1 Samuel 14, Holy Courage In Action
1. Holy Courage Believes God Can And May Work (v1-6)
2. Holy Courage Invites God To Work (v7-15)
3. Holy Courage Inspires Others To Work (v16-22)
4. Holy Courage Glorifies God (v23)
1 Samuel 14, Holy Courage In Action
Did you enjoy this teaching?
Let others know!
VIEW TRANSCRIPT
As we look at first Samuel Chapter 14 tonight, I've titled The Message Holy Courage in Action, Holy Courage in Action.
Courage can be defined in a variety of ways, but one of the simplest, I think is strength in the face of danger, fear or difficulty.
Strength in the face of of things that oppose us and things that in.
Other circumstances, perhaps we might back down.
We might cower.
We might run away, but in those times of courage we face those fears and we go forward with what is set before us in the face of those difficulties.
Now, holy courage, I would.
Kind of apply it this way that it's courage that is set apart for God.
It's courage that is inspired by God.
It's courage that is dedicated to the things of God.
There's a lot of things, of course, that we could be courageous about.
But to allow our courage to be devoted to the things of God, the cause of God, the will of God, and the walk of God.
That's what we really see portrayed in Jonathan here, and so we get to see in this example of Jonathan Holy Courage in Action, Jonathan.
Is the son of King Saul.
We considered Saul a little bit on Sunday.
Saw was really not a godly man.
So much religious man, yes, but definitely did not have the heart of God.
Did not pursue the heart of God, but Jonathan, although he is the son of Saul, he is different and there's a.
Strong contrast between Saul and Jonathan Jonathan is a man of faith.
Great boldness and courage where we might see Saul hiding amongst the stuff on Coronation Day.
Right here we see Jonathan take his armor bearer and go and face a whole army.
Just the two of them, and so you can see the contrast there, the the boldness that he has and it's one of the reasons, perhaps that.
Jonathan and David connected so well that we'll see that in a couple of chapters that as David comes on the scene and.
Acts in a similar way against Goliath that the soul of Jonathan, the Soul of David there knit together, they're they're.
They're joined, they're bound together because both of them are men who have a holy courage, a real confidence and trust in God.
And as you read through this passage and you watch this battle unfold.
I I think it's like a a scene that would be a great movie.
You know these two guys climbing up a hill and taking.
On an army I found a picture of Jonathan that helps us a little bit understand who he is.
This picture now it's actually of Legolas from Lord of the Rings, but in my mind, as I read through chapter 14 like that's the kind of scenes I'm picturing in my head, I'm playing out.
You know, my own movie scenes in my head with with Jonathan.
In his armor, bear these just incredible guys who trusted the Lord to go and do great things for God.
In describing Jonathan talking about Jonathan, Pastor Warren Wiersbe says it's a remarkable blessing of the grace of God that a man like Saul should have a son.
So magnificent as Jonathan, he was a courageous warrior, a born leader and a man of faith who sought to do the will of God.
And so here in Jonathan we really do have a great example, a great model.
And I I pray that looking at his example tonight will encourage you and help you to have holy courage to take courage in the Lord to trust in the Lord and to move forward with anything that God puts upon your heart with anything that God sets.
Before you and so there's four things that we'll look at for things to learn about.
Holy courage as we look at this example of holy courage.
In action, the action of Jonathan as he trusted in the Lord, the first one that we look at is found in verses one through 6.
Here's point number one tonight.
Holy Courage believes God can and may work.
And pointing pauses and connections there.
Holy Courage believes God can and may.
Work check out verse.
Six once again it says.
Then Jonathan said to the young man.
Who bore his armour?
Come let us go over to the Garrison of these uncircumcised.
It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by.
As we open up the chapter, the children of Israel are in a battle with the Philistines only.
It's really not a battle.
It's more of a standoff and the philistines are there.
And Saul and his men are basically overwhelmed by the threat.
Not encouraged, not engaged in the battle.
They're they're camped out, but but they're in a standoff. They're they're not moving forward. It's something that we'll see repeatedly in Saul's leading of the army again in a couple of chapters. When Goliath comes on the scene and David walks into the camp.
He finds the same thing.
The army is just camped, just just.
They're not willing to engage in the battle.
They're just.
They're camped in a standoff and and this is where they're at right now.
Jonathan, in Chapter 13 had attacked another group of Philistines, and so it.
Kind of stirred.
Up the philistines and they've come out to do battle.
Bill, but but Saul and his men are there, camped out many of the Israelites at this time.
The the soldiers are hiding for fear of the Philistines, and so it's a time of really discouragement, not great courage, but discouragement as the the men are just sitting there.
There's a big threat.
