The Prince: Jonathan by Francine Rivers Read Free Book Online Page B

the fierce King Saul who had hacked two oxen to pieces and led Israel into battle? “What of Mother? What of your sons and daughters? Gibeah—”
    Saul scowled. “You can go there and secure the city. Close the gates and guard the city.”
    Jonathan blushed. “I can’t hide behind the city walls while you’re here. My place is beside you against the enemies of God.”
    “You will go to Gibeah. I have Abner and three thousand of Israel’s best to guard me. I’ll stay here in Micmash as we plan for the days ahead. You go on home.”
    Didn’t he understand? “The Ammonites are in fear of us. And the Philistines will be as well!”
    Kish snorted. “Young blood flows hot with foolishness.”
    Saul glared at his father and then looked at Jonathan again. “Samuel is no longer with us.”
    “God is with us,” Jonathan said.
    “God was with me at Jabesh-gilead, but I do not feel His Presence with me now.”
    “Father—”
    Saul’s eyes darkened. “The Philistines are not the cowards the Ammonites are.”
    Jonathan moved closer and lowered his voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “If the Ammonites were cowards, Father, why did we fear them so long?”
    Saul’s head came up, eyes flashing; but Jonathan knew the fear that lurked behind the king’s quick temper.
    Kish smiled and patted Jonathan on the back. “There is a time for everything, Jonathan.”
    Lord, make them see! “Yes, but the time is now. Nahash is dead! The Ammonites are scattered. The Philistines will have heard how King Saul mustered the army and slaughtered the invaders. They were in fear of us before, my king, and they will be again. God is on our side! We have the advantage!”
    Abner put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. Jonathan shook it off.
    Saul’s eyes glowed. “No one doubts your courage, my son.”
    Kish’s eyes flickered. “But courage must be tempered with wisdom.”
    Jonathan looked at his grandfather. “I thought you wanted war.” He looked around at the others. “Do not dismiss what I say.”
    “There is a difference between the Ammonites who attempted to take land—” Saul waved his hand over the maps—“and the Philistines who have occupied it for years. They have strongholds.”
    “It is our land, Father, the land God gave us. It’s time we drove them back into the sea from which they came!”
    Saul raised his hands. “Using what against them? They have iron weapons. We have two swords. Our warriors carry dull mattoxes, ruined axes, chipped sickles and spears. Even if we had a blacksmith, do I have the shekels to pay to sharpen weapons for an army? And if I did, the Philistines would know we were preparing for war, and they’d come down on us and drown us in our own blood.”
    “So we wait? We do nothing when they raid our crops?”
    “What crops?” Kish ground out. “God destroyed the wheat.”
    “We wait, my son. We plan.”
    Fear still reigned in Israel!
    Jonathan’s father put his arm around him and walked him to the entrance of the tent. “You go to Gibeah with the men I’ve assigned you. Secure the city.”
    Jonathan bowed his head and left the tent. He would go to Gibeah and do exactly what his father commanded.
    And then he would destroy Geba before the Philistines there had time to attack and destroy his father!

    Raging, Saul paced before Jonathan, who was still exultant over the defeat of Geba. “What sort of message does it give all Israel when my own son doesn’t listen to me?”
    “I secured Gibeah.”
    “And destroyed Geba! You have brought disaster on us all! Did you think killing a few hundred Philistines and burning a small outpost would accomplish anything? You pulled the tail of a lion and now he will turn and devour us! When word spreads of what you did, we will have all Philistia thirsting for our blood! We are not ready for this war !”
    Jonathan shrank inwardly as doubt squelched his assurance that God had wanted him to attack the outpost. Was I listening to my own pride? If