Sons of Encouragement

by Francine Rivers

  He stepped forward, unable to bear the pain he saw in Samuel’s face. “You have not cheated us, Abba.” His voice broke.

  Samuel looked at Jonathan.

  The people spoke, calling out here and there. “No! You have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

  Tears streamed down Samuel’s cheeks. He turned to Saul. “The Lord and His anointed one are my witnesses today, that my hands are clean.” His voice was harsh with pent-up emotion.

  “I am witness.” Saul bowed his head in respect.

  “He is witness! The king is witness!”

  “God is witness!” Jonathan cried out.

  Samuel’s voice steadied when he spoke of Moses and Aaron and the forefathers of all present who had come out of Egypt. His voice filled with sorrow when he spoke of their sins in serving the baals and ashtoreths of the Canaanites rather than the Lord their God who had performed signs and wonders and delivered them from Egypt. The people had forgotten the Lord! And the Lord gave them into the hands of their enemies! Over the years, when they cried out and repented, the Lord sent deliverers—Gideon and Barak, Jephthah and Samson—to rescue them from the hands of evildoers.

  “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king.”

  Jonathan hung his head. Had he once given thought to what it meant for God to withdraw from His people so that men could rule themselves? He calls us His children and we have rejected Him. Jonathan’s throat closed tightly. Lord! Let me never forget that You are my king.

  Samuel pointed. “All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request!”

  Jonathan looked up at his father. Saul stood, head high, and looked out over the tribes of Israel. He was no longer the frightened man who had hidden in the baggage. His face was fierce, challenging. The Law felt heavy against Jonathan’s chest.

  “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to His voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to Him, then His hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors!”

  Jonathan put his hand over his heart, feeling the Law encased there. Mercy, Lord. Have mercy upon us!

  “Now—” Samuel’s voice deepened—“stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”

  People murmured and shifted nervously. If God sent rain now, the crops would be ruined. Jonathan studied the sky. Clouds were forming; already the sky was darkening.

  Saul groaned.

  Jonathan knew all his father’s hard work would gain him nothing. He shut his eyes. Lord, we have sinned! I love my father, but we have all done an evil thing in asking for a king. Forgive us.

  Jonathan’s heart quickened as clouds swirled. Lightning flashed, followed by a deep rumble that pressed upon him. And then the rain came, cold against victory-heated pride.

  Jonathan bowed his head. You are God! You are the God of Ahimaaz. You are my God and there is no other!

  Saul wailed. “The wheat is ready for harvest. The stalks will get wet. The grain will rot.”

  Jonathan raised his head and smiled at his father. “The Lord will provide.”

  Samuel turned and looked at Jonathan, and the sorrow slowly ebbed from his eyes.

  Jonathan raised his hands, palms up and felt the drops of rain hit against him—sharp, cold spears. “Wash us, Lord. Cleanse us of sin.” You are king!

  Men screamed. “Samuel! Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die! For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

  Jonathan prayed. “Without You, we can do nothing for Your people. Command us, Lord. Let it be as it once was. Go out before us and stand at our backs.”

  Lightning flashed again. Jonathan shuddered and dropped to his knees. He bowed his face to the ground, rain drenching him. “Lord, forgive us.”

  “Don’t be afraid!” Samuel called out in a loud voice. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on Him. Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! The Lord will not abandon His people, because that would dishonor His great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you His very own people.”

  Jonathan wept. He met Samuel’s gaze, filled with compassion and tenderness.

  “As for me—” Samuel spread his hands and looked at Saul and then at the multitude—“I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him. Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you!”

  Jonathan came to his feet, remembering all he had copied. God had delivered them from Egypt, given them land to till and plant, children. You created us, Lord. You gave us life and breath.

  The rain softened, refreshingly cool against his face.

  Samuel gazed out over the nation. “But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

  I am Saul’s son, Lord, but I want to be Your man. I want a heart like Samuel’s. Undivided. Devoted to You. Lord, Lord, make it so.

  Saul chose three thousand of the best warriors and sent the rest of the army home. Jonathan wondered why. “Aren’t we going to attack the Philistine outposts?”

  “I have no quarrel with the Philistines.”

  No quarrel? “But Father, they’ve oppressed us for years.”

  “We have two swords between us and no blacksmiths. That’s reason enough not to start a war with them.”

  Had his father so quickly forgotten the lesson of Jabesh-gilead? “God is our strength!”

  “Winning one battle against the Ammonites does not mean we can win a war against the Philistines.”

  “But the Lord gave us victory over Nahash. We need not return home, tails tucked between our knees.”

  Abner grasped Jonathan’s shoulder, fingers biting in warning. “We will discuss all this as we travel south.”

  The army camped at Micmash. The king had no plans to attack the Philistine outpost at Geba, even though it was close enough to threaten Gibeah. Jonathan listened at the military counsel meetings, but heard nothing that would solve the threat to his father’s reign if the warriors at Geba moved against Gibeah.

