Saul was a mess. He started with 3000 men to battle the Philistines. Now he had 600 men left and he hadn’t even fought one Philistine yet. Most of his men had just lost faith in him and bolted. They were hiding in pits, and caves and in the mountains. Saul hadn’t been king that long but he had already lost the kingdom. Just this morning after waiting seven days for Samuel the man of God to come, Saul had taken matters into his own hands. Sure he knew only anointed prophets or priests were supposed to offer the burnt offering and fellowship offerings at Gilgal. But why not? After all, he Saul, was a king. A mighty fine one at that. No other man in Israel was taller or more handsome. Most importantly, no other man had been selected by God himself to be Israel’s first king. Plus, he was anointed, didn’t Samuel himself anoint him with oil that other day? So Saul had gone ahead and offered up the sacrifice!
Well, that didn’t go down very well with Samuel or even with God, the real King. Samuel had informed him that another man had already been chosen to replace him. And all this whilst they were waiting to attack (or more likely be attacked by) the mighty Philistine army. How many were they in the enemy camp? 3000? 30,000? So many chariots, so many soldiers, so many swords and spears. By contrast his men only had two swords between him and all 600 of them! He had one sword and his son, Jonathan had the other. Dear Jonathan! Wait, what was that sound? Was that really the enemy fleeing? How?!
Saul later learnt that his brave son Jonathan had gone into the Philistine camp accompanied by just one officer. Yet with his faith in the All-powerful God and a single sword, Jonathan killed 20 Philistine soldiers within a brief period. God caused panic in the Philistine army and they started killing each other and running helter skelter. Saul and his 600 men were able to charge the confused enemies and destroy them. The remaining Israelite soldiers and even the ones who had defected joined in the victorious battle against the Philistines. Somehow in the midst of chaos, on what could have been the very worst day ever, God turned things around for Saul and the Israelite army. God was showing himself to be indeed the All-powerful God of angel armies.
From the book of 1 Samuel chapter 14 in the Bible.
unfetteredconviction 