Right in front of them. They're not facing it. Many of them are hiding in caves. They've run away. There's only 600 guys left with Saul when originally just chapter.
Earlier there was 2000 guys with him and so many of his guys have abandoned him as a result of this great threatened great discouragement.
That's going on.
But in the midst of that context, in the midst of that background, something interesting happens in verse one and tells us that one day Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor and come, let us go over to the Philistines Garrison.
That's on the other side.
And it points out that he didn't tell his father.
Now it doesn't exactly tell us why he didn't tell his father, but it probably is fairly easy to guess some reasons why he might not have told his father right in the face of this great discouragement, he would not have expected his father to say that's a great idea, John.
Go for it, right?
He he would have tried to discourage Jonathan.
From that and it seems that he already had an idea in his mind that the Lord had stirred up something.
He had something impressed upon his heart.
He didn't lay out the plans to the armor bearer in total, yet he just said, hey, let's let's crossover.
Let's go kind of.
Scout out the enemy territory a little bit.
Scout out where they're set up, where they're camped, and see what might come about.
As we do that.
Now, while Jonathan is heading out, it describes where Saul's at and what's happening with him. In verse two, he was sitting at the outskirts.
Of Libya sitting under a pomegranate tree, it seems that he's just kind of content to just hang out like that's where he's at. They're just they're camped out under the pomegranate tree and there's about 600 guys with him.
He has a priest with him.
It tells us in verse three it's a priest, though of the line of priests that God had cut off, and so he's not really a legitimate priest.
But he has a priest with him.
He's wearing the ephod, but he's not really hearing from the Lord.
He's not really seeking out the Lord, he's not getting.
Holy courage from the Lord to go and fight this battle.
He's just he's just sitting there.
Meanwhile, in verse four, we pick it up again with Jonathan and he as he's heading over to the Philistine Garrison in order to get there, they have to do some rock climbing, and it describes these this the way he went up.
You know, he didn't go around the easy way that would be, you know.
Seen well in advance and attacked well in advance, he kind of snuck up the back end where the Philistines would not have expected anybody to come up and so they climb up this rock one was called bozez, the other was Cena.
It was this where these two rocks joined together, one that hit the got the.
Strength of the sun during the day.
So it's called bozez or shining the other one, which in the shade has all the growth and vegetation, so it's called thorny.
And so, whichever way you go, it's either going to be hot and difficult and shining, or it's going to be thorny.
There's this challenge that they have just.
To get there, but.
They press forward in the midst of those challenges, even though again, the whole plan isn't laid out yet.
They don't know exactly what's going to happen, but they're just exploring.
This prompting that Jonathan has upon his heart they're exploring this move of the spirit, that he is sensed.
And so he goes.
Does some rock climbing.
And then in verse six he lays out the plan to his armored bear.
He says, OK.
Here's the plan.
Go over there.
To the Philistine Garrison.
Because it may be that the Lord will.
Work for us.
For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many.
Or by few.
Now verse six has some very good theology.
That's it's really deep theology.
Dense theology really important truths for us to grasp hold of.
This good theology includes.
Possibility as well as certainty and good good theology really needs to understand both and grasp hold of both.
There is possibility of some things and there is certainty about other things.
The possibility Jonathan says it may be that the Lord will work for us.
He lays it out as a possibility.
This is not a name it and claim it kind of situation that he's just going to do this and trust that God is going to do it without having been directed by or LED by the Lord.
To do that, remember, I always just define faith as obedience to God.
At his word.
At this point, Jonathan doesn't know if this is what God wants to do. He doesn't know if it's God's will. He doesn't know if it's God's plan, but.
He believes there is this possibility.
It could be, perhaps this is part of the will of God that he would bring about deliverance to the nation from the Philistines through his actions that he's about to take.
And so he has this possibility that gives him this holy courage.
It's really a an optimism.
It's a hope.
Now, typically in the Bible we look at hope and it's a certainty, but in this case the idea of hope is he hopes that God wants to do this.
He he wants God to to work this way, but he doesn't know for sure.
God hasn't revealed or declared or prophesied that this is the way that he wants to work, and so he has the possibility.
But he also has.
The aspect or the element of certainty, he says nothing, restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.
Nothing holds, holds God back.
Here you can see Jonathan Faith and trust and understanding of God that God doesn't need all 600 guys with Saul if he wants to bring about deliverance that doesn't have to be.
Be as part of God's.
Plan God not dependent.
Upon the numbers, and perhaps Jonathan, here is reflecting back to the events that happened in the life of Gideon as he was judging Israel and fought the Midianite army with only 300 men.
And perhaps he's you know, kind of reliving that. And he's thinking, well, this is kind of similar proportions, right? The the whole army is 600.