  So he spoke again. “It is not wise to have enemies so close to our home. Saul is king of Israel, and Gibeah is now center of the nation. What is to stop the Philistines from attacking my father?”

  Saul looked at Abner and then at the others for an answer. When they gave none, he shrugged. “I will remain here in Micmash until we see how the Philistines take the news of Nahash’s defeat.”

  What had happened to his father’s boldness? Where was the fierce King Saul who had hacked two oxen to pieces and led Israel into battle? “What of Mother? What of your sons and daughters? Gibeah—”

  Saul scowled. “You can go there and secure the city. Close the gates and guard the city.”

  Jonathan blushed. “I can’t hide behind the city walls while you’re here. My place is beside you against the enemies of God.”

  “You will go to Gibeah. I have Abner and three thousand of Israel’s best to guard me. I’ll stay here in Micmash as we plan for the days ahead. You go on home.”

  Didn’t he understand? “The Ammonites are in fear of us. And the Philistines will be as well!”

  Kish snorted. “Young blood flows hot with foolishness.”

  Saul glared at his father and then looked at Jonathan again. “Samuel is no longer with us.”

>   “God is with us,” Jonathan said.

  “God was with me at Jabesh-gilead, but I do not feel His Presence with me now.”

  “Father—”

  Saul’s eyes darkened. “The Philistines are not the cowards the Ammonites are.”

  Jonathan moved closer and lowered his voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “If the Ammonites were cowards, Father, why did we fear them so long?”

  Saul’s head came up, eyes flashing; but Jonathan knew the fear that lurked behind the king’s quick temper.

  Kish smiled and patted Jonathan on the back. “There is a time for everything, Jonathan.”

  Lord, make them see! “Yes, but the time is now. Nahash is dead! The Ammonites are scattered. The Philistines will have heard how King Saul mustered the army and slaughtered the invaders. They were in fear of us before, my king, and they will be again. God is on our side! We have the advantage!”

  Abner put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. Jonathan shook it off.

  Saul’s eyes glowed. “No one doubts your courage, my son.”

  Kish’s eyes flickered. “But courage must be tempered with wisdom.”

  Jonathan looked at his grandfather. “I thought you wanted war.” He looked around at the others. “Do not dismiss what I say.”

  “There is a difference between the Ammonites who attempted to take land—” Saul waved his hand over the maps—“and the Philistines who have occupied it for years. They have strongholds.”

  “It is our land, Father, the land God gave us. It’s time we drove them back into the sea from which they came!”

  Saul raised his hands. “Using what against them? They have iron weapons. We have two swords. Our warriors carry dull mattoxes, ruined axes, chipped sickles and spears. Even if we had a blacksmith, do I have the shekels to pay to sharpen weapons for an army? And if I did, the Philistines would know we were preparing for war, and they’d come down on us and drown us in our own blood.”

  “So we wait? We do nothing when they raid our crops?”

  “What crops?” Kish ground out. “God destroyed the wheat.”

  “We wait, my son. We plan.”

  Fear still reigned in Israel!

  Jonathan’s father put his arm around him and walked him to the entrance of the tent. “You go to Gibeah with the men I’ve assigned you. Secure the city.”

  Jonathan bowed his head and left the tent. He would go to Gibeah and do exactly what his father commanded.

  And then he would destroy Geba before the Philistines there had time to attack and destroy his father!

  Raging, Saul paced before Jonathan, who was still exultant over the defeat of Geba. “What sort of message does it give all Israel when my own son doesn’t listen to me?”

  “I secured Gibeah.”

  “And destroyed Geba! You have brought disaster on us all! Did you think killing a few hundred Philistines and burning a small outpost would accomplish anything? You pulled the tail of a lion and now he will turn and devour us! When word spreads of what you did, we will have all Philistia thirsting for our blood! We are not ready for this war!”

  Jonathan shrank inwardly as doubt squelched his assurance that God had wanted him to attack the outpost. Was I listening to my own pride? If they obeyed God, would the Lord not give them victory on every side? Would the Lord not help them rid their land of the Philistines just as He had helped them crush the Ammonites at Jabesh-gilead? “Samuel said—”

  “Be silent! I am the king. Let me think . . .” Saul gripped his head. “I didn’t expect rebellion from you!”

  Abner cleared his throat. “My lord, what order shall I give the men?”

  Saul lowered his hands and stared off into space.

  “My lord?”

  Saul turned, jaw set. “Send out messengers and have them blow the trumpets. Tell everyone I attacked the Philistine outpost.” He glared at Jonathan. “Better if the people think I acted boldly than have them know my son acted in haste and without the backing of the king.”

  Humiliated, his confidence shredded by doubt, Jonathan said nothing.

  Jonathan went cold when he heard three thousand Philistine chariots had been sighted. Each bore a driver and a skilled warrior equipped with bow and arrows and several spears.

  Saul paled. “How many soldiers?”

  “Too many to count, my lord. They are as numerous as the grains of sand upon the seashore, and they’re already at Beth-aven.”

