Los Angeles Conference: 1978, Jonathan (13:17)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
I'd like to turn to First Samuel, chapter 13. First Samuel chapter 13 and verse 17. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned unto the way that leadeth to Oprah, unto the land of Shul, and another company turned the way to Beth Horan, and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness. Now there was no Smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make them sore. Or Spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his Calder and his axe and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the colders, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the land of hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan. And his son was there found in the Garrison of the Philistines, went to the passage of Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come and let us go over to the Philistines Garrison that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Samuel. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, which is. And the people that were with him were about 600 men. And Ahia the son of Ahitub Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas the son of Eli the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines Garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of the one was Bose, and the name of the other Sina. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Mikbash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor. 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 or by few. And his armor bearers said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart turn thee. Behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, behold, we will Passover unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, tarry till we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up unto them. But if they say, thus come up unto us, then we will go up, for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves under the Garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the Garrison answered, Jonathan and his armour bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto. This armor bearer come up after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew after him. And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men within, as it were, an half acre of land which he oak of oxen might plough. And there was a trembling in the host, and the. And among all the people in the Garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earthquake. So it was a very great trembling. And the Watchmen of Saul in Gibeah Benjamin looked. And behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. And Saul said unto Ahia, Bring hit her the ark of God, for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased. And Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle. And behold, every man's sword was against his fellow.
And there was a very great discomfiture. Moreover, the Hebrews that with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day and the battle. Passed over unto Beth Avon by What particularly impressed me in this passage of God's word is to see what we might speak of as individual devotedness to the Lord. And I believe that it's a very important thing for us in this time because, you know, we're in Laodicean days. We know all about the lukewarmness and indifference that affects our own hearts. We find ourselves affected by the state of things in this world and among. God's people. But you know, it's very blessed to see that we can go on individually in the path of devotedness. Now, I don't mean that this means that we disassociate ourselves from the people of God, Far from it. We find that Jonathan's great interest was the blessing of the people of God collectively. But I say as far as he himself was concerned, it was a question of being before the Lord, for his own path was a question of. Devotedness to the Lord. And so we find this brought before us in a very beautiful way, and yet in a very difficult time. You notice where we began, what it says here, and the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. The occasion that called forth this devotedness was the busy activity of the enemy. The spoilers were at work, and truly we can say that in these times we can find the spoils. At work, the enemy is at work to spoil everything that's of God, and it surely takes faith and confidence in God to go on in faith and faithfulness in these last days. But brethren, there's a blessedness in this path. There's encouragement for us in it, and we think of the pathway of the Lord Jesus as we often sing, faithful amidst unfaithfulness, mid darkness. Only light as thou didst thy Father's name confess. And in his will, delight. And what I love to notice as I read the Gospels is how the Lord Jesus went on in his pathway of devotedness to his Father, in love for the people, seeking the blessing of others in spite of all the opposition. And that path, unshared by earthly smiles, LED only to the cross. And wouldn't we desire, brethren, to have something of that spirit of the Master, of that which would encourage? Just to go on, oh, you say there's so much trouble and difficulty. It just seems that there's trouble everywhere. Well, here this was at a time, as we noticed, where the spoilers were busy and it says they went out in three companies. They didn't all go the same way. And that which might be a source of trouble and sorrow to you, that which may be the thing that is spoiling in connection with your particular pathway, may be different from. Someone else. The Bible says every soul knoweth his own bitterness, and the stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. So each one knows how the spoilers get to work and how they would seek to spoil the work of God. Because the Lord Jesus has saved us. He's brought us to Himself. He wants us to be like a watered garden. He wants there to be fruitfulness in our lives. He wants it to be such that the fragrance flows out to this world around us. For as we remarked before, our testimony in this world, I believe is our joy in the Lord. That is, we ought to be the happy people in this world. As we might say, the Christian is the only person who has a right to be happy. How could one who has judgment before him and sees what's coming upon this world be really happy? The wisest man in this world who know a little bit of what's going on and who see impending dangers. Are often very sad, very crushed as they see the outlook for this world. But the Christian doesn't close his eyes to what's going on. Indeed, he has been told by God all about what is coming and what we can see taking place. Even now. These things don't come as a surprise to us, but we have a bright uplook as one dear sister said.
