Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020217.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XVI: Individually Effective Living In A Faithless Group With Faithless Leaders
(1 Samuel 13:8-14:23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Some assume their individual spiritual welfare is at the mercy of the spiritual vitality of their overseers or of others in the family, marriage, workplace or church institutions.
    2. However, the individual believer's upright walk with God can unconditionally influence the whole institution with blessing, and 1 Samuel 13:8-14:23 demonstrates this in the life of Jonathan as follows:
  2. Individually Effective Living In A Faithless Group With Faithless Leaders, 1 Samuel 13:8-14:23:
    1. Though he was Israel's leader, Saul's godless kingship yielded hardship for Israel, 1 Samuel 13:8-23:
      1. Saul failed to heed Scripture and Samuel in offering the burnt offering as a non-levite because he failed to trust God's help amidst the growing Philistine threat, 1 Samuel 13:8, 14, with Leviticus 1:1-17.
      2. This left Saul in a humanly troubling crisis absent of God's blessing in his efforts, 1 Sam. 13:15b-23:
        1. Accordingly, where Saul had begun with 2,000 men in his self-appointed national guard, only 600 remained following his leadership, 1 Samuel 13:2, 15b.
        2. The Hebrews who left him were either hiding (1 Samuel 13:6), fleeing the country (1 Samuel 13:7) or even joining the Philistine side, 1 Samuel 14:21a.
        3. As for the Philistines, they were boldly sending out attack parties into Israel's nation toward the North, West and East of their main garrison of Michmash in the center of Israel's territory, 1 Sam. 13:17-18; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 1 Sam. 13:17; Bible Know. Com., O.T., p. 444.
        4. Besides, the Philistines had intentionally monopolized the superior iron weapon market to keep Israel at a disadvantage with its inferior bronze weapons, 1 Samuel 13:19-23.
    2. Yet, Saul's subordinates, son Jonathan and his armor bearer TRUSTED God for help in defeating the Philistines, so God rewarded them by turning the whole situation around regardless of Saul's failure:
      1. Jonathan, Saul's son and his young armor bearer believed God could and would save the nation even by a faithful few, so they decided to assault the main Philistine garrison at Michmash, 13:1; 14:1, 4.
      2. Knowing his father might not approve in his unbelief, Jonathan and his armor bearer worked independently of Saul's leadership in this move, 1 Samuel 14:1c, 3.
      3. In faith in God's help, Jonathan and his armor bearer looked for an encouraging sign from the Lord as to how they would encounter the Philistines with God's help (as follows), 1 Samuel 14:4-12:
        1. With a steep gorge between the two Hebrews and the Philistine garrison, Jonathan knew the human advantage would go to those in the skirmish who could fight the opponent from higher ground.
        2. Yet, as he trusted in God's help above human advantage, Jonathan and his armor bearer agreed God would signal them to attack only if the Philistines sought the higher ground, 1 Sam. 14:4-10.
        3. When the Philistines sought this human advantage, Jonathan and his armor bearer decided to attack in faith the Lord would give them the victory in His might, cf. 1 Samuel 14:11-12.
      4. Then, climbing up on hands and feet with Jonathan tripping up the enemy and his armor bearer slaying them after they had fallen down to him, they killed about 20 men in a half acre of land, 14:13-14!
      5. God then acted Himself to turn the tables for the entire nation as a reward for this courageous faith:
        1. God caused a huge earthquake, confusion and paranoia amongst the Philistines, 14:15-16.
        2. Meanwhile, Saul haplessly sought the Lord's will until the noise of the divinely-caused confusion and fighting amongst the Philistines made it obvious He was already blessing, 1 Samuel 14:17-20.
        3. God even caused Israel's traitors and cowards to turn on the Philistines, 1 Samuel 14:21-22.
        4. God thus gave the nation victory in reward for the faith of Jonathan and his armor bearer, 14:23.
Lesson: Any SUBORDINATE who TRUSTS and OBEYS GOD can be a BLESSING for the welfare of the WHOLE GROUP, and that EVEN when the GROUP and/or its LEADERSHIP is CARNAL!

Application: Though it may seem vain to serve God in a group where the leaders or other subordinates are ungodly, as God blesses INDIVIDUAL faith in Him REGARDLESS of the group or its leaders, we must ALWAYS PERSONALLY and FERVENTLY TRUST and OBEY God, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58!