Why Didn’t Jonathan Fight Goliath?

The CAN-DO Bible® Devotional Year 2 — Trimester 3 — Day 53

Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash

At first glance, the title question might feel misplaced. After all, 1 Samuel 17 is the story of a giant and a shepherd boy. Jonathan isn’t even mentioned. The spotlight is on David’s powerful response to Goliath’s taunt, “I defy the armies of Israel today!” (vs 10).

David’s reply still gives me goosebumps: “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (vs 26).

But David wasn’t the only obedient believer at the battle that day. Verse 24 tells us, “All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were terrified.”

Which means Jonathan — Saul’s son and proven warrior — was there too.

If you need a refresher on Jonathan, remember:

· He is Saul’s oldest son (1 Samuel 14:49).

· He had to be at least twenty when he accompanied his father in battle (Numbers 1:3).

· He bravely struck a garrison of Philistines in Geba (1 Samuel 13:3)

· When Saul froze in fear, Jonathan led a surprise attack at Michmash (1 Samuel 14:14)

· That particular ambush was an act of pure faith (1 Samuel 14:12).

Jonathan was no coward. He was a man of courage, initiative, and deep trust in God. So where is this brave and faithful man when Goliath shows up?

Based on the timeline of Saul’s reign, Jonathan is probably in his forties during this battle. So, did age diminish Jonathan’s faith? I don’t think so. Subsequent chapters reveal he is still the man he ever been.

So, here’s my theory. And it is only a theory.

God had Jesse’s youngest son go to the battlefield on purpose. The Almighty wanted David to be the one who brought down this enemy of Israel. That meant Jonathan, like every other man in Israel, fled in terror. Not because he lacked faith, but because God wanted to present to the world His future King.

What I love about exploring this possibility is what it reveals about God’s ways. We are so quick to judge others' actions without context. And to be honest, we judge ourselves too harshly as well when God isn’t. When we choose to walk in faith, there are times we will be called to fight and at other times called to turn tail and run. That’s why we need to stay close to Him. To listen for His commands and not jump into battles we aren’t supposed to fight.

As I revisit this familiar story, I’m reminded that my role isn’t always to win. My role won’t always be to step forward as the hero. And before I judge myself or anyone else, I want to grow in trusting that God’s way is always the best way — even when it doesn’t look like courage in the moment.

Jonathan didn’t fight Goliath because God didn’t choose him to.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

1 Samuel 17:1–15

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4 A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him. 8 He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” 10 The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”

11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul. 15 Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

Psalm 7:1–9

A meditation by David, which he sang to Yahweh, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.

1 Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, 2 lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver. 3 Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands, 4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary), 5 let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.

6 Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment. 7 Let the congregation of the peoples surround you. Rule over them on high. 8 Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.

1 Samuel 17:16–39

16 The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 Jesse said to David his son, “Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers; 18 and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand; and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.” 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle. 21 Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. 22 David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were terrified. 25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.”

26 David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

27 The people answered him in this way, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”

29 David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” 30 He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way. 31 When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

34 David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after him, struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, struck him, and killed him. 36 Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go! Yahweh will be with you.”

38 Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. 39 David strapped his sword on his clothing and he tried to move, for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, “I can’t go with these, for I have not tested them.” Then David took them off.

Meditation Moment

Dear God,

I don’t want to be like Jacob or Israel, who said, “My way is hidden from Yahweh, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God.” I know and have heard, You are the everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You don’t faint. You are never weary. You understand what is unsearchable. You give power to the weak. You increase my strength when I have no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; but when I wait for You, You will renew my strength. I will mount up with wings like eagles. I will run, and not be weary. I will walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:27–33).

Amen.

Meditation Music Moment

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