I love a good victory story. Remember The Titans is one of my all-time favorites. It’s the story of a high school that overcame racism and hate to win a state football championship. If you’ve seen it, you know that you teared-up as Coach Boone celebrated the awesome triumph with his team and family. It’s the stuff of legend. You can probably remember some of the great one-liners from it:
“Attitude reflect leadership, captain.” “Left side!” Strong side!” Ah, let’s just re-watch it for a moment:
Alright, put the Kleenex away. This story pales in comparison to what took place in 1 Samuel 14, or in any of Israel’s battles, for that matter. How could this little country – seemingly a perpetual underdog – see victory time and again? There’s only one answer: the power of God.
While the Jewish people were smart and cunning, that isn’t what brought about victories. It was God who led them through these battles. A number of times in the passage, Jonathan looked for signs from the Lord. He trusted God through it. That is the same kind of trust in the Lord that we need daily through the battles we face. We may not understand the trials we face, but our God is able to lead us through them. He is able to provide peace when we are restless. He is able to provide rest when we are exhausted. He is able to provide guidance when we feel lost. He is our hope in battle.
Let’s be real… ministry is tough. As pastors and church leaders, we can feel like we are in a constant battle. We recognize this all the time in the spiritual realm, but we also deal with hurting, sinful people. When your back is against the wall, remember that you aren’t in this alone.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Psalm 24:8 ESV
But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. Jeremiah 20:11 ESV
I leave you today with a challenge from the commitment expressed one of the army members in this passage (Jonathan’s armor bearer):
And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” (1 Samuel 14:7 ESV)
Church leaders/pastors/under-shepherds: may we have the same posture before our heavenly Commander-In-Chief today.
“One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.” Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.” (1 Samuel 14:1-15 ESV)
