“I am with you, heart and soul.”
In 1 Samuel 14 we see the story of two people who take on and overcome incredible odds.
The story focuses on Jonathan, the son of King Saul, and his unnamed armor bearer. The Hebrew word for armor bearer is nasa’ keliy. Armor Bearers were highly skilled, courageous, and loyal. Their main job was to faithfully serve the soldiers to whom they were assigned. Jonathan would not have gone anywhere without his armor bearer.
As the story goes Saul and his army, having just won a victory over the Philistines, were waiting for their next move. Jonathan has the ambitious idea to overwhelm a small group of Philistine soldiers holding a critical pass through the mountains. Saul and his army wait, comfortable with their previous victory.
The armor bearer, full of courage and belief in God and Jonathan, speaks words that turn the entire battle on its head, “I am with you, heart and soul.” (1 Samuel 14:7 ESV)