But there's just two of us. It's kind of similar to how the Lord whittled down the army of Gideon to just those 300, maybe with two.
You know, the nothing restrains the Lord from saving.
He's not restrained by the number of people.
He's not restrained by.
Man limitations.
He's not restrained by finances.
He's not restrained by strength or laws or government.
He he's not restrained from anything.
He can accomplish his purposes and do what he wants to do, and so Jonathan has a real.
Understanding of.
The omnipotence of God.
He is all powerful, and he can do a tremendous work.
With just two people, if he chooses to.
Now again, that's coupled with the possibility it's really important to couple these things together.
God can do this.
Does that mean that God will?
Does that mean that God should?
Well, we don't.
Always know the will of.
God in the plan of God.
We can trust God to have the best plan and his will for us is the best plan of what's good for us and so we can't approach situations knowing that God can do anything and then declaring or demanding, then that God must do something.
But we can approach it with the possibility the certainty is God can do anything that he.
Wants to do.
The possibility is Lord, maybe you want to use this method.
This route, maybe you want to do this right now.
Maybe you want to do it later.
Maybe you want to go this way or that way that that there is the possibility that maybe this thing that's upon my heart it could be.
The way God wants to work.
And so here is Jonathan.
He's just stirred.
Up by the Lord.
He has this idea.
He wakes up.
He's sitting there in his tent and he's.
Thinking you know God's big.
And here's all the guys.
They're all freaked out about, you know, the the Philistines, and they're all challenged by the army that is there.
And there's so much discouragement and so many have left and disbanded.
This isn't an accurate representation of the God that we serve.
God is not restrained by these guys, he says.
Perhaps in his heart.
In his mind he.
Says, you know, maybe.
Maybe God wants to use us.
Thinking about him in his armor, bearer that we would go and.
Stir up something.
And start a victory that could be accomplished for the people of God.
Nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few. Pastor David Guzik says. Notice where Jonathan had the emphasis he had little faith in himself but great faith in God. It wasn't. I can win a great victory with God's help. It was God can win.
A great victory.
Through even me.
Jonathan confidence.
His courage didn't come from himself and his own strength and what you know, he was convinced of about his ability to fight.
His courage came.
From recognizing, nothing restrains the Lord.
The Lord is evil.
God is big.
He is able to bring about victory no matter what circumstances we face and no matter how little the resources are.
And so Jonathan here has a holy courage.
He believes that God can.
That's the certainty God can he's capable of doing this work.
But he also believes that God may work.
There's the possibility maybe God wants to do it this way.
Maybe God has put this on my heart because he wants me to be involved.
And it's something for us to think about.
This example of holy courage in action.
Would it encourage you or I pray that it encourages you?
To take on this type of behavior.
To take on this type of faith in God.
First of all, knowing that God can do anything that he wants to do.
And he can turn a nation around.
With just one person, if he wants to, if he chooses to.
God can dramatically change a family with.
One person being willing to step out in the plans of God and walk in the path that God has set before them.
God can radically change a workplace or a community, or a church or a country.
God can do incredible things.
Evil 2 Nothing restrains him.
As we trust him as we walk with him, there is nothing that restrains God.
But we also rest in the perfect will of God.
The plan of God.
And so although God can do anything, we don't then approach it in a way that we try to arm wrestle God to meet him, or try to get him or try to get him to go against his plan.
Just as.
The Lord prayed in the garden.
All things are possible with you father.
If it's possible, let this cup pass from me.
If that's best, if there's a a better way, if there's a better plan.
Let's go a different course, but not my will.
Your will be done and he rested in God can.
In God may, but in the case of the Lord, in the garden of Gas M&E.
The father said this is the best plan and Jesus went to the.
Cross on our.
Behalf here for Jonathan and the Armor bearer armor bearer.
God could have chosen not to work.
Although he can deliver with just these two guys, he also could have chosen, but I don't want to right now.
That's not the best plan.
That's not my will.
It's not good for you ultimately, and that would have been OK.
God has that right, and I would suggest that Jonathan would have been OK with that.
That he would have been OK if God says I, I appreciate your faith.
I appreciate your confidence.
You know me well and that's great.
You'll be rewarded for that, but that's not the way that I want to bring deliverance to Israel today.
And Jonathan would have said, OK, that's not what God wants.
I want God planned for me.
But he had.
Holy courage so I believe God can.
And maybe this is on my heart.
Maybe he's stirred this.
Up in my mind.
Because he wants to do it this way, and so he's going to test it out.
Test out the waters.
I think this is really good for us to think about him.
Pray about and especially in light of what the Lord said at the end of the book of Mark as Jesus was about to ascend into heaven as he gave his disciples, including you and I, the Greek Commission.
