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Jonathan's Victory · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer,
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  Speaker 1: and said, Come up to us, and we will show
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  Speaker 1: you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come
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  Speaker 1: up after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into
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  Speaker 1: the hand of Israel. 1 Samuel 14.12 Dear Lord, Today
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  Speaker 1: I ask that you give me the courage of Jonathan,
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  Speaker 1: who was able to see victory in a seemingly impossible situation,
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  Speaker 1: when the odds seem stacked against me, I choose to
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  Speaker 1: see myself overcoming all challenges that are before me. Whether
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  Speaker 1: two or two thousand, I will move with precision and
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  Speaker 1: execute my plan of attack, knowing that your hand of
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  Speaker 1: favor is upon me and all those who are fighting
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  Speaker 1: alongside me to claim the territory and promises you've laid
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  Speaker 1: before us. The day of vindication and validation, is upon me.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, God, that through you and your power, no
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  Speaker 1: weapon formed against me will prosper. When prideful people in
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  Speaker 1: positions of influence try to abuse their power and try
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  Speaker 1: to strike down my ideas and purpose, I declare that
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  Speaker 1: you will surround me with men and women of influence
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  Speaker 1: who will protect my post, as the soldiers did for Jonathan.
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  Speaker 1: I announce today that I am your person. I am
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  Speaker 1: the one you've chosen to step into new camps and
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  Speaker 1: doors of opportunities. I am victorious. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
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  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Jonathan's Victory In our last story, we learned of Saul's
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  Speaker 2: pride and disobedience. Although he claimed many victories, his attitude
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  Speaker 2: against God was muddied by his own pride and anxiety.
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  Speaker 2: Now we peer into the heart of Jonathan, Saul's son.
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  Speaker 2: His bravery and resolve to do what is right is
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  Speaker 2: contrasted against Saul's descending heart. Inspired by the book.
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: Of 1 Samuel, Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: of the Bible in a Year podcast. But before we begin,
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: I want to let you know about a unique e-book
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: that's yours to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: Free from Stress. And my prayer is that it will
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: help you conquer the daily tasks and pressures and burdens
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: that bring stress in your life. Download your free copy
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: of Breaking Free from Stress today by visiting jackgraham.org slash stress.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: That's jackram.org slash stress. In our previous story, we heard
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  Speaker 3: of Saul's growing pride and how it led him to
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  Speaker 3: dishonor God with a thoughtless, disobedient sacrifice. When confronted by
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  Speaker 3: Samuel about his disobedience, Saul chose to make excuses and
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  Speaker 3: attempted to justify himself rather than repenting and seeking God's forgiveness.
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  Speaker 3: This would tragically become a pattern in the life of Saul.
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  Speaker 3: Today we'll see a contrast to this prideful and insecure
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  Speaker 3: king in his own son, Jonathan. We'll hear how Jonathan
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  Speaker 3: faces the Philistines and emerges victorious, while Saul struggles to
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  Speaker 3: do things his own way, causing his own men to
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  Speaker 3: suffer unnecessarily. Father and son will clash, and loyalties will
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  Speaker 3: be tested. Let's listen now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: The camp of Israel was still. Preparations for battle were
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  Speaker 2: almost complete. and the men waited silently in their tents
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  Speaker 2: for orders. In his tent, Saul stood in his own
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  Speaker 2: self-loathing because of what Samuel had said. Would his kingdom
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  Speaker 2: be taken away from him so soon? Saul thought to himself. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 2: Saul's son Jonathan beckoned his armor-bearer and said, Let us
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  Speaker 2: go over the other side of the hill to the
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  Speaker 2: Philistine camp. Perhaps there are weaknesses we are unaware of.
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  Speaker 2: So Jonathan and his servant crossed over the hill silently,
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  Speaker 2: for Jonathan did not desire for any attention or objections.
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  Speaker 2: They climbed over the rocky hill and hid under one
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  Speaker 2: of the crags beside a rock. There they could see
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  Speaker 2: the Philistine camp going about their business. The sun was
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  Speaker 2: making its descent and the soldiers were getting ready for
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  Speaker 2: the night to fall. Jonathan peered at the Philistine garrison.
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  Speaker 2: There were about 20 men standing on the outskirts of
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  Speaker 2: the rest of the camp. He did not see them
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  Speaker 2: as others did. While others trembled at their numbers, Jonathan
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  Speaker 2: saw men too consumed with their own wickedness to fight bravely.
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  Speaker 2: He knew that the Lord would go before them. Jonathan
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  Speaker 2: and the armor-bearer crouched silently under the rock. Jonathan turned
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  Speaker 2: to his armor-bearer and whispered, Perhaps God will work for
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  Speaker 2: us this day. If God wants victory, he shall get it.
