Trusting God To Work For Us Series

“Trusting god to work for us”

Pastor Jose F. Maldonado Hillburn Drive Grace Baptist Church

Nov. 19, 2006

“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 of by few.” I Samuel 14:6

Introduction:

Let’s consider the events that relate to this passage.

1. Israel was at war with the Phillistines, 1 Sam. 13:5, 6, 7, 17, 18, 22.

2. God in His Providence ordained and was governing the affairs that Israel was experiencing at the present moment. God had ordered these events so that Israel might learn to be dependent upon God and through this to also be taught to be in submission to God. You see brethren; it is not until we learn to submit to the government of God’s providence that we grow in the faith to learn how to trust God. To know that all things that happen to us are ordered and ordained by God. He does this to show us how to depend on Him and in Him, that is, that we by might wholly TRUST in Him alone. Let us grow to the place that David was in his life concerning God’s providential dealings with him, where David with complete trust and a living hope, declares with unflinching and unwavering faith in Ps.31:14 & 15, “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand…” No, David did not trust in some heathenish luck or good fortune, but in the providence of a Triune God! In another passage David says, “the steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way, though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.”

So here in I Samuel 13 & 14 Israel is brought to the place of either trusting in God or trusting in the arm of the flesh. In like manner, in various times in our lives, “WE,” as individuals and as a Church are brought to the point of either trusting God or trusting in the flesh. I preach to myself first as I preach to you this morning.

This is my introduction to my message this morning. I would like to speak on the subject of: “Trusting God to Work for Us.” I have 3 things I want to share with you:

I. The Perception of Jonathan: “…Come let us go over…”

II. The Persuasion of Jonathan: “…it may be that the LORD will work for us…” (to those who are outside Christ you can say it may be that the Lord will save me today)

III. The Power of Jehovah: “…for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many of by few.”

I. The Perception of Jonathan: “…Come let us go over…”

A. Jonathan’s faith was in trusting his God.

1. He says with unfeigned faith, “…Come let us go over…”

2. His perception was keen and discerning.

3. Notice the amount of men at war with Israel. 1 Sam. 13:5, “And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.”

4. Notice the affects of this. I Sam.13:6 & 7, “When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.”

5. Notice the armor Israel had. I Sam.13:22, “So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.”

6. Notice Jonathan’s faith in the midst of this, for he says unwavering and wholeheartedly, “…Come let us go over…”

(1). Jonathan knew the situation, he knew what the Philistines had and he knew what Israel had. He was not oblivious to what was going on.

(2). Jonathan doesn’t take inventory of weapons or men, but by faith says, “…Come let us go over…”

B You see Jonathan’s faith was personal.

1. This is what catches my eye and blesses my soul.

2. It was not contingent upon his armor bearer.