https://youtu.be/2cFMhSelya0

This is How I Fight My Battles           (1 Samuel 14:1-14)

Current situation:

– Saul had an army of 3000. Johnathan, Saul’s son, took 1,000 soldiers and attacked and defeated a Philistine garrison. Saul took the credit for it before all of Israel, he wasn’t even there.

– The Philistines got angry and sent a large army of soldiers “as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude.” (This is the overwhelming power of the enemy, fighting against God’s people.)

– “When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger… they fled and hid in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and pits.” (This is the humiliating retreat of God’s people, hiding in fear.)

– Pressed-in on all sides, only 600 of Saul’s soldiers remained with Saul. Everyone else bailed!

– As we heard in Pastor Matt’s sermon, instead of trusting God’s plan, Saul “felt compelled” to trust his own judgement, further dooming his people’s future. (Saul bailed on God.)

– The Philistines now have control, and don’t allow Israel to have blacksmiths, meaning they can’t make weapons for battle, or even sharpen the tools they need for farming. (They’re neutralized.)

– Only Saul and Jonathan had swords or weapons, or the means to lead the people into battle. If Saul won’t obey the Lord and carry out His plan, God will choose someone else to lead the people.

– Now in Chapter 14, Jonathan shows courage in overcoming great obstacles, and with God as his guide, and his armor bearer by his side, he takes the fight to the enemy.

– Read 1 Samuel 14:1-6

– Jonathan knows the power of the God he serves, even after the setback under Saul’s command.

– God made a promise to his people in ch. 12, “For the Lord will not forsake his people…”

– And 1 Samuel 12:24, Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

– Jonathan does not know for sure yet what the outcome will be of his current battle, but he knows that by the Lord’s strength that the victory is possible. “It may be… Nothing restrains the Lord!”

– Exodus 15:2, The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

A leader is only a leader if they have someone willing to follow them.

– Verse 7, So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

– Jonathan’s armor bearer gives him blanket permission to lead him, even into battle, for 2 reasons:

Positional authority. Jonathan is his boss. It’s his job to follow. It’s also biblical to do so.

– Romans 13:1-2, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

– You can’t honestly say that you are serving and following God if you are rejecting the leaders that He has appointed over you. Your rebellion is against Jesus himself.

– But, Rank only gets you 100% of the minimum.

Relationship. He trusts Jonathan because he knows his heart and has seen his example.