He said these signs will follow those who believe.
In my name they will cast out demons.
They will speak with new tongues.
They will.
Take up serpents.
And if they drink anything deadly, it will by no.
Means hurt them.
They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.
Some powerful things that Jesus says here.
Now there's some bad theology.
That says God can and so therefore God must, and there's people who handle snakes and drink poison.
And you know, try to do these things and prove that because they believe in Jesus, none of these bad things will happen to them.
But that's not what the Lord intends.
That's not what the Lord is saying here, but the good theology is God can do any of these things, and so here's what I would encourage us to consider.
That God can do any of these things through any believer.
These are the signs that follow those who believe, not apostles.
Who teach or apostles who preach?
Or you know pastors who pastor or leaders who lead.
He says these signs will follow those who believe, and so I would encourage you.
To consider this.
If the Lord wants to bring about a healing for somebody, he can.
And of course, it's always our will and our desire that the person that is there in front of us, the person that we love, it's our desire that they be healed.
And yet at the same time.
We we know and we can trust in the will of God and the plan of God and rest in that.
But but we need.
To not be so discouraged like Saul and the soldiers just just camping, just sitting just.
Sitting there, downtrodden.
Perhaps the Lord would put upon our heart too.
Ask the Lord for a healing, and it it doesn't take a super special spiritual person.
A super special St with you know some great background or history.
This is for those who believe God can and may work, and so when he puts it upon your heart.
Ask him to work.
Not with the forcefulness.
Not what they demanded, right?
Not what.
They you must do this, but.
I know you're able to and maybe.
You want to work.
That healing in this way.
He says in my name they will cast out demons.
Now I think if you ran into a situation where there was demon possession and there was the need to cast out demons, probably the first thing you would do is you'd run to Rick Dominguez.
Right, you'd be like Rick.
This guy needs help casting demons out and so here you go pass him off.
I'm leaving tell me how it goes later on right?
'cause I just want to be far away from that as possible, right?
But no, no.
Holy courage.
Believes God can and may work.
God, you don't need someone super special to handle this situation.
You don't need, you know some great St that is performed miracles already in the past and has a long history of of miraculous endeavors.
You said you can do this through those who believe.
So load perhaps?
It's a possibility.
Maybe you want to use me.
To work this miracle.
To pray for this healing.
To lay hands on the sick.
To step out in faith.
To do this work for God.
Holy Courage believes God can and may work.
I would encourage you to think about that God can work whatever situation you're facing.
Whatever things you're going through, God can work.
He can immediately resolve that situation in an instant.
If he chose to.
And maybe he wants to.
But maybe sometimes we're just sitting there like Saul under the pomegranate tree.
It's like we found a little bit of shade.
It's just.
It's scary, it's a hard time, but I'm just going to get a little bit comfortable here there like there's there's pomegranates or shade.
I can just kind of hang out for a little bit kind of get through this difficult time and then move on to something else.
And if that's our approach.
We need to reconsider.
Or do you want to do something?
Do you want to bring about a deliverance?
Do you want to use me to do it?
You can do it.
You don't need $1,000,000 to do it, you could do it with two cents.
And I got $0.02. So Lord, do you want to do it this way? Is there something you want me to do in the face of this situation?
Holy Courage believes God can and may work well.
Continuing on the second thing we learned from Jonathan example.
Holy courage in action.
Point #2 holy Courage invites God to work. Let's look at verses 7 through 10. It says so. His armor bearer said to him do all that is in your heart.
Go then.
Here I am with you according to your heart.
Then Jonathan said very well, let us cross over to these men and we will show.
Ourselves to them.
If if they say thus to us, wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and not go up to them.
But if they say.
Thus come up to us, then we will go up for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be assigned to us.
As Jonathan and his.
Armor bearer, continue on and again Jonathan here lays out hey, let's go up to these guys.
Let's go see God can deliver.
Let's go see if God wants to deliver his armor bearer is right there with them and verse seven you could see his armor bearer is really a a good friend.
A good support.
He says hey, whatever is on your heart, I really trust that.
You know you're hearing from the Lord here.
I'm with you.
Let let's go, you know, and the armor bearer had the right to be fearful of the philistines, right?
And he was like, what are you getting us into?
Jonathan, right?
But but he he was with him.
He's like.
OK, maybe God is doing something in your heart and so he he was a support for Jonathan.
In the midst of that, I think that's a a good thing to reflect on as well as you meditate on as you pray about, you know, perhaps some bold steps of faith that you need to take holy courage that needs to be active in your life.
It does help to have a good friend.
It helps to have someone nearby that you can say, hey, I don't know if God wants to do this.
But maybe he does.
