1 Samuel 14:1-14

1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Armor Bearer: One who carried the arms or armor of a warrior.

Pondering Point

An armor-bearer’s most obvious responsibility, as indicated by the title, was helping a warrior carry their weapons into battle. But it has come to mean much more than that. Nowadays, it means one who will be by your side through thick and thin. This is captured well in a quote from Jonathon’s armor-bearer in the story: “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul” (1 Samuel 14:7).

This is one of the best stories in the Bible when it comes to a person having your back (literally in this case). Read or reread this story and ask yourself “who has my back?” Also ask, “Who's back do I have?” Bring to mind once again Ephesians 6 where we are told about the spiritual battle we're in and the need for spiritual armor. At the end of that section God, encourages us to pray for each other -- a definite for any "Armor Bearer" role. Contact your armor bearers and let them know how much you appreciate them. And if you don't have one, get one – or two even!

Prayer

[Insert your own prayer about today's devotion.]