Focus: The Honey And The Battle

Text: 1Sam.14:29

"Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey."

We have a honey to taste and a battle to fight, and both are connected. If we feed well and arm ourselves well, we can conquer our enemy. By feeding on the knowledge of God we gain the power to win battles. But knowledge is not power until we act. Our fight is called the fight of faith; so how can we win if we do not feed our faith? How can our faith become our shield if we do not feed it with the word of God? It is basic truth that faith cannot work without action. 

Jonathan and Israel were engaged in a fierce battle against the Philistines. Right in the place of battle they found honey dripping from the wood. Now the temptation was to get carried away by the honey and forget about the battle. 

It is important to know right here that the honey is God's provision for us and the battle is God's occupation of us. God gives us His honey and involves us in His fight. The honey speaks of the sweetness of God; the battle speaks of the service of God.

Erwin Raphael McManus wrote, "We must ensure that while we celebrate the goodness of God, we do not neglect the purpose of God." I see the honey as symbolizing the goodness of God and the battle as signifying the purpose of God - the service of God.

Jonathan tasted the honey and was strengthened to break into the enemy's territory and plundered his enemy. He didn't get carried away by the honey that he would abandon the battle. The honey brightened his eyes to face the enemy. Jonathan was still mindful of the raging battle and of the challenge of subduing the enemy, thereby bringing glory to God. The Scripture declares, "And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. And that FIRST slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling" (1Sam.14:13-15).

God's honey strengthens us for the fight of faith. As I have said, the honey speaks of the sweetness of God. The psalmist tells us, "O taste and see that the LORD is good… How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Ps.34:8; 119:103). The goodness of God is our source of strength. The word of God puts power in our soul to conquer the enemy. The psalmist says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Ps.119:11).

Then the battle against the enemy speaks of the service of God - the purpose of God. We carry the sweetness of God into the service of God. The honey is for the battle. By experiencing the goodness of God we are poised for the purpose of God. The honey flowing from the honeycomb is never meant to keep us from the task of fighting the enemy, kicking him out, and making sure that he stays out. We enjoy the honey and engage the enemy. After the honey is the hurdle. The gifts of God are meant to be enjoyed and the battles of God are meant to be fought. We wage the war in strength, not in weakness. Paul instructs us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and that is because there is warfare ahead of us.

Child of God, there is so much honey flowing from the cross of Christ. There is so much goodness waiting to be enjoyed. There is so much blessing begging for us to tap into it. How do I know that God's honey flows from the cross? The Scripture says, "And when the people were come into THE WOOD, behold, the honey DROPPED; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath" (1Sam.14:26). The honey is dripping and dropping from the WOOD of Calvary. The cross speaks of the grace, goodness, greatness, and glory of our God.

Let us therefore beware of any Saul who tries to use religious fast as a camouflage to keep us from the best that God has in store for us. What sense does it make fasting in the heat of battle? The flesh misuses religion, or let me say it in another way, and that is, that the flesh engages in false religion and false worship. We have many modern 'Sauls' in our churches today, who engage us with religious rituals and practices that are devoid of any spiritual merits. They make us believe that prayer clothes work miracles, and that water from Israel cures diseases. Idolatry thrives under cover of religion. 

You can fast in preparation for battle, but not during battle. Jonathan says, "My father has troubled the land." Another way to put it is that Saul is trouble. The law or oath to abstain from food when there is battle to fight is as ridiculous or senseless as it is disastrous. It was a rash decision from a man of war who should have known better than that. Now, for having no food in their stomachs, we read that "the men of Israel were distressed… So none of the people tasted any food." When the people could no longer bear the hunger, they slaughtered the animals and ate them raw with the blood, which was a bigger sin against God. The Scripture says, "And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood" (1Sam.14:32). The law of Moses forbids eating the blood of animals, but here, the people did not care anymore. They broke the law. In practicing our faith, let's beware of fakes.

The honey is dripping and dropping from the wood of Calvary for us. We will win more battles if we avail ourselves of the abundant provisions of Christ. The Lord has provided for us sufficient spiritual food that strengthens us for our spiritual battles. Let's enjoy the honey that is dripping and dropping from the cross and be fully fed, and loaded with enough power to prevail against the enemy.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter