Elder M. Edmunds
Co-Pastor of United Ordained Church
May 2005
In the foregoing chapter, Saul, king of Israel, gathered three thousand trained men to fight against their pursuing enemy, the Philistines. Two thousand were under Saul’s direct control in Michmash, and one thousand men Saul assigned to his son Jonathan in Gibeah.
He strategically stationed these warriors in Michmash and Gibeah in order to avert the Philistines’ attack. In Gibeah, Saul’s son Jonathan, a man of valor, faith and loyalty, was victorious in his attack against a certain battalion of the Philistines. This attack eventually incited however a vicious war between Israel and their enemy.
The Philistines were no ordinary enemy to Israel. They were more experienced in combat than the Amalekites, Moabites, and the Midinites. The Philistines were also implacable or merciless, and they taunted and eventually dominated the Israelites for forty years until the time of David’s reign.
For they were, if you allow me to give detail in what kind of people Israel was up against, the Philistines were a sophisticated and technical culture, who was firmly entrenched on the lower Mediterranean coast of Canaan, from Joppa to south of Gaza they occupied five cities; Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon (all meaning stronghold), Gath (winepress), and Ekron(eradication). The Philistines had a stronghold on Israel, pressing them on every side just to eradicate or annihilate God’s people.
Are you dealing with an enemy this morning trying to destroy your hopes and dreams, trying to destroy your relationship and your future?
You are pressed on every side. Matter fact it is a miracle you made it this far. On a verge of a break down pressed financially, pressed relationally, pressed physically, and/or pressed professionally. Can I get a witness? We can relate to Israel’s predicament.
Each city from Joppa to south Gaza, there ruled an official or a warlord. Five tyrants who exercised some autonomy, but worked in concert and were subject to majority decision when faced with national crisis; they governed their political structure, as a pentapolis (‘five cities’).
The Philistines’ strength as a people was derived from their cooperation or pulling together against any who opposed them. Their pulling together made them formidable.
When the Pharisees defamed Jesus, claiming He was casting devils out by Beelzebub the prince of the devils, Jesus retorted in Matthews twelve and twenty-five, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Then He goes on in the twenty-sixth verse and says, “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”
The Pharisees was declaring Jesus as an enemy to Israel as the Philistines were to their ancestors. They called Him Beelzebub the prince of the devils or ‘lord of the dwelling.’ Beelzebub was a name under which, the Philistines of Ekron worshiped Baal. Beelzebub was deemed as the storm god who controlled diseases brought by flies.
The argument here is irresistible. Jesus’ responds to their suggestion was on this wise, "No organized society can stand, whether kingdom, city, or household when turned against itself; such internal war is suicidal. That is why the Philistines dominated your forefathers for forty years. As a pentapolis, they stood together. But the works I do are destructive of Satan’s kingdom: That I should be in league with Satan, therefore, is incredible and absurd."
The Philistines were an organized society in Saul’s day. Their creativity in pottery, armaments, and architectural features were superior. A major Philistine achievement was the use of iron, an innovation well in advance of its use in Israel. The Philistines deliberately and shrewdly kept Israel from metallurgy (the science of separating metals and preparing them in use) for fear that they would make swords and spears to use against them.
Now when the Philistines heard that Israel conquered a garrison of their solder’s in Gibeah as stated, they were incensed and somewhat confused. How could these Israelites, these unsophisticated people, overtake a part of our defense? We are greater than they, how did this happen. Inform the lords of the cities.
Therefore, the lords of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron gathered three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and an innumerable amount of footmen from their five cities against Israel, and pushed the Israelite troops eastward all the way to Gilgal according to First Samuel the thirteenth chapter, verses three through seven.
At Gilgal, Saul and his frightened men waited for Samuel the prophet and priest to arrive to give sacrifice for the Lords intervention as commanded by Samuel two years prior, that they may strategically destroy their nemesis.
But on the seventh day, the day Samuel was to arrive but didn’t, Saul waited no longer. His men, in fear of the Philistines approaching attack, were deserting him. Therefore, Saul unlawfully took on himself the priestly task of offering community sacrifice.
The law according to Leviticus the sixth chapter, verses eight through thirteen, declared that only the priest was responsible in burnt offerings or community sacrifice.
