NOTHING HINDERS THE LORD. 1st Samuel 14:1-23 We live today in a time of increasing moral and spiritual departure that affects the younger generation more than the old people. However, among us, there are those who are younger and who are people of faith. Faith lets us see the things around us through God's eyes and takes orders from God, not from what is expedient or men's opinions. When we live by faith, we realize that defeat and failure are dishonorable to God. Our responsibility is to rise above whatever situation has brought sin and unbelief to God's people and determine to go forward in the power and name of the Lord.
Israel was in despair and hopelessness because of the dishonor and defeat that came on them under Philistine influence and occupation—despite the religious forms and lack of faith in his father, Saul's son, Jonathan, had the marks of faith on him. In faith and knowing Israel's present state was intolerable, Jonathan and his armor-bearer acted to do what was needed while his father sat under a pomegranate tree. Saul was doing an awful job of leading God's people. For some reason, he did not communicate with Jonathan, under whose authority he had delegated previously one thousand men. Saul also made a foolish decree: no commonsense person, let alone a leader, would make his soldiers not eat. And more, he did not even consider the needs of his own men.
The decisions Saul made were not just because he had a weak personality. Jonathan was a man of faith who was in fellowship with his armor-bearer as they separated from his father's politics and religion. Even though the priests, the people, and the ark of God were with Saul, the Lord was with Jonathan. The enemy had a strong position on the high ground. Regarding man's strategy, being high atop the cliffs seemed the perfect place. But faith sees beyond the obstacles to the sovereign God, who holds the highest position of all.
Decisions made on the spur of the moment without considering God's will are made because a person has a failing spiritual character. Our spiritual condition affects our spiritual decisions. Faith looks to God alone to guide us and bring the right results. Faith also does not act because of the influence of people and circumstances around us. When we trust God, the size of the opposition is not a major consideration. "In vain do earth and hell oppose, for god is stronger than His foes." God honors faith, and we can act confidently even when all that is in opposition seems much stronger than we are. The resources and power of God are unlimited, and when He puts them in place for our use, we can accomplish the tasks He gives us, and He can do His will through us.
Faith counts on the power and presence of God to use us as the channel through which He does what is right. We do not doubt God's ability to do beyond what we ask or think. Our confidence is in Him, and He can easily deal with a situation with many or few, using either many or few. The strength of a human being really doesn't matter when the Lord uses His strength. Simple trust in Him brings the right result, either in success as we see it or, more importantly, as God sees it.
Both Jonathan and his armor-bearer were men of faith who, by faith, waited for the unmistakable leading of the Lord. They were not in haste to do something. They were not looking around for something to boast about. They were willing to stay where they were until they had unmistakable assurance the Lord was with them and directing them. The Philistines' contempt and mocking words assured them that God wanted them to go forward in faith, and God would take it from there. Jonathan realized he was a representative of Israel even though he and his armor-bearer were the only ones who could attack the enemy. Those two men were where all of Israel should have been, but Jonathan acted on their behalf despite that.
We do not have to be "terrified by our adversaries" when we are "striving together for the faith of the Gospel" in the place and time of God's choosing. "One person and God are a majority." He identified himself with the people of God even as we do today, although we may be isolated from them for a while. Our faith is, and will continue to be, challenged. The unfaithfulness of other believers has made many Christians the objects of scorn, but people of faith move ahead despite the reproach and derision that may be heaped upon them. Faith carries out the will of God with enthusiasm even though the obstacles are like high cliffs in front of us, and at the top are the enemies of God. We may never know the end result of a matter, but one thing we can do is trust God.
The panic that overtook the Philistines came from the Lord as an earthquake and must have astounded Jonathan. The revival of Israel followed, although Saul didn't have enough spiritual sense to discern what was happening. Jonathan could not do everything, but he did what he could, where he was, to the best of his ability, and the Lord brought the needed assistance from unexpected places. Some without courage got their courage back. Some who were with the enemy came back with God's people. God was glorified in many ways as He worked for and through His people.
The reward of faith is the victory that may come unexpectedly or unusually that we had never thought of. We can be sure God has acted on our behalf even though the actions and outcome may not be what we had hoped for or wanted. When God calls us to act, we use what we have as best we can and rely on Him to bring the needed victory or the result that best suits Him. These principles in the ancient historical events all apply to us today in our life situations.
Saul, the powerless leader who depended on the flesh, sits waiting, perplexed about what to do next. He had called for the ark to try to hear God's voice, but his ears didn't hear God even though he could hear the tumult of the enemy. In unbelief and uncertainty, he finally joins in the fight, only to find that it has been won without him. Frightened people rallied; wanderers were brought back; people united, and the battle was won without Saul.
The faith of Jonathan brought God into the whole situation, and God was able to "restrain by many or by few." God moved Jonathan, a man who had God’s interests at heart, and at the same time, Saul limited his army's movements at his own foolish whim. The result was that God used Jonathan and his armorbearer to do way beyond what was normal, and the foolish king was going to kill his son, who knew God better than he did.
God has given promises, and we can count on every one of them to be fulfilled. God saves to the uttermost those who come to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ, making us His sons and daughters. God can do great exploits to His glory through frail men when, in faith, they go forward and do what they know is His will. God uses feeble men to declare His message of salvation to the world and the blessings that come by grace through faith. God can use a few faith-filled people to do great and wonderful things for His glory.
God may also choose to use many so that many will sing His praises in the great congregation of His saints worldwide. God’s power is in a message of salvation to the lost, and His power is seen in lives changed by those who do not count the cost and go forward in faith, walking with the few, not the many who are willful.
In contrast to God’s way, some men make promises they know they can’t fulfill; such men can only be trusted if others bow to their will and do what they say. Those men are willing to act if and when it pleases them. They want what they want, so they will wait for a compromising moment to try and seize an advantage that suits them. By nature, men plan and scheme to gain personal advantage over others. They want to be personally honored and use their position of power as leverage. Man’s power is only in the numbers he uses to overwhelm obstacles.