“Between a Rock and a Hard Place”
Introduction: I believe that the Lord led me to this text this morning because I needed to hear it and there are many others that need to hear it as well. To say that this last year has been a difficult time for many of us is an understatement. There have been times when we have felt like we were literally “between a rock and a hard place,” not knowing what to do or when to do it! That’s how Jonathon must have felt as he watched as his people were terrorized, harassed and intimidated by the Philistines. He saw the paralysis of his father Saul and the army of Israel and he made the decision to do something about it.
I Samuel 14:1-23
1. Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; and Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
I. The Combatants v. 1
Let me introduce you to the individuals involved in this battle. First, there is Saul, the first king of Israel. We are told that he was head and shoulders’ taller than the average Israelite but he was a spiritual pigmy. He was could slay thousands but he could not conquer his self and he would ultimately bring wreck and ruin to his family. Next is Jonathan, Saul’s son and a great warrior in his own right. He is next in line to the throne but he would voluntarily give up his claims recognizing David’s anointing from the Lord to be the king in Saul’s stead. David and Jonathon have a special relationship.
I Samuel 18: After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
We know nothing of Jonathan’s armor bearer other than the fact that he was loyal and a warrior in his own right.
Finally, there are the Philistines. Known as a seafaring nation, the Philistines were a non- Semitic people who left Crete and arrived in Canaan at the beginning of the 12th century B.C.E. The Philistines inhabited the Mediterranean coast of Canaan during the period of the Book of Judges. They founded five principalities - Gaza , Asheklon, Ashdod , Ekron , and Gath . The people who worshipped Dagon believed that he was responsible for agricultural wealth and prosperity. Dagon is mentioned a few times in the Bible as the chief deity of the Philistines. In Judges 16:23 the Philistines were sacrificing in the temple of Dagon right before Samson pulled down the temple. They were traditional enemies of the Israelites and even though Saul had some success against them they still were very powerful.
II. The Circumstances v. 4-5
The name Seneh occurs only once in the Bible. It's the name of a sharp ridge in the mountains near Geba, which was a city a little north of Jerusalem, and about a third closer to the Jordan (1 Samuel 14:4). There were two ridges, one of either side of the pass of Michmash, and the other was called Bozez.
Even though Saul was king over Israel, the Philistines dominated the land, and to avoid armed skirmishes with the Hebrews, the Philistines had outlawed blacksmithing. No blacksmiths, no swords and spears, they figured (1 Samuel 13:19). But Jonathan still had some and he used them to smite a garrison of Philistines at Gibeah of Benjamin (13:3). Jonathan had a thousand men with him, but the Philistines mustered an army of countless infantry, 30,000 chariots and 6000 cavalry (13:5). Saul, in the meantime, was at Gilgal with 2,000 men waiting for seven agonizing days for Samuel to show up and bring the burnt offering. At long last, Saul decided to perform the ritual himself, but as he finished, Samuel suddenly appeared and told him that if he couldn't keep God's ordinances, he could also not keep the kingdom (13:13).
While waiting, Saul's army of 2,000 had dwindled to 600 (13:15), and they were armed with plowshares and axes (13:20) because the Philistines had forbidden all blacksmithing to keep the Hebrews from making weapons. Things could not have been worse for Israel.
III. The Confidence v. 6
“And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
Israel was between a rock and a hard place. Someone needed to do something but what was to be done? They were outnumbered and out gunned so to speak. But God had another plan and that plan often includes using a man or a small group as in the case of Gideon. Jonathon makes the decision to do something and along with his armor bearer he slips out of the camp and makes his way to a position through these two “sharp” rocks near the Philistine camp. We pick up our narrative there in verse 6 and three things come to mind.
1. The Plan – “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised:”
William Carey, missionary pioneer to India famously said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” It’s a philosophy by which I try to live my life. “Try” is the operative word. Failing and pressing on is part of the journey, one I hope you’ll share with me often.
2. The Providence – “it may be that the LORD will work for us:”
Providence is defined as the protective care of God but is much more than just protective care, is God working in and through and for us in the circumstances of life:
PROVIDENCE
The word 'Providence' is made up of two words:
* "Pro" means "Before" and "Video" means "to see";
* The word 'Providence' simply means "to see before"
* So when we talk about the providence of God;
* We mean that God 'sees before' and plans accordingly.
"For Jonathan his trust in divine providence was a source of comfort."
“For Jonathan his trust in divine providence was a source of courage.”
Story: “God Will Provide”
Back in the depression days of the early 1930’s, my husband pastored a small country church. We then had three little children. Many times our weekly income was less than $10.00. One day, we found ourselves out of bread and with only some rancid bacon grease for shortening. I used it, however, in making hot biscuits and we managed to eat some of them for lunch. Later, as we put the remaining biscuits on the supper table, our five-year-old daughter prayed very earnestly, “Dear Jesus, help us to eat these biscuits or else send us some better ones. Amen!” Later that evening, the doorbell rang. There, at the door, stood a member of our church who had a bakery route. Before we could tell him our story he began un-loading his large bakery basket with all kinds of tempting sweet rolls, buns, biscuits, besides dark and white bread. “You know,” he said rather apologetically, “I was tired tonight and seven miles out here in the pouring rain seemed so far. I was tempted to wait until tomorrow evening and bring these bakery things on my way to prayer meeting as I usually do.” Then he added, “But I was strongly constrained to come tonight! Hope you can use these things!”
--Anne S. Alexander, in Power
3. The Principle – “for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.”
Author: Kittie L. Suffield (1924)
1 In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.
Refrain:
Little is much when God is in it,
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.
2 Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own. [Refrain]
3 When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
"Welcome home, My child, well done!" [Refrain]
Illustration: How many of you have ever used a kitchen utensil to hammer a nail into a wall so you can hang a picture or used your shoe to do the same thing when you had a hammer a few feet away in the garage? I know that I have and there is a lesson here for us. We will use what is in our hand. The same is true for God. He will use what we put in His hand! No matter how small of insignificant it may seem to us He can take it and make something of it.
IV. The Conquest v.23
“So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.”
Several things happened as a result of Jonathon’s efforts to fight against the Philistines. First, there was total confusion in the Philistine camp and they fell to fighting each other; second, Saul and his six hundred heard the noise of battle in the camp of the Philistines and joined in the fight; third, a group of Hebrews who had been with the Philistines prior to the battle now turned on their hosts; fourth, a large group of Israelites who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim came out of hiding and joined in the slaughter. Verses 19-22
All this being said, there is one overarching truth…”the Lord saved Israel that day.”
Conclusion:
A faith without works is dead. It is as W.T. Purkiser said, “A religion of externals is a ghost, spirit without body. But a subjective faith without loving obedience to the will of God is a corpse.”
When you find yourself “between a rock and a hard place,” take courage and comfort from the truth that God is on His throne, that He knows where you are at, that He is able to deliver you and if we will exercise our faith He will give us the victory.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