  Worse news came the following morning. Some of Saul’s warriors had deserted in the night. Terrified by the power of Philistia, others clustered and whispered among themselves. The men of Israel took to caves and thickets, hid among rocks and in pits and dry cisterns.

  Saul returned to Gilgal and waited for Samuel. Jonathan went with him, as did a young armor bearer Saul pressed into Jonathan’s service. What Ebenezer lacked in size, he made up for in zeal.

  Kish, Abner, and the others were full of advice for the king, but the king listened to no one.

  Racked with guilt, Jonathan spent hours in unceasing prayer, asking for the Lord’s forgiveness and pleading for guidance. Though many cheered the victory at Geba, most were sick with fear and ready to run.

  Abner grew frustrated and confronted the king. “We have less than two thousand warriors right now, my lord, and more are deserting every day. You must make a decision.”

  Jonathan was afraid to give advice. He was afraid to make claims about what God would do. No one could question God’s power, but every man alive in Israel questioned whether He would use it for their defense. Worse, Jonathan realized now that his one small victory could precipitate an all-out war. He looked out over the tents and couldn’t help wonder how so few could stand against so many. Rather than rallying his father and his army, Jonathan had succeeded only in bringing their fear to the surface and sending thousands into hiding.

  What a sight we are! Lord, why is it so hard for Your people to trust You when You’ve proven Your power and faithfulness to us time after time? Is it because we know we continue to sin? How do we root out the sin in us? Our forefathers didn’t listen to You, and now we don’t. Only a few days ago, You sent lightning and thunder and rain, and all these men can think about is the ruined crops and what they will eat when winter comes! You are God! You hold our lives in the palms of Your hands!

  Fear spread like tares in the wheat until even Jonathan felt the roots of it sinking into his heart. Some of those who had been with him at Geba deserted. Each morning revealed more empty spaces among the camps of Saul’s “best of Israel.”

  The king grew more and more frustrated. “The entire army will scatter before that old man gets here!”

  Jonathan shuddered. That old man? Samuel was God’s prophet, God’s voice to the people. “He will come.”

  “Where is he? Why does he delay? He said he would come in seven days.”

  “It hasn’t been seven days yet, Father.”

  “Soon, my entire army will have melted away.”

  Abner did what he could to rally the remaining warriors, but confidence in the king was at its lowest ebb and the prophet’s warning was fresh in their minds. Their king had brought trouble upon them. Forgotten was the victory over the Ammonites. All men could think of was the gathering storm of war, the three thousand chariots and multitude of foot soldiers getting ready to destroy them.

  Jonathan felt he had to do something to make up for bringing all this on his father. But what? What, Lord? No answer came.

  Jonathan awakened Ebenezer before dawn on the seventh day. “If my father misses me, tell him I’ve gone out to wait for Samuel.” Jonathan went to the edge of the shrinking camp. Men huddled over their fires, ducking their heads when he glanced their way. He didn’t want to think about what they might be discussing.

  Because of me, Lord, they’ve lost hope in Your king.

  The sun rose. There was no sign of Samuel. Jonathan worried. Had his actions at Geba caused the prophet trouble as well? What if the Philistines had taken h
im captive? Or worse, what if they had killed the aged man of God? He broke out in a cold sweat even thinking such thoughts.

  Lord, we need him. He speaks Your Word to us. Please protect him and bring him to us. Oh, God, help us. Tell us what You want us to do! I thought I was stepping out in faith, but maybe my father and his advisors are right and I acted the fool. If so, forgive me, Lord. Let the trouble fall on my head and not my father’s. Not on these men who shake with fear. Don’t abandon us on my account, Lord.

  Jonathan’s armor bearer, Ebenezer, came running. “The king—” he rasped for breath—“the king wants you with him. He’s going to make the sacrifice.”

  “What?” Jonathan ran as fast as he could, Ebenezer close behind him. When he reached his father’s tent, he entered and went cold at the sight of the king wearing a priestly ephod. “No!” His lungs burned. His heart pounded so hard, he thought he would choke. He grasped the Law he wore around his neck. “You can’t do this, Father. The Law says only a priest—”

  “There is no priest!”

  Terrified for all their sakes, Jonathan went to his father. “It’s not midday yet, my lord. Samuel will come.”

  Sweat beaded on Saul’s brow. “I called for him and he did not come. I can’t wait any longer.” His face was pale and strained.

  “The Lord will not help us if you do this.”

  “My army! My men are leaving me! What would you have me do?” He looked around at all his advisors.

  “Whatever is in your heart to do, my king.” They all seemed to agree.

  Jonathan looked from Abner to Kish to the others and back to his father. “Samuel will come!” He stepped in front of his father. “Gideon had fewer men than we have, and he defeated the Midianites.”

  “I am not Gideon!”

  “You were a farmer like him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon you, too. You gathered a force of three hundred and thirty thousand warriors and defeated the Ammonites!”

  “And where are all my warriors now?” Saul yanked the flap of the tent aside. “Gone!”

  “You have more than Gideon had. Nahash and the Ammonites are destroyed!”