1 Samuel 14:24–52 Saul’s Oath 

[Study Aired April 13, 2026]

The study for today focuses on Saul’s oath which troubled the people of Israel.  It looks at Jonathan’s error through ignorance and Saul’s determination to put him to death, in spite of him being his son. However, the people of Israel rescued him. The study ends with Saul’s battle with the neighboring tribes and an account of his family.

Saul’s Rash Vow

1Sa 14:24  And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. 

As indicated in the previous study, Saul and the men of Israel with him represent the church system of this world or Babylon. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB), the men of Israel being distressed that day means being under a taskmaster, ruler, oppressor or tyrant. This oppressor or tyrant is the devil who empowers our flesh. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon [the devil] which gave power unto the beast [Our flesh]: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

Here in verse 24, we are given the reason why the men of Israel were under distress. It was because they had been commanded not to eat food until the evening when Saul, their king, had avenged his enemies. Not to eat food spiritually means that the men of Israel represent us during our time in the church system of this world or Babylon, where we are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Our brothers and sisters in Babylon’s inability to understand the word of the Lord is because their leadership, represented by Saul, has put a curse on them not to eat any food. That is to say that the leadership of Babylon are not given to know the truth of the Lord’s word, and therefore what they give (the false doctrines) prevents them from knowing the truth. 

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

This curse will continue until the evening, when Saul has avenged his enemies. The evening refers to the lake of fire age of judgment, when our brothers and sisters in Babylon will come to know the truth. That is the time when their flesh or carnal mind (the enemy) is destroyed or avenged.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Sa 14:25  And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. 
1Sa 14:26  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. 

These verses are to show us that initially, the church system of this world or Babylon was endowed with the fundamental truth of the Lord’s word, represented here as honey. However, because of false doctrines spewed by their leaders, signified by Saul’s command for the people not to eat, even the basic truths of His word were perverted, such that we could not assess the milk and honey of the Lord’s word in Babylon.

Exo 3:17  And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.  

Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 
Isa 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 

Eze 16:13  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:15  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. 
Eze 16:16  And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 

1Sa 14:27  But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 
1Sa 14:28  Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint. 
1Sa 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. 
1Sa 14:30  How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? 

As we have indicated in the previous study, Jonathan represents the Lord’s elect during our time in the church system of this world. The fact that Jonathan did not hear his father’s oath and proceeded to eat of the honey implies that as the Lord’s elect, the Lord in His mercy, caused us to eat of the honey of His word, even while we were in Babylon, which caused our eyes to be enlightened (verse 27). 

In verse 28, one of the people told Jonathan about how his father has cursed anyone who eats any food that day, and therefore caused the people to be faint. This is to let us know that it was in Babylon that we become aware that the leaders in the church system are the cause of our inability to know the truth of His word. 

In verses 29 and 30, Jonathan’s assessment of his father’s error is summed up by his word that his father has troubled the land and that their inability to achieve a greater slaughter of the Philistines was because of the lack of the foundational truth of the Lord’s word. In other words, it is in Babylon that we come to realize that our leaders have failed us and as a result, we cannot worship the Lord acceptably while we continue in Babylon. This is all in preparation for our exit from Babylon at the appointed time. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4  How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? 

1Sa 14:31  And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. 
1Sa 14:32  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. 
1Sa 14:33  Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. 

The smiting of the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon by the people of Israel in verse 31 is to let us know that while we were in the churches of this world, we were given some victories over our flesh. For example, we were delivered from some of the attributes of the flesh such as fornication, adultery, hatred, wrath, envying, etc.  

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   

The people taking sheep, oxen and calves, killing them and eating them with the blood in verse 32, was forbidden by the Lord.  The reason why the Israelites were forbidden under the law of Moses to eat meat with blood is because blood was used as atonement for sin, and therefore, blood was seen as a sacred thing. God wanted to ensure that the blood of the sacrifices was always considered precious.    

Deu 12:15  Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart. 
Deu 12:16  Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water. 

If we willfully continue to sin, then it means that we have treated the blood of Christ as an unholy thing. That is the spiritual meaning of eating meat with blood. Therefore, the people eating meat with blood in it shows us that during our time in Babylon, we continued to sin, even though we were enriched in Him. As a result, we were actually trampling on the blood of Christ.   

Heb 10:26  For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

Verse 33 shows us that the leaders of the church system of this world are aware of the sins of the people of the church system of this world, but their method of addressing sin is wrong, as we shall see Saul’s way of dealing with the sins of the people. 

1Sa 14:34  And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. 
1Sa 14:35  And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD. 
1Sa 14:36  And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. 

