1 Samuel 14:1
“Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.’”
There is no doubt, while all of the Bible is inspire by God and “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (Titus 3:16), there are certain passages that stand out to us. They seem to strike a chord in our lives, or present a truth that is so profound, it will transform our living. This is one of those passages. The scene is set in the previous chapter. The Philistines had been oppressing Israel for years. The weak, scattered tribes of Israel were no match for the immense army of the Philistines. They had been defeated time and time again by the Philistine raiders. All weapons had been confiscated from Israel, leaving them incapable of mustering a resistance against the Philistine lords. With all his effort, the best Saul could do was muster a six hundred man standing army that was no match for the enemy.
This is the backdrop when we are introduced to one of the greatest stories ever told. It’s underlying truth withstands the test of time, and is as powerful today, as it was then. Jonathan, the son of the king, and his armor bearer boldly step out, confident in the ability of God, and lead Israel to victory. There are a few key lessons we can draw from their story.
“It happened one day…” the significance of this day was not that it started differently than any other day. The enemy still lurked in the distance, the armies of Israel remained weak and scattered, and the sun rose as it did every day. What made this day different, is that Jonathan chose, on this day, to trust the Lord and step into service. If we are waiting for the colors of the sunrise to change, or our circumstance to alter, before we step into service of the Lord, we will find ourselves waiting forever. On an ordinary day, their world was forever changed.
1 Samuel 14:6
“For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
Confident, not in himself, but in the Lord, Jonathan trusted in the promises of God. He was willing to look at the circumstances he faced, in light of the Lord. Suddenly, the innumerable army of Philistia, paled in comparison to the great power of the true and living God. That kind of triumphant confidence does not remain alone for long. Immediately, his armor bearer joined Jonathan in this bold crusade, and before the days end, thousands in Israel were battling at their side. Confidence in the promises of God, and the boldness to step out in faith, will always be accompanied by others who want to be a part of the work of God.
Too often, we are waiting for something dramatic to change in life before we will step out and serve the Lord. In other cases, we are waiting for someone else to go, when all the while, God desires that we would trust His Word, and go forth in faith. Perhaps today is the day that God wants to use you to impact your family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances for the kingdom of God.
Pastor Jim
In many ways, the Old Testament serves as a picture book to illustrate New Testament principles. That is not to say the events recorded are not factual, but that they were designed to bring out Biblical principles in living color. The story of Saul and his battle to defeat the Amalekites unfolds like a motion picture, illustrating the battle we face with our own flesh. It does not take long for every Christian to realize, we struggle to resist some of the things that God has forbidden. Overcoming the ungodly desires within us is the daily struggle of the believer, and the story before us helps to unveil one of the secrets to success.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were forced to cry for help? A good friend of mine told me a story of a time when he was cutting tree branches to make some extra cash. He leaned his extension ladder against the tree, climbed to the top, reached up and cut a large branch. As soon as the branch was cut, the tree shifted and the ladder fell. Reacting quickly, he was able to grab another limb to keep himself from falling. However, he found himself hanging twenty five feet above the earth’s surface. Knowing he would not be able to remain there for long, he began to cry out for help. Sadly, no one could hear him and after his arm strength gave out, he was forced to let go and fall to the ground. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt. 
As the second year of king Saul’s reign began to unfold, the nation of Israel was in trouble. The Philistines who occupied the southwest portion of the land were seeking to expand their territories by defeating Israel. When Saul’s army saw the Philistines approaching, they began to hide in caves, and many deserted. It did not take long before his three thousand soldiers were reduced to six hundred men. Understandably, Saul was overcome by emotion.
After a great battle in which the men of Jabesh Gilead were rescued from certain destruction, the nation of Israel gathered in Gilgal to inaugurate Saul as their king. As part of the process, Samuel the prophet, now an aged man, stood before the people to persuade them to continue to follow the Lord. To influence their decision, he did not seek to stir their emotions, but to incite their reason. He suggests that it is reasonable to believe in, follow after, and serve the Lord.
A few years back I was teaching in a Bible school in Ghana on the subject of trust. I invited one of the students to come forward and asked him to put his arms at his side, close his eyes, and face the class. He had no difficulty doing what I asked until I added, “now remain stiff as a board and fall backwards.” He immediately opened his eyes, turned around, and looked at me as if to say, “No way!” I assured him that I would catch him, and asked him to face the class again. I counted to three and told him to fall back. To his credit, he tried, but once he began to lean, he stepped back to catch himself. The remaining students erupted in laughter as their friend was afraid to fall back.
Saul was first chosen by God, then equipped for service. This seems to be a pattern. Saul, along with Moses, Jeremiah, and Peter, all resisted the idea of being selected for service by God. Their objections stemmed from a realization of their own shortcomings. What they failed to realize, was God would equip them for whatever He called them to do.
The intersection where Samuel and Saul meet is a crossroad between two fascinating story lines. Saul, the son of a wealthy and loving father, was commissioned to search out three stray donkeys. As they wandered through the land, they were divinely directed to the land of Zuph where they encountered Samuel. Meanwhile, the day before, while Saul was seeking donkeys, Samuel’s day was interrupted by the voice of God. We read, 
Webster defines glory as “Great beauty and splendor, even magnificence.” David is declaring things about the magnificence of God. It seems this Psalm was penned as a result of looking at the beauty of creation, in light of the Creator. He realizes that as glorious as creation is, it pales by comparison to the Creator.
Israel faced a constant threat from the Philistines. They had come into the territory promised to Israel, taken land, and threatened the people. Earlier in 1 Samuel, the nation mustered all its strength to drive the Philistines out of their territories, only to suffer a devastating loss. In that earlier battle, the people gathered around a religious artifact, went forth in all the strength they had, and were defeated. Now, some years later, we find them once again facing the same threat. This time, however, their efforts resulted in a great victory. What was the difference? How were they able to defeat an enemy which had plagued them for so many years?
