Good morning. I would like to share this morning an event from the history of Israel. I believe that it will provide something valuable for us to think about.
The event comes from 1 Samuel 6:6-12. The context is Israel in a war with the Philistines, but it wasn’t much of a war because the Philistines had threatened to destroy Israel unless they handed over all of their weapons. When this conflict arose, very few Israelites had the weapons to hold off those who wished to enslave them.
The Israelites were weaponless, and therefore helpless, with the exception of a few, one of whom was the son of King Saul, and his name was Jonathan.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward 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 armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”
The result was that God won a great victory. This pair of brave and faithful young men dared to face death, knowing that God was greater than their enemy and would save them if it was His will. It was, and he did.
We read of the result of their faith in verse 15: 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.
For our thought today: never look beyond the will of God, His love, His power, His protection. When God is for you, you will win. The only question is whether we have the faith of a Jonathan to allow God to go to work.
Vern