Therefore, Saul’s actions, not waiting for priestly assistance was an indication that he wished to rule as an autocrat and not by divine assistance. Saul wanted to possess absolute power in civil and sacred matters, but this was a grave mistake.
Not wanting to wait on the direction of God and be subject to His rule, Saul doomed his own kingship. Left with only six hundred men, Saul had to face the Philistines now in his own power.
Realizing what he done when Samuel the prophet and priest departed him, he lost his nerve to fight and took his ease under a pomegranate tree.
Look at the odds, a thousand Philistines already gathered at Michmash, a southern city of Israel, and Saul is now left with only six hundred men, who are essentially weaponless…
The host of Israel was in a very ill posture, and Saul is taking his ease to calm his anxiety under a pomegranate tree.
The pomegranate was a highly prized fruit in the ancient world. It was a luxury food, not an essential diet. This was an indication that Saul’s focus was no longer on fulfilling God’s purpose and will, but on his own comfort ignoring his problems, hoping they will just go away on their own.
Sitting under a pomegranate tree waiting for a sign or the circumstance to change, he took no action. He did not even consult God for Israel’s fate.
This is the hang up that many of us have. We sit around in a horrible predicament allowing the enemy to taunt us, waiting for a sign before we do anything or just hope he leaves on his own.
It seems we have to feel led before we will do anything, before we take action on what is right to do: However, not so with Jonathan, Saul’s son. He stepped out by faith and took action.
In looking at the passage of our text, Jonathan seemed to be in a situation of uncertainty, but yet took a bold risk and took some action. He refused to set with his father idol, ignoring that pursuing problem.
All he could say in verse six of our text is, "It may be that the Lord will work for us..." Jonathan was not sure one-way or the other on what to do. But his faith in God prompted him to take a risk.
Have you ever come to a place in your life not knowing what to do concerning a certain matter? The simultaneous conflicting feelings of making a choice on what way to turn can cause unbearable stress to the body…
Should I accept or pass up this opportunity. Furthermore, what comes to mind is, is this an opportunity at all or just a set up: a set up to drastically fail? What should I do, should I pursue or remain and just take my ease?
What shall I do? If I just remain and take my ease, ignoring the situation around me, I will never know the possibilities that lie ahead. Therefore, I must take action… Tell your neighbor, “It’s Time To Take Action… It’s time to excursive your faith… It is Time!”
Down in his gut, Jonathan seemed to feel that it was the right thing to do, and that was to take action, to pursue his enemies, but there is uncertainty revealed in his words or some shadow of doubt that arrest our attention because of its relevance. “And Jonathan said to the young man that bared his amour, come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work.”
Jonathan said, “It may be.” Uncertainty inundates our minds on a constant basis, especially when it pertains to pursuing our dreams and destiny. When you begin to pursue what you were meant to accomplish, all the ‘what ifs,’ all the misgivings, all the possible problems and fears, inundate your mind. The bible refers to all these thoughts as doubts. And to the household of faith, doubt is the antithesis of faith (the opposite of faith, the opponent of your faith).
For in Ephesians the sixth chapter, Paul talks about the "armor of God." He speaks of "taking the shield of faith, wherewith we can quench the fiery darts of the enemy."
“Of faith” is a genitive of content (a grammatical case, indicating origin, possession, or relation); the shield consists of faith. The indication Paul was expressing was that, our resolute faith in the Lord can stop and extinguish all the fiery darts or arrows of the enemy.
The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown, but if we obey God’s word, maintain our trust in Him, and set in motion our faith, we will see the invisible take on flesh (your hope and dream will come to fruition), and we will receive what seem to be imposable.
In Hebrews 11:6, faith is identified as a prerequisite for pleasing God. Realistically, most of us will face more "maybes" than we will “certainties” in our walk with God. There will be moments when we have a sense of what’s right, what God’s will is, but we will still have doubts or uncertainties.
Ecclesiastes 11 talks about "not watching the wind and clouds." What does that mean? I believe it means: Don’t get caught up watching the natural circumstances. Don’t get distracted by waiting for natural things to align themselves.