It's kind of scary.
It's kind of crazy.
It's pretty radical, but would you go with me and and make sure that you have those kinds of good friends in your life that that you can reach out and and say, hey, I, I, I think that maybe I need to take a step of faith, you know, will you pray about this with me?
Will you step into this with me?
Remember the disciples were sent out?
And choose by.
The Lord, and perhaps it was, you know, with this kind of idea in mind that they could support one another in these encounters.
And in these opportunities to take steps of faith and they could help each other.
Trust in the Lord and have courage together to do the work of God.
Well, to find out whether or not it's the will of God, Jonathan sets up.
A sign in verses 8 through.
10 he says look, we'll go and show ourselves to the philistines.
Will be still out of reach.
Will be not all the way up the mountain yet, but we'll be in this kind of clearing spot and when they take notice of us then the way that they interact with us is the way that.
That will determine whether or not the Lord wants us to go and bring about deliverance.
And so in verse 10 he says, if they say thus come up to us, then we will go up.
For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be assigned to us.
This courage that Jonathan has again its holy courage set apart to the Lord and for the things of the Lord.
He in this boldness in this courage.
That he has.
Says, OK, I know it's something the Lord can do.
I'm not totally sure if it's what God wants to do, and so I'm going to give God an invitation to work.
I'm going to present myself to the philistines.
I'm going to risk a little bit.
Stand before the philistines.
And if they give this particular response.
Then all no.
God responded to that invitation.
He's going to say yes, I want you to go forward.
I'm with you in this and I will deliver them into your hand.
Up to this point, Jonathan doesn't have, thus, says the Lord, right? He's he's just testing the waters, and depending on how this response goes, then he will determine whether or not God's with him and and so it's an invitation.
God here I'm gonna, you know, be there at this time on this day and if you want.
To show up.
Then I'll be there.
It's an invitation Lord, come and do what you want to do.
Pastor David Guzik says Jonathan is showing wisdom, not unbelief.
To this point, he's not acting on a specific confirmed word of God.
Instead, he's following the bold hope and impression of his heart.
He is humble enough to know his heart might be wrong on this day.
So Jonathan asked God to guide him.
He's humble enough to acknowledge he, you know.
I really want this.
Seems like something God wants to do.
I feel like God has put this on my heart.
But I also want to give God the opportunity to close that door or slam it open whatever the Lord wants.
He's submitted to the will of God.
Holy Courage invites God to work according to his will and is in submission to.
The will of God.
And so verse 11.
Both of them showed themselves to the Garrison of the Philistines.
And the Philistine said, look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.
Then the men of the Garrison called to Jonathan, and his armor bear, and said, come up to us, and we will show you something.
Jonathan said to his armor bear come up after me.
Notice what he says for the Lord has delivered them into the hand.
Of Israel, Jonathan says his armor bear alright.
The Lord has confirmed it.
He has delivered the Philistines into the hand of Israel.
Jonathan's plan here is not for him and his armor bearer to take on the whole army.
He is recognizing I'm just the start.
I'm just the the beginning.
I'm just inviting God to work.
And and the God is going to deliver the philistines into the hand of Israel.
And so Israel is going to be victorious today.
It's not going to be like he's not just out for glory for himself.
In his arm, Barry, he's saying.
I'm I'm just the start I I want to be part of the work of God and to start this new thing that God wants to do.
And so he presents himself. He takes the risk he invites God to work, and when they confirm what the Lord's will is, then he's like alright. God has delivered them.
God has responded to the invitation.
He's promised to show up.
He's RSVP D and and so we can count on it.
Let's climb up the rest of the way up this hill.
Because God is going to show up, he's going to be up there and he's going to be working on our behalf, and so the battle begins.
In verse 13, Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armor bearer after him.
And they fell before Jonathan, and as he came after him, his armor bearer killed them.
That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men within half an acre of land.
Here these two guys.
Probably a bit worn out from climbing up this hill.
They get to the top and they start to have great victory right away.
I mean just in that first encounter they take out 20 men, twenty soldiers and Jonathan is knocking him down.
Maybe he has a staff we don't know exactly.
What he had his arm bear probably had a spear, and so the armor bear is.
Putting them to death after Jonathan Jonathan.
Just going through knocking him down and then the armored.
Bear is coming up behind him.
And so here within this first encounter, within about 1/2 acre it tells us.
They have this victory over 20 men. Now if you're trying to picture 1/2 acre.
You could picture 8 tennis courts. I don't know if that helps you picture that, or maybe the 38 yard line on a football field from zero to 38.
You know that region of the football field is about half an acre, and so they're they're covering a lot of ground here and taking out these philistines as they go.
Verse 15.
