Eat the Honey, it is your Provision
When the people entered the forest the honey was dripping, but no man put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath of Saul. But Jonathan had not heard of his father’s oath, So he put out the end of his staff and dipped it into a honeycomb and then he put it in his mouth and his energy was restored. (1 Samuel 14:27)
Saul had put his men under a curse saying, “Curse be the man who eats before evening and before the enemy is avenged”. But Saul had stopped hearing from God. These men were at war in pursuit of the Philistines. They were tired and they were hungry. They were in Gibeah a place of a steep hill. They needed all their energy at this point but Saul selfishly forbade them to eat until the battle was over. A military order without God’s approval.
Jonathan had already proven that the battle was not theirs but the Lord’s. He had gone into the enemies’ camp with his armor bearer and plundered them upon the word of the Lord saying, “There is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or few”. (Samuel 14: 6)
Jonathan and his men came upon a place in the forest where honey was oozing from the branches on to the ground. Even in our period of bitterness God has prepared a sweet spot. In your forest there is a honeycomb. In the middle of the war honey is dripping. Something to revive the soul, to give visions and insights. God provides something to give strength for the battle to overcome and be victorious. In the path to conflict God drops honey! There is sweetness in every battle. He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.
Jonathan was not aware of his father’s death threat to the soldiers who ate that day. He was hungry and faint. He must have smelled the sweet smell of honey, then he saw the honey dripping on the ground, and without hesitation he pushed his staff into the honeycomb and sucked on it. Immediately, he regained his strength, he was energized and his mind became clear, his eyes were opened. He came alive at the taste of the honeycomb. He was ready for battle, revived and renewed. There is something about honey, John the Baptist survived on honey in the wilderness. There is something about honey that Samson found in the carcass of the lion. When Jesus came back from the dead His first meal was fish and honeycomb. (Luke 24:42) God’s promise to Israel and all His saints is a land flowing with milk and honey.
The 600 men around Jonathan were faint from hunger, physically and emotionally drained. Some were hiding, some ran away but they would not eat because of the curse from Saul. They were afraid they would be put to death if they ate. Whose report will you believe?
They plucked up the courage to tell Jonathan the oath that Saul had taken. That he would surely be put to death, but Jonathan’s response was, ‘My father has troubled the land’. Jonathan’s life was spared but he did not feel bound by his fathers oath, knowing it was not of God.
There are some Sauls in our lives that have sworn over our lives, that we should not taste of the honey until they have conquered, and the curse is still in effect. he has troubled our land. But the word of the Lord to us is eat the honey provided. You will not die. It is right at your finger tips. Reach out and taste and see… Honey opens the eyes and heals the body. Why are you starving. God has provided a forest dripping with honey, eat and be satisfied. With honey from the Rock will I satisfy you (Psalm 19:9) Jesus is the Rock and His Word is the honey. Reach in and pull out the honey from the Rock. It is ever dripping.
The word of God is honey in my mouth. For I ate the scroll and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3)
We break off the spirit of Saul and the threat of Saul over every situation and release the dripping forest of honey on the ground over our lives. Saul is not of God and does not hear from God. Saul cannot prophesy over you because he does not hear from God. Eat the honey it is your provision.