Anointed: A Study in 1 SamuelSample

What does it say?

Although Jonathan didn’t hear Saul’s command for his men not to eat until evening, he didn’t defend his actions when he was confronted. However, the people spared his life.

What does it mean?

Saul was hasty in his decree that the troops should abstain from eating until evening. Jonathan was unaware of Saul’s decision and ate wild honey in the forest. Later, Saul built his first altar to the Lord, but God was silent. After further investigation, Jonathan’s violation of Saul’s command was revealed. The penalty was death. Jonathan accepted it without argument; he did not defend himself nor did he criticize Saul’s decision. However, Israel did defend Jonathan. His reputation spoke for itself, and the people overwhelmingly supported him. Jonathan trusted his life to God and it was spared.

How should I respond?

Have you ever found yourself at odds with someone in a position of authority over you? It might have been the result of a misunderstanding, a false accusation, or a disagreement over a performance standard. Whatever the cause, you may feel a need to defend yourself by criticizing your authority or the standard you failed to meet. However, God desires for us to respect our authorities, even when we disagree (Romans 13:1-4). How might you be dishonoring an authority in order to redeem your reputation? If something has caused a rift, talk it out calmly and privately. If you end each day with a clear conscience, you can entrust your reputation to the Lord.