Saul’s dealings with the people that sinned was not in accordance with what the Lord enjoins us to do. We are to rebuke those who sin publicly that others may be afraid. However, he only asked the people to come and slay their oxen and sheep before him so that they do not sin. Spiritually, what Saul is saying  was that the gathering of the church system of this world, automatically causes people to stop sinning.   

1Ti 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
1Ti 5:21  I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.  

In verses 35 and 36, Saul built an altar to the Lord, and based on this, he wanted to go after the Philistines and destroy them, but the priest reminded him to draw near to the Lord first. The leaders of the church system of this world, represented by Saul, are only interested in works (building churches) and think that in doing this, their flesh will just die. That is to say that in Babylon, the people think that the works of their hands will save them from their flesh. However, the priest reminding Saul to draw near to the Lord is to show us that what is important is our relationship with Christ as we draw near to Him. It is not about the works of our hands. Jesus warned us about those who think that the works of their hands can guarantee the kingdom of heaven as follows: 

Mat 7:21  Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Sa 14:37  And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. 
1Sa 14:38  And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. 
1Sa 14:39  For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. 

Saul not being answered by the Lord in verse 37, shows us our situation when we were in the churches of this world. We did not hear from the Lord. As we shall see in the latter part of the Book of Samuel, Saul enquired of the Lord because of the Philistines, but did not receive an answer from the Lord. 

1Sa 28:5  And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 
1Sa 28:6  And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 

In our desperation, we vent our anger on the Lord’s elect signified by Saul vowing to kill Jonathan in verse 39. We, the Lord’s elect, are spiritually dead to our brothers and sisters in Babylon, just like the two witnesses, whose dead bodies were in the streets of Jerusalem or Sodom and Egypt. 

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  

1Sa 14:40  Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. 
1Sa 14:41  Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. 
1Sa 14:42  And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. 
1Sa 14:43  Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
1Sa 14:44  And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
1Sa 14:45  And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. 

As shown in these verses, lots were cast which determined that Jonathan was guilty of eating while Saul had given a command for them not to eat until he has avenged his enemies. In this case, Saul’s command is the command or the word of the Lord. We know that the outcome of a lot is always of the Lord. 

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (ESV)

As we have shown earlier, Jonathan is a symbol of the Lord’s elect. During our time as the Lord’s elect in Babylon, we were guilty of not knowing the word of the Lord, and therefore we should have been put to death. As shown in verse 45, the people rescued Jonathan from death at the hands of Saul. In the same way, the Lord rescued or showed mercy to us, His elect, from Babylon at the expense of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. 

Rom 11:30  For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 
Rom 11:31  so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 

1Sa 14:46  Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. 

Saul, who represents the church system of this world, stopped pursuing  the Philistines and went to his own place. That is to show us that when we were in Babylon, we were not engaged in a war with our flesh. It also implies that we did not consider ourselves as being able to win the war with our flesh.

Rev 13:4  And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”  

Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies

1Sa 14:47  So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
1Sa 14:48  And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. 

These verses show us our struggle with the flesh during our time in the churches of this world. We had some victories over our flesh in certain areas of our lives, as indicated in verse 48 where Saul and his host smote the Amalekites. However, the flesh, symbolized by all the enemies surrounding Israel (Moab, Ammon, Edom, kings of Zobah, the Philistines and the Amalekites) was still a formidable opposition during our walk in Babylon.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 
Rom 7:15  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 
Rom 7:16  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 
Rom 7:17  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 
Rom 7:18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 
Rom 7:24  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 
Rom 7:25  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (ESV)

1Sa 14:49  Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 
1Sa 14:50  And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 
1Sa 14:51  And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 
1Sa 14:52  And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. 

These verses focuses on Saul’s family and the enmity between Saul and the Philistines. Saul had three sons – Jonathan, which means ‘Jehovah has given’, Ishui – ‘He resembles me’ and Melchishua – ‘My king is salvation.’ What this implies is that to be like Christ, who was given by God as our salvation, we must go through the process of spiritual maturity which is through the Lord’s judgment. The two daughters of Saul – Merab (increase) and Michal (who is like God) show us the two church systems. We have the church system of this world which is given to increase in this age and the other church system which represents the church of the Lord’s elect, which is making us become like Christ.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.  

It is in the church of the Lord’s elect, represented by Saul’s wife, Ahinoam, which means ‘my brother is delight’, that we come to enjoy the delightfulness of our brothers and sisters through what every joint supplies. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

The commander of Israel’s army’s name was Abner which means ‘the father of light’ or ‘enlightening.’ It is through the Lord’s enlightenment that we become enrolled in His army. Kish, who is Saul’s father, means a bow. This implies that our Lord is a warrior. 

Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  

Verse 52 tells us that there was sore war against the Philistines during all the time of Saul as king of Israel. This is to show us that our fight against our flesh is a lifetime struggle. However, unlike Saul, we, as the Lord’s elect, are assured of victory in the final analysis.

1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

Amen!

1 Samuel 14:1–23 Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

[Study Aired April 6, 2026]

Our study for today looks at the faith and courage of Jonathan in attacking the guard post of the Philistines with his armor-bearer. Through faith in the Lord and courage, they were able to overcome the Philistines. 

Jos 1:6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 

This victory set the stage for Saul and his forces of six hundred men who had remained with him, together with the other Israelites who had fled the impending battle with the Philistines, to join Jonathan to fight and gain the victory over the Philistines.

To be able to understand the spiritual significance of today’s study, we need to look at the previous study to understand the context. As we saw in the previous study, it was only Saul and Jonathan, among the people of Israel, who were equipped to fight the Philistines. At that time, all the people of Israel did not have swords or spears to engage the Philistines in a battle, as they were deprived by the Philistines from possessing such weapons of war. 

1Sa 13:19  Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
1Sa 13:20  But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 
1Sa 13:21  Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 
1Sa 13:22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 

The smith in these verses above, represents the Lord’s elect or what every joint supplies in the body of Christ. The fact that there was no one in Israel with sword or spear except Saul and Jonathan, implies that the people of Israel at that time signify the church system of this world or Babylon, where we were not given the truth of the Lord’s word, to fight our flesh or the Philistines in our lives. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Saul and Jonathan therefore denote our time in the churches of this world or Babylon as the Lord’s elect. It is in Babylon that we cannot sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, which means that we cannot worship the Lord acceptably during our time in Babylon as we do not have the truth of the word to combat our flesh. 

Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4  How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

Our situation in Babylon was such that it was impossible to have the weapons (the truth of the Lord’s word) needed to battle our flesh or the Philistines. This was because we were ruled by our flesh when we were in Babylon, and this dominion shows itself in the love of the world.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  

Jonathan’s Courageous Act

1Sa 14:1  Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.   

As indicated, Jonathan signifies the Lord’s elect while we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. It is important to note that while we were in Babylon, we did win some victories over the flesh or the Philistines as we see Jonathan ready to engage the Philistines. The armor-bearer denotes all those whom the Lord brings our way to help or encourage us with our walk with Christ. Saul, Jonathan’s father, being the king of Israel, here signifies the leadership of the church system of this world. Remember that Saul in the previous chapter, was rejected by the Lord for not waiting for Samuel as he chose to offer the burnt offering, which was the prerogative of Samuel, a priest of the Lord. 

1Sa 13:13  And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. 
1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 

Jonathan not telling Saul about his decision to attack the garrison of the Philistines is to let us know that the victories over the flesh that we won in Babylon were not because of the leadership of the church system of this world, but because of the leadings of the Lord, since He had chosen us in Him before the foundation of this world. 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

1Sa 14:2  And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; 
1Sa 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 

The six hundred men with Saul in verse 2 represent the Lord’s elect. We must remember that initially, the number of those who assembled to fight the Philistines were three thousand.

1Sa 13:2  Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 

However, many left because of the fear of the Philistines, and only six hundred remained. Those who left felt that they could not win the war with our flesh.

Jdg 18:11  And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 

1Sa 27:2  And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 

It is instructive to note that the six hundred men were with Saul at Gibeah, which means ‘hill.’ As we have indicated in many previous studies, hills or mountains, on a positive note, represent a church. The fact that Saul and the six hundred men tarried at Migron, which means ‘precipice’, which is a steep or overhanging rock such as a high cliff. Migron, therefore, spiritually signifies a dangerous, perilous, or highly unstable situation, which is the description of the church system of this world or Babylon. Therefore, what we are being told is that we, at a certain point of our walk with Christ, were in Babylon. It is here in Babylon that we started engaging the flesh or the Philistines. 

The mention of Ahiab of the descendant of Eli, wearing an ephod as a priest, with the company of Saul and the six hundred men in verse 3, is to emphasize the point that the Lord’s elect, represented by the six hundred men, were in Babylonian captivity where the law of Moses still prevailed. As we are aware, it is when faith comes that we are no longer under the schoolmaster of the law of Moses which is still being practiced in the church system of this world.

