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Failure of Saul & the deliverer Jonathan: The redemption pattern

6th September 2009, hej

 

4) The one through whom comes salvation is to die

We can note that Saul proposed to fight in the dark. He said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night”. Night is associated with lack of knowledge. He is like the leaders of the Jews in Yeshua's day who fought Rome's influences without knowledge of the light. Saul is so lacking in knowledge he thinks if he does not hear from his God it is due to someone else's sin.

And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin has been this day. (1Samuel 14:38)

Saul picks on the chief of the people. He's looking for a leader to convict of sin to justify the fact Yahweh no longer spoke to him (even though Saul must have known Samuel had meant what he had said). Saul calls on Yahweh and said publicly,

For, as Yahweh lives, which saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. (1Samuel 14:39)

This can be paralleled with what the chief priest did in Yeshua's day. Just like Saul, they were sure they were right in killing Yeshua.

Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. (John 18:13-14)

We note next that Saul cast lots before Yahweh,

Therefore Saul said unto Yahweh God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. (1Samuel 14:41-42)

Jonathan was chosen by no less than Yahweh in this case to die. This should give us pause. Saul's interpretation of Yahweh's law had condemned Jonathan to die. But Yahweh himself selected Jonathan to die. In addition Jonathan recognised Saul's oath, and submitted to the ruling.

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die. (1Samuel 14:43)

Jonathan did not protest, rather he admitted the fault and said 'lo I must die'. There is no record he argued more than this. We can see the parallel, just as Jonathan ate of the honey, Yeshua 'ate' of the law of liberty and freed people and enlightened them. Due to this he was condemned to death. Saul calls on God just as the chief Jews did, who told Pilate

“We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God”. (John 19:7)

Saul condemns his own son, and incidentally his own saviour.

And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shall surely die, Jonathan. (1Samuel 14:44)

We can't ponder why Yahweh caused the lot to fall to Jonathan and why he accepted it, just as we can't know what would have happened if Yeshua was not obedient, or what would have happened if Judas had not betrayed Yeshua. Both were messy situations where wilful humans seemed to be in control, but we can see Yahweh was working in events. Jonathan's name means 'Yahweh's gift', and the salvation that day had been Yahweh's. Jonathan was a gift to the nation of Israel, yet he was, by the law set up by Saul, to die.

And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. (1Samuel 14:45)

Here the parallel with the redemption pattern departs a bit as Jonathan was not actually killed. He is, however, 'resurrected' by the people's knowledge of his deeds. In Yeshua's case he was resurrected by the power of Yahweh due to his obedience unto death. Jonathan, by contrast, was saved that day by his faith which allowed Yahweh to work in him.


The pattern is not exact, but we can see parallels to Yeshua's work. Jonathan 'Yahweh's gift' or 'grace', is the captain bringing salvation. Saul was like the leaders of Israel, who had failed to know Yahweh's heart, and could not point the way to salvation. Just as Saul in misunderstanding the service to Yahweh, had condemned Jonathan, in the same way the rejected leaders of Israel had condemned Yeshua to die, as he broke their 'law'. And in all of the events Yahweh Elohim knew and caused it to be written for our salvation.


Victory won, but the foe not yet vanquished

This is not quite the end to the parallel. After the figurative 'resurrection' of Jonathan, Saul gives up the idea of fighting the Philistines, as it was not his battle.

Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place. (1Samuel 14:46)

This parallels how after Yeshua's resurrection the system of priesthood in Judea had no longer any authority, as the sacrifices that they made that had been fulfilled by the one that was to take away sins.


But yet the Philistines had been put in their place. The victory was won, but the foe not yet vanquished. The existence of such as the uncircumcised Philistines who have no wish to serve Yahweh will not end until the end,

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1Corinthians 15:24-26)


for more The Redeemer in the Book of Ruth

The pattern of The Carpenter

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