And there was trembling in the camp in the field, and among all the people, the Garrison and the Raiders also trembled.
And the earthquaked.
So that was a very great.
So now you can see why I use the illustration of a football field, 'cause the readers are.
Mentioned in verse 15, right?
The Raiders trembled.
The people trembled.
There was a great trembling in the camp in the field, and among all the people, this was not the trembling that resulted from Jonathan and his.
Armor bear.
This is where God has now shown up, made good on his RSVP.
And as they encountered these, the first battle and fought these first twenty guys.
Now God brings his hand upon the scene, and now there's a great.
And so God is made good on his RSVP, as Jonathan has invited God to work by showing himself by giving this opportunity.
Now God joins with him in the battle.
Obviously he was with Jonathan in the battle with the 1st 20 guys, but but you get the point right now the whole army is impacted.
This isn't.
The impact of Jonathan.
This is the impact of God as there's trembling in the camp in the field, among all the people, and then the earthquakes.
Now again, that's not John.
And just, you know, stomping his feet and now the earthquakes and the philistines are shaking with fear.
No, now this is God stomping his feet.
God saying, I'm here I'm on Jonathan side I'm on Israel side and you philistines are the enemy, and so they are freaked out.
They're confused, they're perplexed.
Because God has shown up, he's responded to the invitation and he is doing the work. He's fighting the battle on Israel's behalf.
Well, moving on, we get the third thing to consider, the third lesson.
About holy courage in action and that is holy courage inspires others to work.
Holy Courage inspires others to work.
Check out verses 16 through 19.
It says.
Now the Watchmen of saw in Gibby A of Benjamin looked.
And there was the multitude melting away.
And they went here and there.
Then Saul said to the people who are with him now call the roll, and see who has gone from us.
And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.
And Saul said to hijax, bring the Ark of God here for at that time the Ark of God was with the children of Israel.
Now it happened while Saul talked to the priests of the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines, continued to increase.
So Saul said to the priest, withdraw your hand.
As this battle is going on.
The camp of Israel begins to take note.
It describes here with the watchman is seeing.
In verse 16 the they look and they see the melt, the multitude melting away.
And just about called it a multitude, when a multitude melts away, it's a multitude.
OK, so he's he's watching, and you can picture, right?
Like they're they're camped there, they're they're at a kind of an impasse there.
They've been for several days, perhaps, you know, camped against the Philistines, and.
There's a watchman who's on duty right?
And so here he is day three of his shift and he's watching.
And then all of a sudden it's not looking the same like it's been the same picture he's been looking at for the past three days, but but now all of a sudden the multitude is spreading out.
It's thinning out now.
Now he is seeing and recognizing.
There's all these little figures screaming, you know, running around here and there.
Rushing this way, rushing that way something is going on.
There's some kind of turmoil.
That's happening there.
And so he calls out this all.
Something is going on.
And salt immediately takes role.
He had a suspicion.
Someone probably went over there.
That's probably the cause.
It's probably not, you know, some random.
Hornet attack or something right?
Like OK, who's instigated this?
Who's started this skirmish with the Philistines, and then they're really surprised to find out it's Jonathan and his armor bearer.
They're the only two guys who are missing.
Well, so here is like OK.
Saul and Jonathan, or Jonathan and his armor.
Bearer over there.
Something going on.
He's kind of in a panic.
He's kind of freaked out, and so he says to hijax bring the Ark of God.
We need to find out what God is doing in this and and and you can kind of see the difference again.
The contrast here, Jonathan.
Started the day with a stirring of his heart.
Lord, maybe you want to do something.
I feel like you're leading in this way.
I want to test it out and see what you want to do.
So faced with the reality of the battle that is ongoing and that Jonathan, his own son and Araber are over there, fighting the philistines, he's like OK, I need to take some time and pray about this like I need to figure out what the will of God is in this situation, like he's reacting to the situations instead of.
Or as opposed to Jonathan, who was proactively seeking out the will of God.
Now, if the Ark of God was there, Saul could have been seeking out the will of God and finding out the plan of God, you know?
Days earlier ahead of Jonathan because he had that opportunity, but again, he's he's not really trusting God.
He's not really seeking God.
He is religious.
But he doesn't have a holy courage wanting to accomplish and live out the will of God.
And so he attempts to find out the will of God.
But even then, as the noise grows over there in the camp of the philistines, he's like, never mind, never mind, get away, get away, get away.
We gotta go to battle because it's just getting really intense over there and you can see the back and forth wishy washy Ness of solve that.
Is prevalent throughout his life throughout his Kingdom. Pastor Warren Wisby says Saul's emotional unbalance and contradictory thinking will show up again and again and do great damage to the Kingdom.