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The fact that the people did not know that Jonathan was gone to confront the Philistines in verse 3, is to let us know that the church system of this world is not aware of the fact that the Lord has a special people or His elect, represented by Jonathan, who are overcoming the flesh in this age. 

Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

1Sa 14:4  And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 
1Sa 14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 

In order to confront or wage war successfully with our flesh, we need to overcome two things – the sharp rock on one side called Bozez and another sharp rock on the other side called Seneh. Bozez means ‘shining’ or ‘surpassing white.’ In the negative context, the color white means ‘leprous.’ 

2Ki 5:27  The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. 

Our flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of the Lord, and therefore when we are under the domain of our flesh, it is like having an incurable disease of leprosy, which makes our skin or flesh as white as snow. The first thing Jonathan did was to overcome this mentality that we cannot win the war against our flesh. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?   

The name of the other sharp rock was Seneh which means ‘thorny’, which spiritually signifies false doctrines. Our flesh is empowered by the false doctrines in our hearts and minds. If we are to wage a successful war with our flesh, then the false doctrines in our heavens must be removed. The more the false doctrines in our heavens are removed, the more successful we become in our engagement with the flesh. 

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their the sharp rock at words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

In verse 5, we are told that the sharp rock called Bozez was facing Michmash which means ‘hidden.’ This shows us that the leprous state of our flesh is hidden to many. The other rock, Seneh, facing Gibeah which means ‘hill’ shows us that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that the false doctrines in our heavens are destroyed through what every joint supplies.

1Sa 14:6  And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. 
1Sa 14:7  And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. 

It is instructive in verse 6, to note that Jonathan referred to the Philistines as uncircumcised. This is to show us that when we are under the control of our flesh, then we are spiritually uncircumcised. Jonathan’s statement that there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few is to assure us that no matter the circumstance in which we find ourselves, the Lord is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think or imagine. 

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

As indicated earlier, the armor-bearer represents our brothers and sisters whom the Lord brings our way to help us with our walk with Christ. The armor-bearer’s statement in verse 7 that Jonathan should do all that is in his heart and that he was very supportive of Jonathan’s actions is to let us know how we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to reach for the prize of the Lord’s higher calling. Some of our brothers and sisters are given that gift of encouraging us to strive for mastery. In the Bible, Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’, was very instrumental in helping establish Paul’s ministry – he welcomed Paul when other disciples were afraid of him and advocated for him. He encouraged John Mark after he failed in his missionary journey, showing a commitment to picking others up. He was a generous man, selling his field and bringing the money to the church.

Act 4:36  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 
Act 4:37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

1Sa 14:8  Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 
1Sa 14:9  If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 
1Sa 14:10  But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. 
1Sa 14:11  And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 
1Sa 14:12  And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. 

These verses show us how we are to deal with our flesh denoted here as the Philistines. If we are to wait for our flesh to come to us, that means the flesh gradually is losing its hold on us over time as we continue to worship the Lord, we may never become the overcomers that we dream of. Many in the church system of this world think that by continuing doing good, the flesh just disappears. 

If we are to win the war against our flesh, then we must take the fight to our flesh, just as Jonathan realized that the Lord’s will was for him to engage the flesh (the Philistines) and that it is through this fight that victory is won. This does not mean that we have the strength of our own to win the war against the flesh. It is all the work of the Lord to make us overcomers over the flesh. However, we must constantly weigh our thoughts and motives in the light of the Lord’s word to see if we are falling short as we continue to cry to the Lord to change us. The Lord’s tool of destroying our flesh is through His judgment of our flesh. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Sa 14:13  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. 
1Sa 14:14  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.
1Sa 14:15  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.  

In verse 13, Jonathan and his armor-bearer climbed up the precipice with their hands and feet to confront the Philistines. Climbing up with our hands and feet means that the word of the Lord becomes a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path. In other words, we begin to order our lives according to the word of the Lord such that it permeates our walk with Christ (our feet) and the works of our hands (our hands).  

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  

As shown in verse 13, the Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor bearer’s drawn sword to slay them. This emphasizes the fact that our victory over the flesh is not by our strength. It is the work of the Lord as He judges us, such that our walk with Him and the works of our hands are in line with His word. 

Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 
Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 
Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

It is insightful to note that the first slaughter by Jonathan and his armor bearer against the Philistines consisted of twenty men in verse 14. This brings us to the negative application of the number twenty. In the negative sense, the number twenty means ‘being prepared for judgment.’ Our initial victory over the flesh is the Lord preparing us for His judgment to subdue our flesh as He causes our exit from Babylon. 