In deep sorrow, she said my outlook never was darker, but my uplook never was brighter. And so we can have an uplook, a bright uplook, and the spoilers are at work. And I say again, if their spoilers are at work in your life or in mine, are we just going to give up and say, oh, it's useless, there's nothing can be done, It's a day of small things. And so I'm just going to give up. True, it is a day of small things, but the scripture says who hath despised the day of small things, in other words? In a day of small things, there is a need of that spiritual energy that would go on and seek to be faithful. As the Lord Jesus said, occupy till I come. Well, when these spoilers went out, they had previously worked to plan. Clever plan. As you notice, the Philistines had seen to it that the children of Israel didn't have swords or Spears, and they had allowed them to have files, and they had been willing that they should go on with their farm activities and look after their personal interests. But the enemy had seen to it that in the hands of these Israelites were neither swords nor Spears. And isn't it true in this busy world? Spite of all the labor saving devices, spite of all the scientific advancement of this world, it just seems that we keep so busy, so busy that we have very little time for God's precious Word. Very little time, if I could put it in that way, to keep our swords and our Spears sharp. That is to have that knowledge of this precious book that would enable us to meet the difficulties of the Christian life. For we surely need all. Instruction that God has given to us. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. And so isn't it easy to neglect this precious book? Isn't it easy to neglect prayer every time that we want to read the Scripture or we want to pray? Isn't it? The enemy seems to suggest so many things that we could be doing, things that are right in their place, and we're unwilling to take that time that is so necessary. Like the little song says, take time to be holy. Take time to be in His presence and to learn his mind and will. The devil doesn't care how busy we are. Occupied with our colders and axes and Maddox and chairs, that is. The things that are necessary for everyday life, all the world will give you all kinds of help to get along. Yes, there are all kinds of courses available so that you can find out all about things and beautify your home and all all there are plenty of this kind of thing, but all how little time for God's word. So we see two things here with the enemy. Before the spoilers went to work, the enemy had seen to it that God. People had been deprived of their necessary weapon, and we're told to take the whole armor of God, and then it says to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. So this was lacking. And it tells us here that there were only two in the day of battle that had a sword or a spear, just two. And those two were Saul and Jonathan. Saul had the sword, but he had. All moral courage to use it. Very doubtful that he was even a true believer. His end seems to show us that he was not. But he had a sword just the same. And perhaps it shows us that the knowledge of God's Word won't keep us. We may know a great deal intellectually about the truth of God, but we need not only to have the knowledge, we also need to have that communion with the Lord, that moral courage to go on for him. Faith and faithfulness. So Jonathan had a sword and he also had the courage to use that sword for the deliverance of the people of God, to conquer the enemy so that God's people would be blessed. So there were just the two who had the sword. And now we noticed the third step the Philistines take. They sent out the spoilers. Previous to this they had seen to it that none of the.