One day he will rush ahead like a horse.
The next day he will hold back like the Mule.
He's back and forth, sometimes going forward, sometimes not, sometimes obeying the will of God.
Sometimes not.
Really wishy washy in his relationship with God?
Again, a great contrast between Saul and John.
Holy Courage inspires others to work though, and so Jonathan is out there.
He's involved in the battle, trusting in God engaged and what God has called him to you.
So now verse 20, then Saul and all the people who are with him assembled and they went to the battle and indeed every man sword was against his neighbor, and there was very.
Great confusion.
Saul and his men. The 600 joined the battle.
And they're experiencing victory as well.
The Philistines are attacking each other.
They're so confused and terrified over the hand of God that has.
Been upon them.
As Jonathan has invited God to this battle.
And taking this step of faith.
But notice he joined the battle.
So in verse 20 we see Saul and his army joined the battle.
Then in verse 21.
It says, moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country.
They also joined the Israelites who are with.
Saul and Jonathan.
So there was in the camp of the Philistines some defectors, some Hebrews who were kept with the Philistines, who essentially surrendered to the Philistines and were just living with them.
They were joining forces with the enemy, but now through the holy courage of Jonathan, the example that is said and the work that God is doing.
Now those guys realize man we're in the wrong camp and we need to get back on the Lord side, and so they begin to fight again with Israel against the Philistines.
And so Saul and the army joined the battle.
The Hebrew defectors joined the battle and then verse.
22 Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they had heard that the Philistines fled. They also followed hard after them in the battle.
And so Chapter 13 describes this. People just like scrambling and hiding in caves and and finding any place to hide in the midst of this situation. But here in verse 22, as the battle goes on.
The holy courage of Jonathan inspires those who have found themselves hiding in the mountains.
They're encouraged and they come out to battle.
And so who joins the Battle Saul and the Army, the Hebrew defectors, the Hebrews who are hiding in the mountains in the caves?
This great step of faith that Jonathan takes.
Following the promptings.
Of the Lord inspires others to work.
Inspires others to join in the battle and to participate in the things.
That God is doing.
You know, sometimes we can be like Saul in his camp and we're just.
There's just a bunch of us discouraged and sitting there like, isn't it terrible?
The situation we're in and how bad things are and how difficult things are.
And maybe you know, a whole household is the.
Miserable Army of Saul.
They're just down discouraged over what is going on, and.
And sometimes it it takes that one person to have some holy courage.
It takes some that that one person to to really begin to trust in the Lord and and follow the promptings of the Lord and to step forward and to move forward.
And it's not going to be you by yourself all of the time, but as you step out.
And first of all, God's gonna show up because you're inviting God to work as you trust him and and take the steps that he sets before you.
But then also so many times as it looks like you know it's going to be this desperate situation and it's going to be.
I'm all alone.
So many times as someone takes a step of faith and has courage devoted to the things of God and goes forward in those things that suddenly people come from out of the woodworks.
You know, suddenly you take a bold step of faith and you.
Take a stand for a position of righteousness, let's say in the workplace.
And you think you're the only one, and then next thing you know lunch break next day?
Someone sneaks over to your table and says, ah man, I was so blessed by what you did.
You know you.
You held fast and the the things that that are righteous and I'm a Christian too.
I was so timid and scared I couldn't stand by him.
So I'm so thankful and and now you've, you know, joined forces.
There's there's two of you now and.
And a couple other people show up, you know, and and and so many times that happens, you'd start a a Bible study and you know suddenly where it seemed like they were all unbelievers.
There was nobody on the Lord side.
Suddenly we realize.
Like the Prophet realized right where he told the Lord I I'm the only one left.
I'm the only one who's faithful.
To you and God says, I've got 7000.
Besides you.
There's a bunch.
Have some holy courage.
Trust God he can and may work.
Believe that.
Look for those opportunities.
Look for the opportunity to invite God to work to invite him to do something to be.
At work in your life or to use situations in your life.
And it will likely be.
Something that God does to encourage others around you.
To join in or maybe to get back to where they need to be with the Lord and moving forward in the.
Things of God.
Well, finally verse 23 gives us point #4 and that is that holy courage glorifies God.
Holy courage glorifies God and verse 23 is one verse it says so the Lord saved Israel that day.
And the battle shifted to Beth even.
It's interesting right verse 23. It doesn't say so. Jonathan saved Israel that day.
It doesn't say Jonathan and his armor bearer did a great job saving Israel that day, right?
The credit goes to the Lord.
As he takes the step of faith.
He's got holy courage, trusting God.
God gets the glory, God gets the credit.
The Lord saved Israel that day.