Gen 18:31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

The first strike by Jonathan and his armor bearer was within half an acre of land. In biblical times, an “acre” was not a fixed size but represented the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in one day. Half an acre therefore indicates a very small space. Killing twenty-armed men in such a restricted space therefore highlights the miraculous nature of our victory over the flesh. The sight of so many bodies in such a small area caused the rest of the Philistine army to believe they were being attacked by a much larger force, leading to massive panic as shown in verse 15. This implies that our initial victories over certain areas of our walk with Christ, makes it easier for us to win further victories over the flesh. On the other hand, when we are defeated, it empowers our flesh to overcome us. A Bible verse which supports this assertion is as follows:

1Sa 17:37  And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 

1Sa 14:16  And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
1Sa 14:17  Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

The fact that the camp noticed that Jonathan and His armorbearer were absent and that they may have been responsible for the confusion among the Philistines is to let us know that in the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world together with the whole of humanity will come to appreciate the victory that the Lord has wrought on our behalf as His elect. It is during this time that they will all come to know that their salvation is dependent upon our victory.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

1Sa 14:18  And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 
1Sa 14:19  And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

A better translation of verse 19 is as follows:

1Sa 14:19 Saul was talking to Ahijah the priest waiting for advice from God. But the noise and confusion in the Philistine camp was growing and growing. Saul was becoming impatient. Finally, he said to Ahijah the priest, “That’s enough. Put your hand down and stop praying.” (ERV) 

1 Sa 14:19 As Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp kept getting worse, so Saul said to him, “There’s no time to consult the LORD!” (GNB) 

When the church system of this world or Babylon come to see who really are the overcomers or the sons of the Lord, they will abandoned their way of worship as symbolized by Saul telling Ahiah, the priest in verse 19, to stop praying.  

1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 
1Sa 14:21  Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 
1Sa 14:22  Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 
1Sa 14:23  So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

Every man’s sword being against his fellow in the camp of the Philistines is to show us that the battle against our flesh is the work of the Lord who brought confusion among the Philistines to slaughter one another. In this battle against our flesh, we are to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord as He destroys our flesh through the sufferings that we go through.

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. 
Exo 14:14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Saul and the six hundred men with him, together with all the men of Israel which had hid themselves from the Philistines, joined the battle as they followed after the Philistines when they realized that the Philistines were fleeing. This is to let us know that in the fullness of time, during the lake of fire age, all humanity will have victory over the flesh, being led to victory by the overcomers in this age, the Lord’s elect, which are symbolized by Jonathan and his armourbearer. The elect are the saviors who will come and judge mount Esau or the people of the world, to bring salvation to all humanity.  

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

The battle being passed over to Bethaven is to let us know that the church system of this world or Babylon, will be the last on the line to be saved from their flesh or carnal mind. This is because Bethaven, which means ‘house of vanity’, represents the church system of this world or Babylon. 

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.  

We thank the Lord for this privilege to overcome the flesh in this age. Amen!!

The Love Energy Loop between Christ and His Wife is Constant and Endless

[Study Aired May 26, 2021]

In April, the previous mini-study showed how nature, and particularly Birds of Paradise, displays that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. It graphically and colorfully portrayed the order of headship in the Godhead with an earthly husband representing the Father’s shadow as head of the family. It was an excerpt from a particularly long draft study in the making I named, “The Worship of Women Destroys the Love they Covet.”

Following is another excerpt from the same paper. It doesn’t give away the ultimate expression of that paper, yet for this exercise, I hope to inspire those Elect in marriage to deeply consider privately between the spouses how they can attain the love expressed in the next section as physically portrayed by David and Jonathan. The single saints can likewise do the same in their hearts, yet more directly to their fiancé, Christ. The advantage the married Elect have is their profound bond through the emotions of their marital union that should leave them awestruck in excitement for the spiritual reality when they see Christ in person.

As we progress through this paper, the purpose is to please reflect on how Christ can amplify His spirit – that energy flow between him and us, and us back to him.

The ultimate goal as a physical being

The ultimate goals are to live our physical lives, especially in marriage, to the fullest as a mirror-image of the Bride’s relationship with her Husband; to be “one” as Christ and the Father are “one”.

The Bride of Christ is not yet fully married to Christ. We are in the courtship phase. While we all are asleep and waiting as the Bridegroom seemingly tarries, we still can refine a few fleshly acts to reflect our relationship with our Lord more elegantly. It may seem pointless since we will soon hear the horse’s hooves thundering in the distance as He comes for us, especially when we understand these verses.

Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

1Co 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none. “Let no man glory in men [women!] for all things are yours”.

Men glory in women, and women glory in women. Ironically, if only women could fully see that if they gloried in their husbands, they would be on the path to a stunning physical relationship which points to a spectacular spiritual relationship with Christ. Yet, in these troublesome “end times”, the above scripture admonishes us not to focus on the earthly delights a beautifully seductive and Christ-like wife can lavish on her husband, since the reality in Christ infinitely surpasses the shadow of the breathtaking pleasures she can give serving the flesh.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

In our haste to mortify the deeds of the flesh, we overlook some vital male and female differences that would help make our marriage yoke light and result in a love that could “surpass the love of women”. It is infinitely more critical for us to have a love for Christ that surpasses the love of what a saintly wife of the Lord can bring to a relationship. Christ and the Father do have a love that surpasses the love of women.

2Sa 1:23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death, they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

2Sa 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

David and Jonathan, in type and shadow, are juxtaposed in lockstep as the Father and Christ. Their love assuredly was, is, and will be more wonderful in the Elect than the love of an earthly woman can sensually and spiritually delight her husband and him, her. What man wouldn’t like to experience that kind of love, both physically and spiritually? What saintly woman wouldn’t want to give that kind of love to her husband? If she did have within her that quality, she would be as Christ, even God. Try to envisage how physically a woman can give her love to a man that surpasses any conceivable love ANY woman who has ever existed can give to her husband. The very same physical aspects two males can righteously give to each other as did David and Jonathan. The physical delights with which she is potently gifted are amplified beyond measure when she has the mind of Christ. What a woman! What a Bride of Christ!

The ultimate plan in the primary paper is to show how we can have a love for Christ that infinitely surpasses the love of women, the same love Christ has for the Father and He for Christ. It is the type of love reserved only for the Bride of Christ.

The title, “The Worship of Women Destroys the Love they Covet“, highlights Rachel’s physical and spiritual expression that ravished Jacob. There is nothing more ravishing (H7686 to go astray; to mislead always) to a man than a pretty girl who unreservedly expresses delight in him. Her authentic presentation and laughter in uninhibited responsiveness to him and showing in her eyes is designed by God to ravish him. What seals that ravishing, in the positive sense, is her dedicated submission to him in all things spiritual. To boot, should they have vastly more common interests than differences, then their relationship is a match made in heaven. Those heart-thumping experiences create anticipation in him. If she is authentic in every detail of her personality, she, too, delightedly experiences immense tension in their relationship. She would be a fool and a whore to be inauthentic with her romantic and erotic machinations. These enormous and sensual titillations are why God told a young man (any man) not to go near a loose woman. She doesn’t have to have the traditional looks of a whore to lure him, for she is far more wily with the subtle use of her God-given femininity. She is infinitely more likely to be a mutual friend in your circle of friends or the girl next door, even the church down the street that exudes ‘love’.

Conversely, the more delusions and imagined commonalities a couple have, that, too, is a match made in heaven of a turbulent kind. If one or both parties of a courting couple gloss over personal dislikes in the other, the stage is set for growing discord that will ultimately end in strife. A little leaven leavens the entire lump, and since God bound the two together, it is a match made in heaven for much overcoming and spiritual strife.

When the physical ravishings overrule the spiritual ravishings, any heart’s idols will come back to haunt and mislead the couple. If a girl’s idol of the heart is to give sex or sensual titillations just to get ‘love’, or for a guy to give ‘love’ with an underlying plan to get sex, their idols of the heart potentially will bite them badly. Sexual strife, pre-marriage and in a marriage, is a result of spiritual strife. David and Jonathan, in their relationship, didn’t have the discord any woman has the potential to bring to a relationship to “err”; or a man to his relationship to Christ. Consequently, their love was “wonderful” and “passing the love of women”. Whoa! Now that concept should make us sit up and take notice!

2Sa 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

Wouldn’t it be astonishingly “wonderful” for the husband if his wife, with all of her extraordinary womanly delights, also had embedded in her heart and soul the same love David and Jonathan had for each other, for her husband?! She would be the recipient of everything beautiful from him if she (at God’s will) broke the curse of being against him.

Wouldn’t it be astonishingly “wonderful” for Christ if every member of the Body of Christ with all of her extraordinary womanly delights also had embedded in her heart and soul that same love Christ has for her? She will be the recipient of everything “wonderful” in the First Resurrection, if to Him she submits in “everything” – a relationship without discord and contention and being”One” in Christ.

