Sermon Study Questions - January 10, 2016

By Many or By Few

1 Samuel 14:1-52

January 10, 2016

Study Questions

1. Read 1 Samuel 14:1-15. Drawing on chapter 13, how bad a situation was Israel in? Who specifically was with Saul at this time? Why is this important?

2. Given the dire situation and the heart of his father, where do you suppose Jonathan’s faith came from? What was the sign that the Lord was with him and why? Where do you see Jonathan’s humility? How did the situation turn out?

3. Read 1 Samuel 14:16-23. What caused Saul to rally his troops against the Philistines? Who all joined him in the battle? Was he successful? Who was ultimately responsible for the victory?

4. Read 1 Samuel 14:24-46. Why did Saul lay such an oath on his men that day? Was he wise or unwise in this? Why did Jonathan eat the honey? How did Saul’s men act when the battle was complete? How did Saul react to them?

5. How did Saul deal with Jonathan? Why did the people intervene for Jonathan and why did Saul relent?

6. Read 1 Samuel 14:47:52. What do we learn from these verses about Saul’s exploits? About his family? About his closest confidants? How does this play into the flow of the story?

7. Spend some time in prayer. Ask the Lord to apply this story to your life, and to grant you power to walk in His ways.

a. Do you tend to act in faith like Jonathan? If so, what do you learn from him in this story?

b. Do you tend to act in the flesh like Saul? If so, what should you learn from him in this story?

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