God's Spiritual Judgment

God’s Spiritual Judgment / a daily word

World leaders blocking of God’s Glory

“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..........”

So Jonathan would be the best friend of David, much like John the Baptist was a ‘friend’ of Jesus (loving Him,doing the will of His father by proclaiming the coming of God’s Son) and Jonathan left his father Saul without telling him. Saul was appointed by God to be Captain (governor/government) over the Israelites in response to their rebellion against being governed by God, Himself.  Saul was also depicted as being an example of the most upstanding of men;

“Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.1 Samuel 9:2

And yet this best of men was to reveal the spirit of Israel’s rebellion against God.  

“......And 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.....”

Jonathan is telling his armor  bearer that God is not restrained to save by many or few even without the guidance of those appointed to lead them. Biblical stories and characters are spiritual so I’m thinking that this passage is telling me, so far, that God is not restrained to reveal those He has saved many or few even against the guidance of ‘spiritual’ teachers (who are an anathema in the days of God’s judgment).

“So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.”

“....And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.....”

Again, this being a spiritual story Saul prevented his people from eating spiritual food (the Word of God) until he had his way, until they ate it in his time, in his way. He demanded that he be the intermediary between each believer and God by requiring them to help him fulfill his works gospel of conquering the Philistines, though God would do it Himself through His beloved Jonathan.

“.....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.....”

Just like in Judges 11:30 when Jephthah made a vow to God, to barter with Him regarding the winning of a battle instead of turning to God alone for help, Saul’s forcing the oath of his people was an attempt to turn the glory of victory away from God and towards himself.

“But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath:”

Spiritually, Jonathan heard not the oath because he was unable to countenance the unbelieving works gospel of Saul, a works gospel that depended on Saul, himself along with the agreement of his followers. Jonathan, instead, sought out God and His Word himself, (represented by the honey) depending on his personal relationship with God.

“....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.....”

God fed Jonathan through the authority of salvation in God (the scepter) which God gave Jonathan to use by the choice of Jonathan’s own hand. A picture of the power of the intimate relationship with God and each believer in their witness in the world.

“.....Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.....”

The people were faint in the presence of someone defying the directions of a “leader” (teacher, pastor etc) because they have chosen to follow men, instead of God. Their fainting might be placed in a similar category as the gnashing of teeth.

To me there is a special application of this “fainting” in the recent fear mongering of the nations, politicians, medical and pharmaceutical industry regarding the fear mongering of the public in their attempts to control the public in the wearing of masks and forced medical procedures.

 There are believers who are not  influenced by the fear mongering to the point they are able to see all the mixed messages and propaganda in the ongoing campaign to socially control and corral the populations of the world.

When a believer behaves in a way that reflects a dependence on their personal relationship with God, unbelievers in their presence experience God’s judgment and those sheep (believers) who witness it and are invisible to the world  believers, are fed.

“Then said Jonathan, My father hath 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?”      1 Samuel 14:1,6,23-30

A believer may eat directly of the honey of God’s Word. Beware of those who place doctrinal conditions on those who eat.