Focus: Just A Little Honey! (Pt.1)

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 the honey."

Amid a raging battle king Saul declared a fast for his soldiers. What a senseless thing to do! What kind of military strategy is this? Is fasting part of the art and science of warfare? What a bad time to do a good thing or play religion! This is leadership gone wrong. 

The Scripture says that "the men of Israel were distressed that day… And the people were faint… And the people were very faint." Notice those words - "distressed," "faint," and "very faint." They fought gallantly on empty stomach. It was for the sake of God's honor that they were able to gain a certain degree of victory over their enemies. The Scripture says, "So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven." God helped hungry soldiers on to victory. They didn't win by their might, but by God's presence and power.

Then Jonathan wondered how great the victory would have been had the soldiers eaten food. Even in the field of battle they found honey in abundance. The Scripture says that "there was honey upon the ground… Behold, the honey dropped." Jonathan "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." Then Jonathan says, "My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of the honey. How much more, if happy 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?" They would have recorded greater victories if they had had food in their belly. Just a little honey, and Jonathan's eyes brightened up and his body surged with energy.

The battle continues throughout our lives, and we certainly need God's honey to take the battle beyond Beth-aven. Let's go from tasting a little honey to eating the whole honey - the honey of God's word.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter