What’s the Deeper Meaning Behind Jonathan’s Honey?

So we’re going to look at 1st Samuel chapter 14 and then Psalms 19 as well.

1 Samuel 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.”

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

Throughout the Bible, honey was used in a positive connotation. It’s used in reference to something sweet that invigorates and energizes you. Jonathan said that, “see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.”

Now, throughout the context of 1 Samuel 14, Saul made a foolish oath. Saul said that “we’re not gonna eat until I take vengeance on all my enemies.”

So they were fasting until they can kill all the enemies. Well, how you gonna get energy to kill all your enemies if you’re all fasting, if you don’t eat? So then Jonathan, he said notice that “when I just ate honey, it invigorated me already and my eyes were enlightened.” You know what the Bible likens that to? The word of God enlightening you.

Psalms 19:10: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

Psalms 19:7-8 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

“They” are referring to the words of God.

Honey is in reference to something sweet and energizes you, and in many times, it refers to the Bible which gives you strength so that you can attack the enemy.

That was Saul’s problem. In order to attack the enemy, he was starving them out of something that could have energized them and given them strength.

Jonathan, because he tasted of that honey, he felt enlightened. Jonathan was the one who’s famously known in this passage of conquering the enemies right here. In order to attack the enemy, it’s not by doing a foolish oath where you fast spiritually. Now, if you fast physically, that’s one thing, but we’re talking about spiritually right here.

We’re talking about fasting from the Bible right here. When you’re fasting away from the word of God, which gives you the energy to attack the enemy.

And you need that word of God to fight and attack the enemy because it’s sweet and it energizes you. Now there are some things also concerning this honey which is a warning as well.

The book of Proverbs says that if you eat too much honey, it’s not good. Too much sweetness is not good for you. If everything is sweet and energizing you, that’s not a good thing either.

The book has to give you something bitter as well.

Revelation 10:9 “And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”

This can definitely give a great picture of the Bible, where it not only gives you the sweetness, but it also makes it bitter. When you come to this church, you’re enjoying the honey a lot through Bible study, through sermons, through encouragement. When you get the bitter part like hard preaching and then you’re like, “my goodness, my stomach hurts, it was so bitter.”

That’s the balance of the Bible, what it’s supposed to do: it’s supposed to bring bitterness and sweetness. Because you know why? The book of Proverbs says too much sweetness is not good, it makes you vomit, makes you sick. That’s why when you listen to Joel Osteen’s sermon, it just makes you puke.

There are preachers who have no sweetness in them that can give you energy. There is no doubt that if that Bible had nothing but hell and judgment, where would we get any joy in our lives? We have the sweetness of His presence and His glory, eternity in heaven, eternal security. And that’s what we need to invigorate us, and because we don’t have that we cannot attack the enemy.

You know why you get discouraged? You know why the enemy is beating you in your daily life right now and you feel worn out? You have nothing sweet to energize you. All you do is put negative things in your mind. Discouragement, depression, misery, looking at the trial and persecution.

The Bible is supposed to give you sweetness and energy.