’s sentence
aloud. Seek a partner (an “armor-bearer”) and take the next obedient
step.
Watch Your Vows
Well-meant rules can eclipse grace. Ask: Does this practice serve God’s
honor or my image?
Taste the Honey
Schedule Sabbath moments even in battle seasons—small sweetnesses from
God to brighten weary eyes.
Intercede for the Rash
Like the soldiers who saved Jonathan, stand between harsh religion and
vulnerable people. Your words may break chains.
• Psalm 20 :7; Isaiah 31 :1 – Trusting God over resources.
• Proverbs 27 :7 – Honey imagery of satisfied souls.
• Hebrews 4 :14–16 – Our Jonathan-like High Priest who climbed the
ultimate cliff.
Lord of the cliffs and the honeycomb,
teach us Jonathan’s daring trust.
Deliver us from vows born of fear and ego.
Brighten our eyes with Your gracious sweetness,
and make us defenders of the innocent
against every rash word or rule.
Through Jesus Christ, who saved by the few—
nails, thorns, empty tomb—
Amen.