The stark reality is that Jonathan and David did have a “wonderful” relationship that surpassed any love a woman could give a man short of sexual love. A woman’s unique sexual delights are designed expressly for the man; an ace-card surpassed by the righteous love two men can have for each other. That love (the two men) is a shadow of the love of God that the Father and Christ have for each other. Their love is one of implicit unity and oneness in “everything” as an earthly wife is to have for her husband in “everything”.

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the Wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

He becomes a saviour of both the physical body from a sexual standpoint and the spiritual connection. How good is that!?

Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Now, as I’ve frequently been known to say, a wife being subject to a husband in “everything” doesn’t mean that if the husband loves anchovies on his pizza that his wife has to fall in line and love anchovies, too. However, the more remarkable that oneness between them in “everything” is, the closer their relationship is to surpassing the love even a saintly husband has for his wife. It is a physical shadow of Christ’s love for the Father that surpasses the love He has for his wife, the Bride of Christ. That quality is the pinnacle of love I hope (at His will) to guide submissive Saints, both male and female, in the Body of Christ to possibly achieve certain marital interactions that highlight Christ’s love for the Father.

What Type of Love  Surpasses the Love of a Woman?

That heading is a topic which will make every human since the beginning of creation sit up and take notice! They all will look in astonishment upon the wife of Christ, who walked hidden in their midst for two thousand years, and wonder at the Son whose love for the Father surpassed His love for His wife. Yet, He gave His life for His wife and family.

Mat 10:37 He that loveth Father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

David’s slaying of Goliath breathtakingly overshadowed Jonathan’s outstanding battle accomplishments. This ruddy complexioned stripling of a lad turned battle-hardened soldiers’ heads in awe. Seasoned soldiers, steeped unflinchingly in the gore of many conflicts, gaped at this lad in astonishment before an uproarious applause.

1Sa 18:1 And it came to pass, when he [David] had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his Father’s house.
1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
1Sa 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

Men delight in every aspect of a woman; every detail of her is titillation to his senses. So what is this quality two men can have for each other that a woman (thankfully!) is incapable of contributing?

I say, “thankfully” since we are not to confuse the sexes by a woman taking on the man’s qualities in a vain attempt to achieve the love that Jonathan and David had. Saul, Jonathan and David would loathe any Zena warrior-like woman standing shoulder to shoulder with them holding an enemy’s head aloft.

Jonathan’s and David’s very souls were knit by David’s extraordinary courage to slay the uncircumcised Philistine whom the armies of Israel feared. Saul, like Cain, became sullen and morose for not “do[ing] well” with their offerings and prefigures the likes of Esau and Queen Vashti and a host of other notables who nonchalantly refused God.

Christ, like Saul, takes us, His bride, permanently into His house forever. Before Christ took His bride, the Father and Christ made a covenant together to create man and the resulting slaying of man’s giants in his land. Christ and the Father, as did Jonathan and David, love each other as do the Father and Christ love mankind.

Christ likewise makes a pure white linen robe, the same as His, and dresses His wife together with His sword and bow of truth to protect and guide her in rulership just as Jonathan gave David his fighting gear. Jonathan and David were one in everything by their souls being knit, as husbands and wives are to be. Jonathan and David were the epitomai [plural] that flesh could produce which reflects the love Christ and the Father have for each other as males without the sexual union, which a female is unique in bestowing.

As from the First Resurrection, the wife of Christ goes out wherever He sends her to judge wisely and bring out His sword upon a lawless generation in the fearful sight of all the people, Saul’s figurative servants.

I make no apologies for the endless juxtaposing of the natural against and preceding the spiritual examples in this paper. Consequently, God created utterly graphic violence of intense colour and imagery as “ensamples” in both the animal world and the human beast world as mechanisms to partly shock us into submission. Only through painful trials and sufferings to which all flesh contributes will eventually the world be subdued to say, “Your will be done, mighty Lord and King; your word rules; you are God.”

Thankfully, our delightful lady-folk are unlike Zena, the warrior princess for the married husbands and to whom he comes home. Nonetheless, are our lady Saints afraid to read and see the graphic and intense imagery of Heber’s wife driving a nail through his temple? How about a son killing her other son, as did Cain with its horrific and nightmarish recollections for decades? What about seeing your son beat up and nailed upon a cross right before your eyes? Christ didn’t like the idea, yet his mother and family were made to endure the violent imagery ~ pretty graphic and colourful, wouldn’t you say? The Bible is a book full of harlotry and whoredoms of which the sisters, Oholah and Oholibah outrank the most outlandish shady ladies.