The. The Israelites had swords and Spears, and now we find here that the Garrison of the Philistines moves out to this narrow passage where there were sharp rocks on either side, where it just seemed like an absolutely impossible situation. Here they were, and none of them had swords or Spears. The enemy was in a spot where there seemed no getting by. There seemed to be no way out. Which end corner it truly was and does. The enemy know just how to get us into such a position as this where there just seems to be no use. And so that was the feeling that came over Saul's heart. He said it's no use. And so he got a little company of people and they sat down under a pomegranate tree and they said, well, we're just not going to get involved. We're not going to care about this. We'll just wait till. The trouble comes if you can put it that way. And so here were the Garrison of the fellows. Moved out to the passage of Mcmash and Saul sitting down under a pomegranate tree. And isn't it easy for us too? And just to sit down and say, like it tells us about Laodicea, rich and increased with goods, had need of nothing and had no realization of the condition of things that really existed. And I feel, brethren, I feel it for myself in these days of prosperity, in these days of plenty, that is very easy for us. Just to sit down under the pomegranate tree. And mind you, when he sat down under this pomegranate tree, he wasn't alone. He had 600 people with him. And what was more, he had the Lord's priest. In other words, there was much that could be commanded seemingly about Saul. He was God's king that had been chosen. He was the one who had the the 600. And Jonathan only had one armor bearer. He had. The Lord's priest in Shiloh wearing an why everything seemed to be just nice to sit down and take it easy. And I do trust that as this year 1978 begins that you and I will be delivered from that self complacency that's settling down. Spirit that's so easy to get hold of us. I think all of us feel that it kind of creeps over us at times. We just feel like throwing up. Hands and say, what's the use? I'll go to the meeting, but I'm not going to take any active part. I'm not going to put myself out because it's just no use. No one appreciates it, no one cares, and everybody seems to be of the same mind, just to drift along. Well, it seemed to be the condition of things here, but there was something stirred in the heart of Jonathan, and I hope it will stir in your heart and mine especially, brethren. As we begin another year, and the Lord's coming so very near, and those words resounding in our ears, occupy till I come those words that tell us that we might live the rest of our time to the will of God. Doesn't it touch your heart and mind who you say? But if I try to do anything, I don't get any encouragement, neither did Jonathan. Jonathan didn't even talk about it. He didn't even tell anybody what he was going to do. But there was. Something, I say, that stirred in his own heart, and that was a love for the people of God, a concern for their condition, a desire for their blessing and deliverance. This, I say, stirred in the heart of Jonathan. And he had only one companion. And this man is unnamed. The Scripture hasn't been pleased to tell us the name of Jonathan's armor bearer. But he had a great part in this and, you know, sometimes. There is someone in whom we can confide, someone in whom we can, shall I say, share those desires and pray together and seek to have an interest in the people of God together. I think it's so nice. It could possibly be husband and wife. It could be two young people who have a similar convictions and heart desire. And how nice it is to see that Jonathan had one who had these kind of thoughts. We so often associate the name of Jonathan with what took place afterwards and how he was unwilling to identify himself with David in his rejection. But God has been pleased to record this bright spot in Jonathan's life. And let me say this, in spite of all the many failures that there has been in our lives, isn't it good to know that God records every bright spot, everything that's been done for him?
Not even a cup of cold water given in His name will be forgotten in that day. Yeah, not even a thought upon His name. We might have a book of remembrance, and we have the names of friends who visit in our home, but we can't tell when they think about us. But that's how much the Lord values the response of our hearts, brethren, that even a thought upon His name, even a cup of cold water has been recorded of Him, and no amount of after failure. Will ever change that record? It's there. It's going to be brought out and manifested in that day. So it's very lovely to see. And this chapter is a real encouragement in connection with Jonathan. So it tells us in the fourth verse, at the first verse, rather, it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come and let us go over to the Philistines Garrison that is on the other side. But he told not his father. Here there was this particular day and it could be today, could be January the 2nd, 1978, a particular day came when Jonathan became very much concerned about this. And it could be, I say that January the 2nd, 1978 is the time when someone or what here became concerned about the little time that's left to us about the wonderful privilege of living for so blessed a Master one. Worthy and not looking around to see about others or what they might think or say, but desiring to do it out of affection and love for the Lord and love for His people. That to me is so lovely. And it says He told not his Father. We might wonder why the scripture records that. But when we look back in the history and think of Abraham and when Abraham was going to leave ur of the Chaldees. And come out from her of the Chaldees into the land of Canaan. We remember how he did tell his father. He told his father what he planned to do. And his father went along with them. And out of respect, I suppose, for his father's age, he allowed his father to take the lead. And I don't know whether his father had faith or not. I very much questioned whether Terah, the father of Abraham, was a man of faith. But. They journeyed part way and they came to a certain. Place and they settled down in this place and they remained there until Abraham's father died. Quite a few years were lost in Abraham's life because he allowed himself to be hindered in the pathway of faith by telling his father. And so you know, it is sometimes that telling someone who has no spiritual desires, no real. Desire for the Lord's things. Will only be a hindrance to us and will hold us back. So he didn't tell his father he loved his father. The end of the chapter shows his respect for his father. But he did not allow his father to hinder him in that path of devotedness. And you and I are told he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. The Lord's claims must come first. Villain tells us here how. The fourth verse. And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines Garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side, and the name of the one was Moses, and the name of the other Cena. Here we see, as we remarked before, that to pass over to the Garrison of the Philistines. There were these sharp rocks. And there are always hindrances, they're always sharp rocks, as we have noticed before. The Lord has told us in his word that we must expect to have tribulation, Paul said in writing to the Philippians. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. And over and over again we are told. That the path of following Christ. Is a path of suffering. So there were sharp rocks, and they noticed where these sharp rocks were. One was on the side of the Philistine company and the other was on the side of Gibeah. And that's where Saul was in the uttermost part of Gibeah. He wasn't right close to that sharp rock. He avoided that, but he was there. He was back under a pomegranate tree.
