1 Samuel 14:16-30
There's mass confusion in the Philistine camp. Jonathan and his armor bearer have just wiped out a garrison of twenty Philistine soldiers, sending a wave up confusion and upheaval into the camp.
Saul sees this and decides to act quick. He lines up his troops and tells them to take a roll call. Saul discovers that Jonathan and his armor bearer are the ones who turn up missing. Saul asks Abijah - who is the priest right now - to intercede on account of Saul, to find out what God has to say in the matter. But, as the Philistine camp grows louder and louder, Saul doesn't have time to wait for a word from Abijah. He moves on.
Saul's Israelite army moves into Philistine territory, and they're awestruck at what they see. There's so much confusion in the camp that the Philistines are turning on each other. Swords are swinging wildly, and all the Hebrews who had either defected to the Philistines or hid in caves began returning to Saul's army. The number of troops grew that day from 600 to 10,000 strong.
Saul is gaining power, and victory is not enough. The Philistines have literally shot themselves in the feet, and are running away, but Saul wants more. He wants more Philistine blood. To make matters worse, he puts the whole army under an oath. He commands, "No one is to eat anything until evening, after I avenge my enemies!"
Jonathan isn't around to hear the curse Saul puts on the army, and he finds a honeycomb. He dips his staff into it to get some nourishment, and energy returns to his aching body. He's renewed and ready to go. When a soldier finds Jon eating, he tells him of the oath his father put on the army. Jon thinks it's a bad idea. He tells the soldier, "My father's made a mistake. Doesn't he see all the soldiers falling out? They're starving!"
The author tells us that God saved Israel that day. Not Saul. Not Jonathan.
God saved in spite of Saul and Jonathan's intense thirst for revenge. When revenge and resentment soak into the desires of the heart, we take battles into our own hands. Seeking God's direction becomes an afterthought.
God's instruction and counsel has been absent since Saul first went against what he agreed to with Samuel. From that point on, Saul's been his own counselor. He's sought his own guidance.
Still, God saves Israel.
Did God command Jon to slaughter the Philistine garrison? No. Did God command Saul to go after the Philistine camp? No. Did they both do it in the name of God? Yes.
This story is the epitome of the human condition of revenge. The feeling of resentment and retaliation becomes so strong that we use the name of God in war. We believe that we're justified in going after our enemies because we feel so strongly that there's no other way.
The author doesn't say that God promoted the conquering of either side. The author says that God saved Israel in spite of the revenge that Saul and Jon sought. When revenge and resentment are present in the heart, it becomes so strong and so emotional that we can actually believe that God is leading us to straighten out our enemies.
Do we not see this same story playing out in the world today? The Zionists go to any length to protect Israel, even if it means harming the Palestinians - in the name of God. Conservative, fundamentalists Muslims go to any length to carry out jihad - in the name of God. American presidents for years have been sending in troops to war-ridden countries to implement democracy - in the name God.
The story we find in 1 Samuel is the story we find today. When anger, resentment, and revenge infiltrate the belief systems of individuals and institutions, the act of war becomes justifiably holy and righteous. One side has a lesson to give the other. One side is right, and the other is wrong. The name of God is used as fuel for the fire, but the author tells us that God has an agenda that's set apart from the human condition of revenge. God works on a different plane. God is in the business of saving, redeeming, and rescuing everyone, not just who we think is against us.
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