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  Speaker 2: It does not matter whether it is two men or
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  Speaker 2: two thousand. His armor-bearer looked at Jonathan and nodded. I
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  Speaker 2: am with you, heart and soul. The two smiled and
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  Speaker 2: stood upright for the Philistines to see them. They sauntered
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  Speaker 2: into camp and the Philistine soldiers noticed them approaching. The
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  Speaker 2: Philistines were not threatened in the least by Jonathan and
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  Speaker 2: his servant. Hebrews, they laughed. Come on over here, Hebrews.
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  Speaker 2: We will show you around. The Philistines cackled and spat
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  Speaker 2: on the floor. Jonathan and the armor-bearer walked slowly. Jonathan
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  Speaker 2: could feel the favor of God in that place. To him,
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  Speaker 2: it was only a matter of swinging his axe.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord would do the rest.
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  Speaker 2: God is before us, Jonathan said, and the two leapt
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  Speaker 2: into the group of men. Jonathan swung his axe with decisiveness,
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  Speaker 2: with his armor-bearer fighting beside him. The two of them
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  Speaker 2: fought off the advances of twenty men. Metal clashed against metal,
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  Speaker 2: and Jonathan struck down every man that ran towards them.
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  Speaker 2: The two of them danced with their blades, and the
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  Speaker 2: rest of the Philistines scattered in confusion. Darkness began to
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  Speaker 2: settle into the sky, and all of a sudden the
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  Speaker 2: Philistines began to fight one another in confusion. They thought
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  Speaker 2: they were under attack by over a hundred men, so
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  Speaker 2: they stumbled into each other's swords. The watchmen of Israel
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  Speaker 2: could see a restlessness in the Philistine camp below. They
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  Speaker 2: brought word to Saul, and he had his men count
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  Speaker 2: to see who was missing from among them. Jonathan and
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  Speaker 2: his armor-bearer, they reported. So Saul rallied the rest of
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  Speaker 2: the army, and the entirety of Israel's army stormed the
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  Speaker 2: Philistine camp. The battle stretched for miles as Philistines scattered
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  Speaker 2: in a thousand different directions. Confusion and hysteria overcame the Philistines,
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  Speaker 2: for they were caught completely off guard. Some of the
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  Speaker 2: surrounding villages caught word that the Philistines were running away,
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  Speaker 2: so they sent some of their soldiers to join the
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  Speaker 2: Israelite army. God had used Jonathan to scatter the Philistines,
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  Speaker 2: and one by one they fell at his feet. So
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  Speaker 2: the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed
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  Speaker 2: beyond Bethlehem. There were still a vast number of Philistines
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  Speaker 2: to be slain. Saul, in a rash moment of passion,
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  Speaker 2: gave orders for the men to not eat until every
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  Speaker 2: Philistine had been killed. He wanted to incentivize his soldiers,
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  Speaker 2: but instead he left them without fuel or energy for battle. Jonathan, however,
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  Speaker 2: continued to eat. He would snack on honey to replenish
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  Speaker 2: his energy and then return to the battlefield for more victory.
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  Speaker 2: Eat and be filled, Jonathan said to his men. Look
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  Speaker 2: at me, I have eaten and now have the strength
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  Speaker 2: to continue. So Jonathan had his men eat the food
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  Speaker 2: they found in the Philistine camp. Saul soon realized that
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  Speaker 2: his men were growing weaker by the hour, so he
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  Speaker 2: ordered for a feast to be prepared to serve the
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  Speaker 2: men before sending them out again to raid the Philistine cities.
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  Speaker 2: He discovered that Jonathan had been feasting on honey and
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  Speaker 2: giving some to his men as well. Saul's pride sparked
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  Speaker 2: rage inside of him.' What have you done?' Saul yelled.
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  Speaker 2: Jonathan was breathing heavily from battle. He looked closely at
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  Speaker 2: his father. He was growing mad. He could see it
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  Speaker 2: in his eyes. Saul was becoming irresponsible, and his mind
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  Speaker 2: was fogged. Jonathan did not know at this time that
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  Speaker 2: God's favor had been removed from him. Jonathan stood up
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  Speaker 2: straight and said, I ate honey. Jonathan stretched out his
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  Speaker 2: arms and said, Here I am. If I must die,
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  Speaker 2: then so be it. Saul's brow furrowed. and his mouth
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  Speaker 2: tensed up with anger. He pointed to his son and said,
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  Speaker 2: You shall die for it! And Saul lifted his sword
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  Speaker 2: to strike down his son. In that instant, the soldiers
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  Speaker 2: surrounded Jonathan and said, You shall not harm one hair
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  Speaker 2: on his head, for he is the one who has
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  Speaker 2: worked out this salvation for Israel. The soldiers formed a
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  Speaker 2: wall between Saul and Jonathan. In that instant, Saul knew
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  Speaker 2: that he was no longer king. Entitled, yes, but he
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  Speaker 2: did not have the hearts of his men.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins on a battlefield. It's a fight with
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  Speaker 3: the Philistines. But rather than being focused on the enemy
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  Speaker 3: at hand, Saul is sulking, licking his wounds after Samuel's chastisement.
