Is It Worth It?

 1 Samuel 14:37

"So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will You give them into Israel's hands?" But God did not answer him that day."

The post context is taken from 1 Samuel 14:24-28. 

It's about Saul leading his men into war with the Philistines and then Jonathan eating honey. 

This story has always been one heavily contemplated by me because I never really got the moral of it before.

It stated that Saul called a fast. This was nothing new to the men nor Saul because based on reading up on him, he always called a fast when it came to doing something drastic.

The scripture continued saying that the men were faintish and Jonathan not hearing that his father had proclaimed this fast ate some honey.

It said that he was immediately refreshed and even offered the men some, but was shot down when one of them told him the fast his father had called.

1 Samuel 14:29-30 

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 would it have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they have taken from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been greater?"

In the verse above you see Jonathan basically undermining his father's authority and planting in the head of the other soldiers this way of thinking. 

Here they were weak and the son of their authoritative figure telling them that they should have disobeyed his father, their leader. Then, maybe then, they would have a greater outcome in victory. 

I didn't think of it in that way when I first read it. I assumed that what Jonathan did was fine. He didn't hear his father's announcement and when he ate the honey, he got strength. 

Really what was the issue?

But, let's continue on. 

It said that after trekking so long they finally approach the Philistines and fought, but instead of the men behaving the way God had instructed them to do so after winning they didn't.

The scripture said the men dove for the plunder and feasted on it even with the blood still in the meat. 

Apparently, Jonathan's words have gone a bit further than it was intended. 

These men threw caution or even instructions to the wind and disobeyed. 

Saul did his best to rectify this situation, however, when it came to inquiring of God to continue on in battle, God remain mummed.

Saul puzzled by the sudden shift in his and God's connection inquire for some reason and was told that it was due to the incident with Jonathan eating the honey is where it all stemmed from. 

That little taste. 

This story always got to me because it showed just how unique the devil works at times. 

Jonathan assumed that what he did was good. 

To confirm that, his eating the honey gave him strength and although he broke the fast that his father proclaimed, they still won the war right?

I would want to argue that he didn't know about the fast, but remember, fasting was customary for these men when going out to war most times. 

Surely Jonathan should have known this would be no different and how can Jonathan not know this when he was so close to ranks with his father?

However, I am not here to beat up on Jonathan or anyone for falling short because of being unaware of the knowledge or so forth. 

What I want to point out are two things. 

One, that just because there weren't any consequences at that very moment after you disobey doesn't mean you didn't sin. 

Oftentimes, we tend to slyly continue doing wrong because we don't experience consequences due to God's faithfulness in mercy. 

We commit adultery, we commit fornication, we lie, we steal, we hurt, we hate, we do selfish acts intentionally and we think we got away with it because there are no punishments that follow after. 

There's no immediate backlash to it. 

Therefore we either tend to commit these sinful acts again intentionally or believe that they are not that bad. 

But, just like Jonathan who believed his act wasn't that bad, God still extended His mercy to him. 

He provided him a win in the battle. 

He will still provide you life and even the things that you ask for because He is just that good. 

He is abounding in love and grace.

He is not petty, nor is He quick to anger or hate. 

Especially when He understands that we are fleshy creatures that are bound to sin every now and again. 

He loves us regardless. 

However...

However, this same God that we serve is also a righteous and just God. 

He is fair. 

The story said that when they went to inquire of God that He didn't answer them. 

Yes, He still gave them victory, but in exchange for their disobedience, they were given His silence. 

So, when we look at our lives, when we intentionally sin and do acts that are not pleasing to God, we must also be prepared to face this kind of consequence. 

Provers 28:9 

"Whoever turns his ears away from hearing the law, even his prayers are detestable" 

I am not trying to scare you or be harsh. I am trying to make us aware that the more we intentionally disobey and live a wayward life away from God, the more susceptible we are to having our prayers fall on barren ground. 

Today I want to encourage you to think about it before we go ahead and do it. 

Is it worth it?

Is it really working?

Is it right?

Just because we haven't seen any backlash doesn't mean we should continue doing it.

Let's try to take some responsibility for our actions and let us ask God to direct us on the path that we should go. 

~TheRay