Advancing the Battle and Bringing Others With You

Intro

1 Samuel 14:1–23 KJV 1900

1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. 2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; 3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. 7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. 8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. 11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. 13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. 14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. 15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.

Sermon Title: Advancing the Battle and Bringing Others With You

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Context:

In Chapter 10 and 11 - Israel asks for a king and Saul is made King over Israel

In Chapter 13, Saul chose 3,000 men… 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah

In vs. 3 - Jonathan won a battle against the Philistines in Geba, taking back land that was Philistine occupied

Vs. 5 tells us that the Philistines had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and more people than could be counted in their army!

Now we’re looking at 2,000 of Saul’s army in Michmash against this huge army of the Philistines...

The effect it had on Saul and his army is:

they were distressed and hid (Vs. 6)

Some fled (vs. 7)

Some followed Saul, trembling (vs. 7)

Saul and the men that were left with him went to Gilgal to wait for Samuel

He grew impatient and disobeyed God by offering a burnt offering that wasn’t his to do

He was reproved by Samuel for this

Vs. 8 says the people scattered from Saul

Samuel told Saul he would lose his kingdom because of his disobedience (14)

Now in vs. 15, Saul is down to only 600 men...

Saul and Jonathan are in Gibeah and the Philistines are in Michmash

They had a dwindling army

They had a threatened army

They had a deprived army

1 Samuel 13:19–22 KJV 1900

19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

When the Philistines controlled Gibeah, they removed the blacksmiths and controlled the iron market so the Israelites would not be able to have weapons of war...

AND, they were required to rely on the enemy...

What were they left with?

“...there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan...”

The army was dwindled

Some deserted

Some fled and hid

Some watched from afar

The army was threatened

The army was deprived

No men… no spirit… no weapons… no leadership...

Christians today are dwindling because of fear from the enemy and the world...

Many are fleeing and hiding...

Many are simply watching from afar...

We feel threatened, outnumbered and outmatched...

Sometimes we deprive ourselves from the Word of God… our weapon that is sharper than any two-edged sword...

When we do, we lose all spirit to fight the fight...

In light of all of these detrimental and losing circumstances… let’s briefly look at Jonathan’s response...

1. Jonathan went while others sat

1 Samuel 14:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. 2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; 3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

a.) He went believing in God

b.) He went knowing God had no limits on what He could do

c.) He went knowing numbers meant nothing to God

d.) He went bringing others with him

1 Samuel 14:7 KJV 1900

7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

e.) He went leading the way

1 Samuel 14:13 KJV 1900

13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

2. Jonathan’s faith made the sitters to engage

1 Samuel 14:14–20 KJV 1900

14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. 15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

3. Jonathan’s Faith made the deserters to reengage

There were those who:

Fled and hid

Deserted completely

Followed Saul trembling

Those same people are now reengaged in the fight against the Philistines...

1 Samuel 14:21 KJV 1900

21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.

4. Jonathan’s Faith made the Hiders to reengage

1 Samuel 14:22 KJV 1900

22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

Because of Jonathan’s faith in God, the Sit and Watchers, Deserters and Hiders all reengaged in the battle...

Conclusion:

1. Jonathan went while others sat

2. Jonathan’s faith made the sitters to engage

3. Jonathan’s Faith made the deserters to reengage

4. Jonathan’s Faith made the Hiders to reengage

Are you a sitter? Do you watch as others serve and sit back in your camp while someone else is going forward in the battle?

Are you a deserter? Have you deserted your post in the ministry or are you still physically present, but possibly you’ve spiritually deserted because of a lack of faith in God?

Are you a hider? Are you looking at the fact we seem to be outnumbered and outmatched… The difference between the hiders and the Jonathan’s is that Jonathan still had faith in God…

Have the spirit of Jonathan...

Jump in and engage even when others want nothing to do with it...

Keep your weapon in your hand ready to go...

Go believing God can...

Invoke others to reengage with you… not by word… but by action...