Jonathan is again the man of faith. Of his father it is said that he tarried under a pomegranate tree with the remnant of his weaponless army, while the Philistines were but a short distance away. Saul had with him, too, the priest, Eli's grandson, Ahiah, later called Ahimelech; he was afterwards killed by Saul's orders (chapter 22:10-19 ) .
To neither of these, Jonathan told the purpose he had formed, of attacking the enemy with his armorbearer. His trust was in the living God, and he very likely knew that his father would be a hindrance rather than a help.
We do not have faith by the natural birth, but by a new birth which is of God, by His Spirit and His Word. Faith counts upon God alone; He is its resource, and so we presently see in Jonathan's case,
"It may be," said Jonathan to his armorbearer, "that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." These are inspiring words, and betoken a soul which looked to God for direction and help.
The sign that Jonathan asked for, being given, he said to his companion,
"Come up after me, for the Lord path delivered them into the hand of Israel."
This was true faith; would that more of it were seen today!
Climbing up over the rocks, the two men reached the Philistine garrison, and in a short time 20 of them fell before them. Now came one of these marvelous interventions of God in behalf of His people, for the enemy's hosts were utterly shaken, trembling, and presently fell to killing one another, and the earth quaked besides.
Learning of the commotion among the Philistines from his watchmen, Saul now discovered that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing. He would ask direction from God through the priest, but as the tumult among the Philistines increased, Saul and all that were with him went to the place, and found that every man was fighting with his fellow. The Hebrews who had been with the Philistines in their camp, now joined with those in the company of Saul and Jonathan, and they who hid in Mount Ephraim came out to join the rest in slaughtering the fleeing enemy. Thus God gave victory where defeat seemed to nature's view, certain.
Saul, ignorant of God as we have before noticed, hindered the battle by keeping the people from food through the day. His thoughts rose no higher than himself, as his words show (verse 24); "that I may be avenged on mine enemies." Truly did his son say (verse 29), "My father hath troubled the land." Saul, in spite of his religiousness, for we read of his here building an altar to God, was no help to the people who had so gladly made him their king. He would even Lave had Jonathan put to death, to whom ruder God the victory was due, had not the people prevented him, and so having proposed to follow the Philistines by night, he finally allowed them to escape to their own place.
Verses 47-51 are a summary of Saul's career as king, including the names of his children, his wife and the captain of his host. The closing verse of our chapter shows Saul building up his army with strong and brave men, but tells nothing of any change in the man himself. We are not even told that he thanked God for the great victory over the Philistines of which this chapter tells.