The Lord’s Army

1 Samuel 13:16-23, 14:1-3, 13-15, 20

Jonathan vs. Philistines

CIT: Jonathan and his armor bearer confront the Philistine camp

CIS: God will fight for his people

SO: The hearer will trust in the Lord to fight battles.

Follow along at d1.church/notes.

Intro: The Lord’s Army.

As I read through the Bible annually, I am consistently surprised by how it helps me understand God more deeply. The World will tell you, and some Christians will, that God is a murderer and mean God and his people are too. Many of the most significant victories in the Bible were not won by warlords or even Israel, but through God intervening in the circumstances. God is a just judge and will always do the right thing. 

This series of sermons is designed to show you how God loves you and is always fighting for you. The common refrain is to trust in the Lord. Align our physical selves and all we have with God’s life for us. I hope you are catching that God will always be your deliverer. 

We have some opportunities to align ourselves in this first season of the year:

Let’s get into the Word of God.

1. We do not have the resources for a battle (I Samuel 13:16-22

 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness. 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 plow points, mattocks, axes, and sickles sharpened. The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. 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.

EXP: This series is about battles God fights. So here we are faced with another battle for the Israelites. Saul is the anointed King of Israel. The first King. His son, Jonathan, is a chief commander in his army. Gibeah is a place near the Tabernacle in the tribal land of Benjamin. 

Our Story begins with describing the Philistine army's presence in Israel. They control the land. They have three battalions that each set up around Israel and raid the towns and take what they want. We learn their influence even includes removing (potentially killing) all the blacksmiths from around Israel. This ensures 2 control points for the Philistines. 1. Israel has to come and pay for their farming tools to be sharpened in Philistia. (2 days' wages for plows and a day's wages for axes and pitchforks). 2. They could have no swords to fight.

First point: We don’t have resources for battle!

ILL: God is in the supernatural business. Super + Natural. Your natural ability is not enough to do the supernatural. You will need God for that.

ILL: When we took on Bella at 2 days old. We were at a low point in our financial lives. We were basically done raising our children. Our youngest was working for the things he wanted and was close to graduating from high school. Taking on an infant with the understanding that we would most likely raise her for the remainder of her life was not in the game plan. The resources did not add up. We could barely afford to feed ourselves with my paltry missionary pay. But God had called us to work for him. He also told us it would be okay if we took care of Bella. Our church did a thing where they set up a pack-and-play in the foyer with a picture of Baby Bella and a sign that said the Duffys are taking care of an infant now. That week, the pack-and-play was filled with diapers, wipes, and other baby supplies. We were amazed by the church's generosity. We were grateful. I took the pack-and-play home along with the supplies. I stacked the diaper and wipes packages on the wall. Already God had shown up and met a significant need. Every time we needed a diaper, we would go to the pile. Every time we needed more wipes, we would go and pull another package. We had diapers and wipes up until the day Bella was potty-trained. It never ran out; we had multiple sizes all the way through. I never bought her a diaper. It was like loaves and fishes. God not only helped us at the beginning; he provided everything we needed. Supernaturally. 

APP: The Battle is coming, whether we have the necessary resources or not. God wants us to rely on him for the battle. 

T.S.: Jonathan is more concerned with being obedient than counting resources.

2. The Problem is bigger than us! (1 Samuel 13:23-14:3)

Now, a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash. One day, Jonathan, son of Saul, said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

EXP: One of the Battalions that was responsible for raiding and controlling Israel was camped out near the encampment of the Israelites. Jonathan decides that he and his armor bearer are enough with God’s help to take out this detachment of the Philistines. He plots to start and end a war with them. His father, Saul, the king, the chief priest, and all the wise men are not moving toward the fight, but staying still.

Second point: The problem is bigger than us!

ILL: I taught this story not too long ago in another sermon series. Life on Mission- Be part of the solution. Obviously, Jonathan is a man of action. 

Takeaways from that sermon:

1. Saul and all the other men were sitting around thinking/praying about it.
2. God had anointed Saul to defeat the Philistines
3. Jonathan is frustrated because they do not have faith

APP: God says he will win. Do we have confidence in God?

T. S.: This is what happens.

3. We do have faith for victory! (1 Samuel 14:13-15, 20)

Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack, Jonathan and his armor-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.

20 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.

Third point: God will win if we step out in faith!

EXP: Jonathan, full of faith, goes headstrong into battle, and he and his armor-bearer begin fighting the Philistines. God then takes over and causes an earthquake, panic among the enemy, and they begin to kill each other with their own swords in the confusion.

ILL: My grandfather used to remind us that "Faith" and "Believe" are verbs. They are what we teach kids in elementary school- Action words. Jonathan is showing faith in God's words, not in the circumstances he is in. No resources, outnumbered. 

I have a trait that makes me the first to go. When we went to Hawaii with a group of Pastors earlier this year, we went to a beach with black sand. It is actually really rocky, and the waves are vicious. We were on a long bus trip around the island, and this was a stop where we could actually spend some time in the water. We went straight to the beach, and I immediately got into my swim trunks and went straight into the crashing waves. It knocked me down, and I got back up several times. Later that day, we stopped at a waterfall, and again I went straight into the freezing water and swam to the base of the falls. We finished the day, and another Pastor said, “ I learned today that you will be the first to jump into something new.” Honestly, I did not think of myself as that way. But after he said it, I was reminded of the time I led a bunch of guys off a sailboat into the water to swim to shore (I almost drowned), and they were all sitting around talking about it, while I just did it. I am not that strong of a swimmer, btw.

I jumped into the beach and waterfall because I knew they would not let hundreds of people swim here a day if it was not relatively safe. I jumped out of the boat because it was just water, and I figured we were close enough to the beach that I would at least wash ashore unconscious. Some things look like a risk, but if you look, you will know there is only a slight chance of harm, but a greater chance of victory.

APP: Jonathan knew what I knew. God has been around longer than I have and has been winning battles longer than history. God favors the bold. If you have faith in him, you can count on him to win.

TS: If we walk away with one thing, Battles are the Lords. Our job is to align ourselves with him. When things seem off, go to God. God loves you and will fight for you.

I want to pray for three groups today:

1. Some of you need to move past the natural planning phase and move into the Supernatural.
2. I want to pray for you that you will be obedient to God’s word for your life.
3. Some of you are waiting for others to do it or to join your fight.
4. I want to pray that you will be bold, trusting in God.
5. Some of you do not have the assurance that God is fighting for you. But today that can change. 
6. I pray today for salvation.