And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. (1 Samuel 14:24-27)
‘...and his countenance brightened’. This last sentence has other translations, like ‘and his eyes were enlightened’. The Word has funny ways to call our attention to the simplest sentences. It turns out that this episode is pregnant with interesting insights.
After Sha’ul (Saul) disobeyed Yahuah’s orders for the second time in Gibeah, he was ripped off of Yahuah’s favor and Prophet Shamu’el (Samuel) gave him the judgement: Yahuah would choose another man, more deserving than him, to be the king of the Israelites. Understandably, Sha’ul wanted to make amends with the Father. He realized after his disobedience that he had been abandoned, but he still felt that he could do something about it and if only he could show his dedication to Yahuah, he would be forgiven.
Meanwhile, his son Yonathan (Jonathan) was strong in his faith and asked his servant to go only the two of them to the Philistine’s camp. His faith was so strong that he told his servant that the number of men didn’t matter in face of Yahuah’s power. His servant was also faithful and trusted his master. Yonathan further told his partner to wait for a sign that Yahuah would deliver the enemies and Yahuah so did. As the two started fighting against the Philistines and slaying every single one of them, his father Sha’ul went with the small army to their support and the energy was so great that the earth trembled, calling every Israelite in the region to battle - therefore helping Yonathan and his servant in what became an amazing victory.
Back in the camp everyone was understandably tired and hungry and looking forward to some good grilled meat and wine. But Sha’ul, desperate for Yahuah’s forgiveness, decided that his people should fast until evening instead and cursed anyone who tasted any food before all enemies were subdued. The people were so afraid of the curse that they did obey Sha’ul, even when they saw delicious honey drop in front of them in the forest. But not Yonathan, who ignorant of his father’s curse, stick his staff in the honey and did taste it. The honey did more than satisfy his human body, it brought him enlightenment.
What can be missed when mindlessly reading this passage is the meaning of Yonathan’s experience. Sha’ul’s curse represented here the Old Covenant, the ‘salvation through works’ and suffering to be deserving of the love of Yahuah. While the Israelites were indeed instructed to follow the Torah before Yahusha Ha’Mashiach, his Gospel, or ‘the Good News’ was the sweet nourishment of our spirit, here represented by honey – which was available for all. Still, the Israelites preferred to obey a man-made instruction and refrained from enjoying what the Father gave into their hands.
When warned by the people of his father’s curse, Yonathan, still under the influence of the Ruach Ha’Qodesh, answered his fellow Israelites that they would feel better if they would eat instead of fighting on an empty stomach.
But Yonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?” (1Samuel 14:29-30)
Was Sha’ul’s harsh order reasonable? Yonathan shows us that his father’s ways were vain and not surprisingly in the evening, when people were finally allowed to eat, they were so famished that they attacked the animals and ate them with the blood and possibly even raw - a clear transgression of Yahuah’s law. What made people think that Sha’ul’s order was more important that Yahuah’s?
So the people were very faint. And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against Yahuah by eating with the blood!” (1Samuel 14:31-33)
Like many other parts of the Old Testament, the references of Yahusha (Jesus) are clear. How many of the Jewish people refused the Gospel (the sweet honey) to continue following man-made orders and to this day follow a strict Old Testament routine. Some self-proclaimed Hebrews, while not denying the divinity of Yahusha, seem to reduce Yahusha’s role by focusing on the obedience to the Torah. As much as I do believe the 10 commandments remain valid, the obedience is a natural process after Yahuah decides to save us, thus absolute nothing regarding salvation can depend on what we do after Yahusha, otherwise his death would be pointless. The episode of Yonathan eating honey is a clear reference to the world after the Son of Yahuah changed the course of history.
Other details in this passage are not there by chance either: Yonathan could have eaten honey with his hands, but he used his rod, or his staff. The staff is a symbol of authority, or comfort (Psalm 23), of our rest through Yahusha’s leadership – it ultimately refers to the Resurrection. Yonathan was enlightened by what represented the Word, the rest that Yahusha brought to all of us. After Yahusha’s sacrifice, we could finally rest. There is nothing we need to do to gain the Father’s favor anymore, salvation is guaranteed to those who Yahuah chooses to give his grace. His grace is undeserved and our best work will be never closely comparable to what Yahusha did on the Calvary.
While Sha’ul could not acknowledge how worthless his sacrifice was, Yonathan accepted the Good News and rested in the New Covenant that would only come to be later, with the Messiah.
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