Series: Israel’s 1st King [#6]
SAUL’S FIRST STAGE OF BATTLE- OBLIVIOUS
1 Samuel 14:1-15
Introduction:
King Saul’s 1st defeat came because he ran ahead of the Lord. His 2nd defeat came because he hesitated and failed to act promptly when God was ready to give him a great victory. As you read chapter 14, you find that Jonathan is the real hero, not Saul; and yet at the end, Saul would have had his own son killed. When a Christian isn’t following the Lord, he treats his friends like enemies. That’s what Saul did. God gave a great victory that day; but King Saul wasn’t really a part of the victory. Why? Because he was out of fellowship with God. There are 4 stages in this battle, and we are going to see how King Saul responded in each stage. We will see what happens when a person’s fellowship with God is broken. This morning, we are going to look at the 1st stage of Saul’s battle.
1 Samuel 14:1-5
In the 1st stage of the battle, Saul was oblivious. While Jonathan was fighting the battle, Saul was doing nothing. It is interesting that with an enemy to fight and a battle to win, Saul and his 600 men were doing nothing. Saul didn’t seek the Lord’s will concerning the battle. Jonathan on the other hand, was trusting God for a great victory.
1 Samuel 14:6-7
What Jonathan did that day was an act of…
1. Courage.
He and his armor-bearer faced a huge army, and there was only 2 of them. They went into battle even at terrible odds. Jonathan and his armor-bearer showed tremendous courage. Not only was Jonathan brave; but his armor-bearer was trusting and obedient to follow him. He followed because that was his duty as an armor-bearer.
1 Samuel 14:8-13
What Jonathan did that day was an act of…
2. Faith.
Jonathan trusted God to win the battle. He knew that God is not limited by numbers and bad odds. He made his decision based on how the enemy behaved. Jonathan knew that God already knew what was going to happen; and he trusted God to give him victory.
1 Samuel 14:14-15
What Jonathan did that day was an act of…
3. Unselfishness.
Jonathan couldn’t inherit the kingdom. God made it very clear to Saul that no one in his family would become King; and yet, Jonathan still fought Israel’s battle. Saul was ignorant of the fact that a battle was going on. The Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and there was a great slaughter. It is amazing what 1 or 2 people can do if they just trust the Lord.
Conclusion:
Are you fighting spiritual battles or are you being a spectator, not paying attention to what is going on around you? What is your motive for fighting these battles?