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  Speaker 3: He's finally coming into his own. as king, and now
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  Speaker 3: God has told him his days as leader are numbered.
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  Speaker 3: His son Jonathan, on the other hand, isn't interested in
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  Speaker 3: fame or glory, but in the battle that was in
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  Speaker 3: front of him and how the Philistine army might be defeated.
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  Speaker 3: He quietly sneaks away with his armor bearer into the
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  Speaker 3: Philistine camp, confident that God can give him victory if
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  Speaker 3: that is his will. Listen to the words of Jonathan
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  Speaker 3: in 1 Samuel 14, 6. Come, let us go over
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  Speaker 3: to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that
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  Speaker 3: the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder
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  Speaker 3: the Lord from saving by many or by a few.
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  Speaker 3: Jonathan realized something that we all should remember. When something
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  Speaker 3: is God's will, nothing can stop it. Centuries later, the
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  Speaker 3: Apostle Paul would write in Romans chapter 8, If God
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  Speaker 3: is for us, who can be against us? So Jonathan
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  Speaker 3: and his armor-bearer face off against 20 Philistines and defeat them.
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  Speaker 3: This sends fear throughout the Philistine camp, and soldiers begin
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  Speaker 3: to scatter in confusion. This clash catches the attention of
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  Speaker 3: the Israelites, and soon word reaches Saul that Jonathan— and
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  Speaker 3: his armor-bearer are missing. No doubt Saul did not want
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  Speaker 3: his son Jonathan to get credit for the victory, so
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  Speaker 3: he marshals his troops for battle. He even calls for
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  Speaker 3: the ark to be brought, but this was no act
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  Speaker 3: of devotion on Saul's part. While Saul maintained an outward
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  Speaker 3: appearance of piety and righteousness, his heart was really focused
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  Speaker 3: on his own glory and power. Once again, Saul acts impatiently,
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  Speaker 3: and Israel goes into battle against the confused Philistines. Many
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  Speaker 3: of their enemies are defeated, but not all. Still, Israel
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  Speaker 3: was saved that day because of Jonathan's courage and action.
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  Speaker 3: And this didn't go unnoticed by the people. Saul isn't
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  Speaker 3: satisfied with the results of the battle, and he wants
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  Speaker 3: to keep going until all the Philistines are defeated. So
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  Speaker 3: he issues a ridiculous command that no sensible commander would
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  Speaker 3: dare give to his men. He vows that no man
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  Speaker 3: will eat until every Philistine is dead. As you would expect,
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  Speaker 3: this foolish command weakens the men, and they are not
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  Speaker 3: strong enough to face a powerful enemy. But Jonathan, wise Jonathan,
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  Speaker 3: does not allow the restrictions to apply to him, and
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  Speaker 3: he nourishes himself with honey. He has his men also
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  Speaker 3: eat from food in the Philistine camp. So Saul finally relents.
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  Speaker 3: He throws a feast for the people so they can
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  Speaker 3: be strengthened for battle. By now he's all about the
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  Speaker 3: grand gestures and displays of his personal power. His terrible
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  Speaker 3: leadership is on full display. But when he discovers Jonathan
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  Speaker 3: has Eden despite the prohibition, Saul confronts his son. Jonathan,
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  Speaker 3: rather than making excuses or hiding the truth, comes clean
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  Speaker 3: with no apologies. But he also submits to whatever punishment
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  Speaker 3: would come his way, including death. Jonathan is a clear
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  Speaker 3: contrast to his father. Jonathan is humble and committed to
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  Speaker 3: the Lord, willing to own his actions. And when Saul
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  Speaker 3: tries to kill his own son to show Israel that
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  Speaker 3: he's the man in charge, the people stand up for
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  Speaker 3: Jonathan and will not allow it. Saul, for all of
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  Speaker 3: his posturing and pride, had lost the command of his people,
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  Speaker 3: just as God said he would. Dear God, help us
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  Speaker 3: to be a man like Jonathan, humble and always trusting
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  Speaker 3: in you and willing to make decisions that honor you.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for his example in this story today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: Before we go, I want to let you know about
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: a unique ebook that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: that it will help you conquer the daily task and
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's JackGraham.org slash stress.