Always Second – #6 Jonathan is willing to follow God’s commands. As the battle has continued, it comes a point where God stops answering Saul and he wants to know why. So he sets up a test. Read 1 Samuel 14:37-45. Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him on that day. Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. For as the Lord lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.”…

Always Second – #5 Not sure what Saul was thinking. Saul put the people under a vow that they would not eat anything, but Jonathan didn’t hear that and when he did he definitely had an opinion about that vow. Read 1 Samuel 14:24-30. Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. When the people entered the forest,…

Always Second – #3 Johnson was prepared. So often, when we find ourselves in 2nd place, it becomes easy to relax and slack off a bit. Yet, Jonathan was prepared for the events that were coming his way. Read 1 Samuel 13:15-23. Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. And the raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned…

Always Second – #2 Saul shows his true heart and disobeys God. It’s interesting, even though this passage doesn’t directly deal with Jonathan, it has profound impact on him. You can read the full story of what Saul does in 1 Samuel 13:5-14, but we’re going to just look at verses 13 and 14. Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and…

Always Second – #1 The life of Jonathan will be the focus of my next study. Given some of my current circumstances, God brought this to me as my next topic and I am looking forward to the learnings and encouragement that God brings through the study of His Word. Lets start by reading 1 Samuel 13:1-4. Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel. Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he…