Great Bible Truths Episode 142
Lessons from their lives Talk 8:
Jonathan – When God’s people feel outnumbered and powerless
Welcome to talk 8 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Jonathan. We’ll begin by reading a selection of verses from 1 Samuel 13 and 14.
1 Samuel 13:5-7
- The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
- When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
- Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.
1 Samuel 13:19-22
- Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’
- So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
- So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
1 Samuel 13:23-14:16, 20-23
13:23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
14:1. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ But he did not tell his father.
- …No-one was aware that Jonathan had left.
- On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff…
- Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’
- ‘Do all that you have in mind,’ his armour-bearer said. ‘Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.’
- Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over towards them and let them see us.
- If they say to us, “Wait there until we come to you,” we will stay where we are and not go up to them.
- But if they say, “Come up to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.’
- So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. ‘Look!’ said the Philistines. ‘The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.’
- The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.’ So Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, ‘Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.’
- Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer followed and killed behind him.
- In that first attack Jonathan and his armour-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
- Then panic struck the whole army – those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties – and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
- Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions.
- Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.
- Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
- When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.
- So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
Today we’ll consider:
- A parallel with the situation today
- Five types of God’s people
- The example of Jonathan
A parallel with the situation today
God’s people outnumbered
- The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
God’s people deprived of their weapons
1 Samuel 13:19-22
- Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’
- So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
- So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Our sword today is the word of God (Ephesians 6)
The enemy has always tried to deprive God’s people of access to it, by attempting to:
- Destroy it
- Discredit it
- Distract us from reading it.
Five types of God’s people
1: Those who have gone into hiding
- When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
2: Those who have gone over to the enemy
14:21. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
3: Those who were loyal, but afraid
13:7. …Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.
4: Those who were loyal and unafraid
14:7. ‘Do all that you have in mind,’ his armour-bearer said. ‘Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.’
5: Those who were doing something for God
Jonathan himself. Please note 6 things we can learn from his example.
The example of Jonathan
He did not depend on the power or help of others.
His sword was enough.
Both Saul and Jonathan had swords, but only Jonathan had the courage to use it. If you have a sword, you have a responsibility to use it!
He recognised the true nature of the enemy
The enemy was uncircumcised – was not in covenant relationship with God
- Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’
He had faith in God’s power to use him
- Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’
He was willing to submit his plans to God’s will
- Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over towards them and let them see us.
- If they say to us, “Wait there until we come to you,” we will stay where we are and not go up to them.
- But if they say, “Come up to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.’
He trusted God’s leading implicitly
- Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer followed and killed behind him.
While he was doing so he would have had a limited access to his sword. He was trusting God to protect him.
He received supernatural help from God
- Then panic struck the whole army – those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties – and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.