If all we do is wait on the right time, on the right conditions, on the right people, or the right atmosphere, then all we will ever do is sit around talking about "how bad we need things to line up" so we can get things done.
The metaphor used in Ecclesiastes 11, relates this truth to sowing and reaping or the law of reciprocation. Listen to this, "He who regards the wind will never sow, and he that observes the clouds will never reap." Whether sowing or reaping, you can’t sit around waiting on "perfect" conditions before you take action.
Don’t wait on the wind, and don’t focus on the clouds; for if we wait to do anything for God when we are sure, then we will only sit around and miss miracles.
Sometimes you have to move out on a "maybe" like Jonathan and take action.
Now I’m not talking about senseless action, and trusting God to empower our every whim. But I do believe that there are times when you have to step out by faith, and since faith is not a feeling, that means that YOU WILL NOT BE SURE.
For faith extends beyond what we learn from our senses. Faith is that trust in God that enables us to press on steadfastly whatever the future holds. Faith enables us to know that God can be relied on regardless of how a situation may look.
As heirs to the promise, children of God, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. That means move out even when you are unsure: stepping forth on a "maybe". You may still have questions, and not know the whole plan, but if you will move out on a "maybe," then God can do an awesome work, just because you stepped out in faith.
So, what are you going to do when you’re not certain? Are you just going to sit back and wait on the natural circumstances to align themselves? Are you going to wait for conditions that are perfect to launch what God put on your heart, or our you going to step out on faith?
Jesus said, "I am he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens." I believe that God can open and shut doors that we, nor anyone else, can do anything about.
HOWEVER, I also believe that there are doors that God unlocks, but leaves closed, seeing if we have the faith to try the doorknob. I believe we have often missed God’s movement and direction, because we wanted to see the entire panoramic view.
I believe that God will draw you to an unlocked door that is closed, then give you a "maybe" condition, and see what your faith will cause you to do.
Some people are worried about making a mistake, and it is a possibility. But I have come to know that you can not make a mess so big that God cannot turn it around. If you give yourself permission to fail or falter, you give yourself permission to try. And sometimes, that’s all God wants. He just wants you to try.
High five the person next to you and tell them, “Its Time To Take Action.”
Listen to this, a man brought his demon possessed son to Jesus (he took action because the enemy of his relationship or household was attacking his son), he took his son to Jesus to get him to cast the devils out. Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible." But the man replied: "I believe. But help my unbelief."
First, he believes, and then he does not believe. I believe he was saying: "All I have hope in is a ’MAYBE!’ I know you can do it, but I’m not sure what you’re going to do." But Jesus moved on his behalf, and turned his "maybe" into a reality.
Now let me return to our text quickly. The scene is that of Jonathan and his armor bearer coming to a place where they were facing a garrison of the Philistines. Some believe this to be up to 250-armed soldiers. It was two men against two hundred and fifty men. What were they to do?
Jonathan says, "Let us go over unto them, for it may be that the Lord will work for us." His amour bearer didn’t have his own weaponry and armor, he only bore that of his master. Therefore, there was only one sword among them.
The amour bearer according to our text, verse seven, proves that he is just as "crazy" as Jonathan is, because he says, "I’m with you. Do what’s in your heart Jonathan!"
It is hard to find individuals like this amour bear; people who will move out on a faith and obedience, while others who will say, "We’re with you," but soon abandon you in the press.
Jonathan and his amour bearer were at a place of insufficiency. They had insufficient personnel, insufficient weaponry or equipment, and insufficient plans. What am I saying, they weren’t equipped, or able in the natural to come against two hundred and fifty men by themselves with one sword.
The only thing these two had was "faith." They didn’t have any guarantees, but they had faith in God. They took action, and stepped out on faith. And, because of their faith in the impossible, God intervened on their behalf, and wrought a wonderful victory.
In closing, I do not want to excuse my inactivity any longer, nor the church’s inactivity, by giving lame excuses that are not full of faith. I don’t plan on my last words being "It’s just not time yet." I think it is time to take action now!
When all you’ve got is a "maybe," MAYBE God is wanting you to move on out, test the doorknob, push on the door, and step out in faith. And what is faith? What is it really? Faith is what moves you, motivates you, and activates you.
“My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine. Now here me while I pray, take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine!”
