We are still in Chapter 14 and Israel is at war with the Philistines. The Israelites won a great victory earlier in the chapter when Jonathan and his armor-bearer took brave action in faith and the Lord struck the Philistine army with panic. Now that the enemy is on the run, Israel has the upper hand. Saul wants to take advantage of this upper hand but he binds all his soldiers to an unwise oath.
"Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!' So none of the troops tasted food." (1 Samuel 14:24) He places his whole army on a mandatory fast under threat of death! Now, it would be one thing if the whole army had voluntarily decided, "We are going to observe a fast to the Lord at this time," although I doubt the Lord would have directed them to do such a thing in a time when they need every ounce of energy for battle. The Lord is far more interested in hearts that are yielded to Him than in outward displays of spirituality. For example, a person can observe a religious fast or attend a religious ceremony without being in the right spirit toward the Lord. Saul is not a particularly spiritual man but as a show of deference to the Lord he orders all his men not to eat, thinking this outward display of piety will "convince" the Lord to continue being gracious to the army.
"The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath." (1 Samuel 14:25-26) Imagine how hard it must have been to see the honey---a quick source of calories and energy---right in front of them but not being able to eat it even though their bellies are growling and their blood sugar is too low and they are feeling sick and faint with hunger! It's only because they know they will lose their lives that they are able to resist eating it. I had to fast before my medical procedure yesterday and my husband was careful not to eat anything in front of me the night before because he knew I couldn't eat. He got himself something at a fast food drive-thru and ate in his vehicle so I wouldn't even have to smell food. But here we have Saul's troops, who are fighting on his command, having to to see and smell food while not being able to have any of it because he foolishly placed them under a mandatory fast.
Earlier in our chapter Saul's son Jonathan sneaked away with his armor-bearer to plot and carry out an attack on a Philistine outpost. He isn't aware of his father's orders. "But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with an oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened." (1 Samuel 14:27) Jonathan does what anyone who is thinking logically would do. He's faint with hunger. There's a source of easily-digestible calories right in front of him. He eats the honey. The only reason the other men haven't eaten the honey is because Saul will kill them if they do. I can only assume that perhaps, when he made the oath, Saul had only been directing the battle and had not been fighting it. Or at least, he may not have been fighting as heartily as his men were. If Saul had been experiencing the faintness of low blood sugar then I have doubts that fasting would have come to his mind.
One of the soldiers nearby sees Jonathan eating the honey and realizes he doesn't know about Saul's oath. He is quick to inform Jonathan about it. "Then one of the soldiers told him, 'Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." (1 Samuel 14:28) Jonathan must have noticed that the men's energy is low but he probably assumed it was due to how fiercely they had been fighting. The soldier says, "No, they're about to drop like flies because they haven't had anything to eat!"
I can just feel the anger and frustration Jonathan is feeling when he says what he says next. He is indignant on behalf of the men who are giving everything they've got on the battlefield as they fight for their country. "Jonathan said, 'My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been greater?'" (1 Samuel 14:29-30) In my opinion, Jonathan would have made a far better king and army commander than Saul. Jonathan is a man of faith and a man of common sense, both of which are extremely valuable qualities in anyone. The Israelites have defeated many Philistine soldiers on this day but could have struck down far more if they'd had the strength some food would have given them. I am sure Saul didn't intend it this way, but by putting his men under a forced fast it's like he's punished them for their hard work instead of thanking and refreshing them.
Jonathan's words tell us that there were foods available to the army other than just the honey in the woods. The Israelite soldiers have taken the belongings of the Philistine soldiers as the spoils of war. And I am sure the Philistines were very well equipped with all sorts of food and drink, including a drink we've studied before called "wine vinegar" that can be compared to some of the sports drinks of today. It was usually supplied to the army because it helped to restore electrolyte levels in the body. But Saul prevented his men from eating or drinking any of the supplies they took from the Philistines and he forbade them to consume any food they found along the way.
So what does this mean for Jonathan? Will his father make an exception for him because he is his son or because he didn't know about the oath? No! Shockingly, no. As we continue moving through this chapter over the next couple of days we'll find Saul willing to put his own son to death. He'll be willing to do it is to save face, to make a show of power, to prove to the people that he doesn't say anything he doesn't mean, to show he doesn't play favorites---in other words, he's going to be led by his pride. But never fear, the Lord and the army of Israel will be looking out for Jonathan and he will be spared.
I suppose one of the main takeaways (for me, anyway) from today's text is that the Lord has blessed us with common sense and that He wants us to use it. Saul's behavior reminds me of the type of thing Jesus found hypocritical in the New Testament which is making a show of doing something religious while withholding mercy from one's fellow man. Saul owed his men a chance to refresh themselves but made a showy oath instead.
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