Faith That Shakes the Enemy.

Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

1 Samuel 14:1

Meanwhile…

And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron:* and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.   1 Samuel 14:2-3

So, Jonathan prepared to go up…

through a passage framed by two sharp rocks…

And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez*, and the name of the other Seneh.*

The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.    1 Samuel 14:4-5

With a heart full of faith…

and confidence in the Living God…

Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour…

Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised:

it may be that the LORD will work for us:

for there is no restraint to the LORD

to save by many or by few.

And his armourbearer said unto him…

Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee;

behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

Privily, they planned a strategy…

to undertake the challenge…

Then said Jonathan…

Behold, we will pass over unto these men,

and we will discover ourselves unto them.

If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you;

then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

But if they say thus, Come up unto us;

then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them

into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

Cautiously, they advanced…

And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing.

And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer…

Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them

into the hand of Israel.

Courageous. Valiant. Strong.

Jonathan was moved to ACTION…

And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. 1 Samuel 14:6-14

So effective was their assault…

the Philistines trembled …

And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled,

And the earth shook…

and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.  1 Samuel 14:15

And God delivered them over to fear and confusion…

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

So the LORD saved Israel that day:

and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

1 Samuel 14:16, 19-20, 23

And so the enemy was overcome…

through the FAITH and fearless efforts…

       of Jonathan and his loyal armorbearer.

Two courageous, willing hearts…

advancing against an enemy stronghold…

Strong. Valiant. Brave. Heroic.

The heart of FAITH…

Knows NO LIMITATIONS…

It only knows…

GOD DELIVERS!

*Of special note:  I found it interesting that the sharp rocks were actually named…so I looked up their meanings:

Bozez= mud; bog.

Salneh= brambles; enemy.

For further consideration…the place  where Saul tarried…Migron, it means FEAR.