1 Samuel 13:15b-23
15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17 Then raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,
18 and another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”
20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.
21 The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the cattle goads.
22 So it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the gorge of Michmash.
In an Unfavorable Battle
Concerning the number of soldiers
After Samuel left Gilgal, Saul counted the men who remained with him and found there were only about 600. Initially, there were 3,000 men with him, which means that 2,400 men had left. In Saul’s army, there were two commanders: Saul and his son Jonathan. At this point, Jonathan had also joined Saul near Geba, close to Michmash. On the other hand, the Philistines boasted a plentiful army. They sent three raiding parties to the west, north, and south, further strengthening their forces. No matter how you look at it, this indeed was a losing battle for the Israelites.
Concerning weaponry
The Israelites were inferior to the Philistines not only in numbers, but also in terms of weaponry. The Philistines’ equipment reflected the Iron Age, while the Israelites’ gear was still in the Bronze Age. Regarding ironwork, the Philistines had implemented a clever strategy: (1) They monopolized blacksmiths, preventing the Israelites from making weapons. (2) Furthermore, they monopolized the manufacture of agricultural tools and charged high prices for repairs, demanding one pim (two-thirds of a shekel). (3) As a result, in Israel, only Saul and Jonathan had swords and spears; the rest of the men were left with primitive weapons. Saul, upon becoming a king, needed to address this situation urgently, but he failed to do so and engaged in war with the Philistines. This was a serious misjudgment on his part. It was a battle with little hope of victory, yet among the Israelite forces, there was a young man who embodied both courage and faith – Jonathan. We will go into details next time, but Jonathan was a person endowed with both the ability to make objective judgments and the gift of faith. The presence of one person of faith can significantly impact the fate of a group. Are you lamenting your situation and complaining about being in an unfavorable battle? Instead of trying to change others, let’s make the decision to become a person of faith like Jonathan.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, please change me first. Allow me to become your vessel that can give positive influence on those around me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.