This Article: (4 Pages)
- 1. The Events
- 2. Saved by few
- 3. The saviour and the Messiah
- 4. The one through whom comes... salvation is to die
3) The saviour and the Messiah
The parallel is that Messiah will gain the victory over the 'uncircumcised' oppressor, those without the Law who opposed Yahweh. Yeshua (Jesus) just like Jonathan knew that Yahweh would save by few (one) and that he himself was the means of salvation, but not the power of salvation.
The next events show a parallel. Saul the king, the representative of the priesthood and the six hundred see the events. Six hundred is the number of man. In this company of 'man' we see a powerless king and priesthood. They look the real thing, as Saul appeared the king of God's Kingdom at that time. But Yahweh is not with them. They ask direction of God but are given no answer. They try to become involved.
But it turns out others who are with the Philistines and those who went into hiding are to lead the victory rout instead.
Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. (1Samuel 14:21-22)
Whatever were Hebrews doing with the Philistines? It could only be because Saul had not shown real leadership and so his people had drifted. In any case Jonathan's actions were so decisive they could see who had the power of Yahweh with them. And they 'turned' or repented to follow the Israelites.
Note that it is clear that day that Saul and his select band of 600 did not save the people,
So Yahweh saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven (Heb: House of Vanity). (1Samuel 14:23)
In fact it turns out not only was Saul not leading to victory he was hindering the effort by imposing a foolish law.,
And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. (1Samuel 14:24-26)
The burden of the law
Just like Saul in the time of Yeshua the Jewish rulers had imposed on the people many burdens, none of which helped in the matter of salvation.
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. (1Samuel 14:27)Jonathan ate honeycomb (likened to the sweetness of the law and was enlightened)
The statutes of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahweh are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:8-10)
But the people rebuked Jonathan, just as they rebuked Yeshua, for breaking man's laws.
Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food this day. And the people were faint. Then said Jonathan, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? (1Samuel 14:28-30)
Jonathan could see the truth and like Yeshua he could see how the foolish man-made laws troubled the people. In fact Saul was to further trouble the people.
And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seems good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. (1Samuel 14:36-37)
We can note that Saul whose name means ('asked') looked like the servant of Yahweh, he offered sacrifices, but he had no power and Yahweh did not answer him. Saul had told Samuel as an excuse “I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering”, So in keeping the ritual Saul broke the commandments of Yahweh, just like the lawyers of Yeshua's day. Samuel (whose name means 'heard of God') had told Saul that
You have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of Yahweh thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Yahweh have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Yahweh has sought him a man after his own heart, and Yahwe has commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Yahweh commanded thee. (1Samuel 13:12-14)
So Saul looked like the servant but he was rejected from ruling Yahweh's people. In just such as a way the leaders of Yeshua's day were rejected,
He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. (Luke 20:16)
Saul therefore had no power to give victory over the forces of the uncircumcised. It had been taken from him. Jonathan had been the real captain that day, because Saul had not been a man “after Yahweh's heart”.
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As I was thinking to write this article, having just read Psalm 46 as I do each year on that day, on January 25th a Bible was found untouched after a tornado hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Yeshua's prophecy speaks of earthquakes in diverse places. Often people assume the prediction means an increase in quakes, but the prophecy does not require an increase statistical or in perception– but rather quakes in diverse places, those places not before known for quakes: quakes that are not on fault lines. Both the Haiti quake 12 January 2010 and the Christchurch quake on the 4 September 2010 were new faults, and there is an amazing symmetry. They speak of two churches.
This article is from the archives. It was written 20 years ago in January 1990. What is interesting is that history has borne out the understanding of the events then. From the vantage of 20 years we can look back and see how great the earthquake of the year 1989 was. Before 1988 was another world. The year 1990 is the beginning of our world as it is now.
Why did Israel have to buy and then fight for the promised land if it was promised to them? Why were they not just given it?
Just as Jewish families are each building their sukkah, many thousand families in the Asia-Pacific region will be similarly dwelling in temporary shelter, in some cases made of whatever they can find.