All of those vivid pictorials are ensamples for us to muse upon for their spiritual applications in which we delight. Especially Gentile Christian women, and likewise men, are not exempt from shying away from those expressive images; they cannot understand why God wants our forebears to kill little children and women.

Men who cannot lead as God requires are men who unwittingly reflect the nature of women; they are feminised and unconsciously have women ruling over them. A woman doesn’t have the “privy members” of a male that denote masculinity and leadership. His privy members are the two highly notable assets at birth that clearly denote masculinity.

Deu 23:1 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. [A eunuch could not be a priest of the Lord; why?]

Lev 21:17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
Lev 21:18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
Lev 21:19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
Lev 21:20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
Lev 21:21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
Lev 21:22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
Lev 21:23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

All of those “blemishes”, as we know, are symbols of the higher spiritual meaning. Aaron’s seed came from Abraham and down to Christ and was sworn by Abraham’s servant’s hand “under my thigh” to garner a wife for Jacob from his “seed” or kindred. A blind man denotes the endemic blindness of all mankind. A lame man (spiritually) cannot walk in truth and spirit to rightly judge even these issues and even speak righteously about them. A more spiritually savvy Saint may have a better meaning for the “flat nose”, yet it means deformed, as does all things “superfluous” or deformed. Likewise, a broken foot or hand handicaps our walk and work’s spiritual use, as does a crooked back and dwarfism and poor eyesight and diseases.

So why couldn’t a man having a damaged or missing “member” or “stones” be a Priest, and why should that be a problem when the New Covenant was being established and enacted? Philip outrageously, to the Jews, by guiding the Ethiopian eunuch in God’s word, showed the fact that eunuchs, like us with blemishes, will be made into the new man.

A male’s privy members highlight his masculinity, and only males, in the Law of Moses, complete with those qualities and lacking blemishes, could be a priest. Having a full complement of privy members without bodily blemishes portrays the purity and headship of the Father and, in order, Christ, the man and then the woman and children.

We in the Body are fully aware that we must not attempt to state a date or time when Christ will come ‘in person’ for the First Resurrection. We can see clearly that these increasingly unstable times are an overture to that event. Given the seemingly short time between now and the First Resurrection, it seems somewhat trite that we should be seeking to fulfil the desires of the flesh in our marriages, especially since Paul said it is nobler to not focus overly on the flesh in marriage:

1Co 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
1Co 7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
1Co 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
1Co 7:32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
1Co 7:33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his Wife.

Nonetheless, we can be given to see some astonishing connections in our fleshly marriages that will greatly ravish our love for Christ; again, the natural precedes the spiritual.

There is a correlation that ultimately exists between the Father and Christ and the order of headship! That order is the Father, Christ and His wife and then the rest of humanity. Ultimately, the Father and Son’s priority is to the Father as if Christ had no wife! “… that both they that have wives be as though they had none.” Hypothetically and in the impossible event that the wife of Christ is found to be impure and cast out forever into nothingness, the Father and the Word would default to what they were before creation – as though they had none – no wife. The Father without Christ and Christ without his wife  would yet exist as God and the Word being with God – a love that is “wonderful” and “passing the love of women”.

Yet, we still need to care for our spouses and not defraud the other by avoiding conjugal rights both physically and spiritually while in the last days of the clay.

In part, this paper will seem like an amplification of the flesh; well, yes, it possibly will appear like that, yet to the glory of God. The hopeful revelations exposed, I expect, will make Christ and God brighter and exceedingly more massive in what they propose for the Bride. Seeing the natural more clearly will vastly amplify the thing that casts the shadow, Christ!

Rom 6:14 For sin [flesh that is so easily subject to sin] shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. [So, it will seem a bit uninspiring to reflect so strongly on aspects of our flesh. We don’t walk away from our marriages to be wholly freed from the flesh ~ just yet.]
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin [the flesh].

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. [In this instance, when we see more fully what God has given us in the flesh, we will see and experience more dramatically the fullness of Christ, our Husband.]

The answers as to how the flesh can have a love for their spouse which is greater than any woman can give to a man, is for possible future study.

With the following discussion, I would like it to be a part of this study, probably not for the Babylonian’s viewing, since they cannot eat from our table.

I dissuade any overt sexually sensitive expressions; however, how would you envisage the Elect could more intensely complete the spiritual energy loop in a married couple that is a shadow eclipsed by the Wife’s relationship with Christ? In electrical terms, it would be similar to a direct current as opposed to main alternating current – an endless and powerful flow from Christ to his wife and back to Him.

[Author may be contacted at gtsquelch (at) gmail.com]