Pastor David Guzik says God really used Jonathan, but it wasn't Jonathan victory. It was the Lord's victory. God was just waiting for someone with the bold trust.
Of Jonathan
He was waiting for him to trust or someone to trust him, similar to again, we'll find it in just a couple of days.
Chapter 17, David and Goliath.
A big giant.
No big challenge for the Lord.
No problem.
Just need someone who can trust him who can have a holy courage.
To face the situation to trust God and respond to the things that God is doing.
And as we do that.
God gets the glory.
Then it's not my victory, although I'm part of the victory and I'm instrumental in the sense that I get to, you know, participate in the work.
I get to participate in the rewards.
At the same time.
I don't participate in the glory.
But it's a, uh, glory that's devoted to God. It's God's battle. It's God's victory, his work, and his accomplishment, and so here.
In first Samuel 14 as we consider this example of Jonathan, we get to see Holy Courage in action and I pray that it encourages you.
That you would.
Believe God in a radical way that you would have a holy courage at courage that is bold and and valiant that that's willing to take great risks but.
Again, with that holiness that devotion to the Lord.
That it's not just courageous and you're willing to take great risks about anything in your life, or about just things that you want or you prefer, but but for God and for his glory, devoted to God, that that your courage.
Would lead you to believe that God can.
But also that your courage would invite God to work.
You would give God.
Opportunities, would you say this?
You promise this, you can do this.
I don't know if.
You wanna do it this way?
But I have this on my.
Heart, I wonder if it's from you.
But do you want to work this miracle right now, as I pray for it?
Lord, do you want to do something great as I head this direction?
Take this step of faith.
Enter into this conversation, but I don't know if you want to use me to bring this person to salvation in you, but.
It's on my heart.
You've put this on my land so I'm gonna step forward.
And if you are in it and you want to do something then what I want to give you this I'm inviting you to work in the midst of this conversation.
As you embark.
On these steps of faith with holy courage.
It will inspire others and it will glorify God.
I want to finish up just by considering verse 23 a little bit further.
It says so.
The Lord saved Israel that day and the battle shifted to Beth Haven.
I read over verse 23 multiple times.
Wrestling with this a little bit, how?
How can both of these be true?
The Lord saved Israel.
And the battle shifted.
I would expect reading this the Lord saved Israel and there was no more battle.
But that's not what it says.
The Lord saved Israel and the battle shifted the location of the battle changed.
There was a great deliverance.
There was a great victory, and the Lord indeed saved Israel.
That battle was won, but the war continues.
And as I was thinking about that for us, I was thinking about how we need to stay engaged.
In the battle, and recognize that.
The past victories that we've experienced, we rejoice in them.
God gets the glory for them.
The Lord saved us, the Lord, you know, brought deliverance and did that work?
But but we also need to be prepared for and to anticipate the battle isn't over.
The war continues.
And so there's going to be many more occasions for us to take holy courage and put it into action that that it's not just, you know, those things that we have done past tense, but.
Those things have been done and the Lord saved and worked and delivered and accomplished those things, and then the battle shifted and there was new battles to fight new challenges to face.
That will continue for us.
Until eternity.
Revelation chapter 20 verse 10.
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
That's the end.
Of the battle.
Until that time, every victory.
Is not the end.
It's just a shifting of the battle.
And we need each victory.
We need to have holy courage and and to take those steps.
It's not meant to be a discouraging thing, but also to be a realistic thing that.
Enjoy the victory, rejoice and celebrate in what God is done and now turn your attention to the next thing that God wants to do.
Because as he brings about victory as he does something great.
He's shifting the battle to another location, another place there's going to be new steps of faith, new reasons to trust God.
New situations to take holy courage and put it into action.
Believing God can and may work new opportunities to invite God to work in your life and in the lives of those around you.
New opportunities to encourage and inspire others to be involved in the things of God and new ways to glorify God.
As you trust in him.
And walk with him let's.
God, I pray for each one of us that you would encourage our hearts.
But I pray that you would allow this example of Jonathan to really bolster our faith in you, Lord, that we would.
Be seeking for those opportunities to climb up a hill to give you an invitation to work to take a risk to do something bold in your name and for your glory.
I pray God as you lead us.
As you put those things upon our hearts, just as you put it upon Jonathan Hart that morning.
Word that we would be open and receptive that we would be responsive.
Help us to trust you.
And to seek out the opportunities that you desire to.
Set before us.
I pray God that you would use us.
To accomplish radical things.
Lord, I pray for healings.
I pray for miracles.
I pray for salvations.
I pray for new works, new steps, new things.
Lord, that you might be glorified through our lives.
Give us holy courage.
Lord, that we would have a radical boldness devoted to you.
And do the things that you desire to do.
And I pray this in Jesus name.