Scripture: 1 Samuel 11:1 –
Title: “Help Is On The Way”
An Encroaching Enemy
· The Ammonites being led by Nahash had encamped against God’s people.
· This was not the first time the Ammonites had come up against God’s people.
· They claimed to be the owners of the land on which God’s people were living.
· They also want their food, supplies, money, and an annual tribute in the form of goods.
Making A Covenant With The Enemy
· “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.” WHY?
· God’s people didn’t want to fight. WHY?
· They didn’t want to lose their goods and have their families mistreated.
· They were weak. The number of them was much smaller than when they came out of Egypt. 330,000. v. 8 (1/2)
· They believed they were too far away from the rest of the Israelites to receive help.
The Proposal Of The Enemy
· “Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.”
· This was an ancient custom to mark the people as servants of the Ammonites for the rest of their lives.
· Take away the vision and take away their usefulness as soldiers.
· The soldiers used their right eye to look over their shield to see their enemies.
· They would also use their right eye to sight their arrow as they shot the bow.
· Without a vision people perish. Prov. 29:18
Give Us Seven (7) Days To Think About This
· They procrastinated, “Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.”
· At this point in time the people of Jabesh Gilead didn’t have much confidence in their New King Saul.
· “We will check around and see if we can get anyone to help us and if not we will submit to your requests.”
When Things Really Begin To Look Bad
· Bad news travels fast! – The news of the Ammonites’ threat to ravage God’s people at Jabesh Gilead made it down to the town of Saul, the new king.
· The whole town began to weep. V. 4
· When the new king came in from working in the fields he overheard the crying and wanted to know what all the crying was about.
· When he was told of the threat to the people of Jabesh Gilead the Holy Spirit of God came upon him and he became very angry. V. 6
· Saul put forth a challenge combined with a threat to the people of Israel by cutting up an oxen threatening to do the same to them.
Saul & The Holy Spirit
· The Holy Spirit NEVER came upon anyone recorded in the Scriptures to do a work without it being fully ACCOMPLISHED!
· God was in the process of establishing His New King in the eyes of His people and in the eyes of their enemies.
· There is not other option except to put this new King to the TEST.
· Charismatic Leadership has always been the winning factor in the warfare of the Christian army.
By The Time The Sun Is Hot!
· Saul organized the people of God and they began a forced march during the darkness of the very early morning.
· They got the JUMP on the enemies of God’s people.
· By the time the “Sun is Hot” was to occur about 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. (Pentecost 9 A.M. in the morning!)
· Saul had divided the 330,000 into groups of 100,00 each and the attack was made.
· The Ammonites were completely defeated!
God established that by His Spirit all things are Possible!
