Journal Through the Bible: Week 38 Friday

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I Samuel 14:15-52

Saul's son, Jonathan, and Jonathan's armor bearer won a great victory against the Philistines. While they were away fighting, Saul pronounced a foolish curse upon anyone who ate that day. This made the people weak and hungry. But Jonathan, who had not heard the curse, ate of the honey that was dripping from the trees. The result of this curse was that the people killed sheep and oxen won from the Philistines and ate them without regard for the commands in the law that state the proper manner of disposing of the animal blood. Another result is that Saul would have slain Jonathan for eating the honey except that the people protected him from his father. Because of the vow and Jonathan's ignorant sin, the LORD would not answer Saul's question concerning further pursuit of the Philistines. The battle ended prematurely and the Hebrews went home.  He turned his attentions then to throwing off the yokes of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zobah and Amalek.

Does God issue any commands?

• God does not speak in this passage.

Does God make any promises?

• God does not speak.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• Jonathan is a godly man but he sins ignorantly not knowing that his own father had pronounced a curse upon all who would eat anything that day. Jesus never sinned ignorantly but He took the curse that His Father pronounced upon the world. The curse that Saul pronounced upon the Hebrews was foolish but the curse that God pronounced upon mankind is justified. The death of the beloved son was the penalty in each situation. In Jonathan's case, his sentence was not carried out because the people demanded it not be. In Jesus' case, His sentence was carried out because the people demanded it.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• None that I identified.