And the men were with him and Jonathan and his armor bearer. If they were going to go, they had to pass through this sharp rock or these sharp rocks, and perhaps they would show how that when we desire to please the Lord, why there is the world that's always opposed. We know the world has no heart for Christ. We know if we're going to follow the Lord Jesus that we can expect the enmity of the world. The Lord Jesus said Marvel not if the world hates. You he know that it hated me before it hated you. And then he also said the disciple is not above his master. And I've often thought of that passage. The disciple is not above his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. And I thought of it like this. If I expect better treatment from this world and my Savior, I'm saying, well, they ought to treat me better than him. I'm really a little bit above my master. They should be a little more kind to me. Should they? Our precious savior was despised and rejected here, and yet. All that love that ever shone out, as one of the writers said, the thing that impressed him when he read the Gospels was this here's a man who never did one thing to please himself. Just think of that pathway of love here in this world, ever doing his Father's will, never anything to please himself. There's not one recorded miracle in all of the Gospels where the Lord did a single thing. To make life easier for himself. He did everything for others, but for himself. No, He was the one who sought to do His Father's will and for the blessing of others. Well, that was the rock of the Philistine side. Then there was the rock on the side of Gibeah. He could expect that his father was not going to understand that he would take this kind of a risk, that this just seemed too much to go out against the Garrison of the Philistines, who were much stronger than them. And when there were only two swords, this seemed like absolute folly to go out and try to overcome in this battle. So we have the. Position, we might say, of the Philistines. On one side he had the sharp rock of the misunderstanding of his father on the other side. Now was he willing to go? Was he going to devotedly follow the Lord and do His will? Well, it tells us in the sixth verse. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, 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 or by few. I put a little emphasis on that expression. It may be the Lord will work for us. You notice this humility, and I think it's a very necessary thing. He didn't say, oh, we're going to do great things today. We're the Lord's going to deliver them into our hands. No, there was no such boast. In fact, one of. The writers put it this way. Pretensions of special spiritual guidance are never humble. We often hear people who say the Lord told me to do this and that if you have a scripture for it, then that's fine. When we have the word of God, we can always say I have divine instruction. I can remember when I was a boy as we walked a meeting on Lord's Day morning. Once in a while my father would say to me, he said sometimes when I go a place to preach the gospel, I'm not just sure whether the Lord sent me or not, but he said when I go to remember him and his death, then I'm sure. That I'm doing his will because he has. Said this, do in remembrance of me. In other words, he was trying to impress upon me that when we have a scripture for something, then we can say, I'm sure I have the word of God, I have divine direction. But when you and I take some step in our Christian life, we ought to pray about it. We ought to seek divine guidance. But remember this verse. Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. And even the blood apostle Paul, when he spoke about these things, he said, I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified? But he that judgeth me is the Lord. He said, I don't know anything that I have allowed in my life, that I haven't judged. But he said the Lord may see something I don't see. And he does see things in US, brethren, that we don't see ourselves sometimes he sees.
Motivations that we're not aware of, He sees them. So isn't it nice to see this humility? We could expect that the Lord would come in and help here. Here was one, I say, who had a love for the Lord, who had a sword in his hand, who had a love for the people of God, and who was seeking to walk in humility. And he said, it may be, He said it may be the Lord will work for us. He said as far as whether the Lord can do it, he said we have. Question about that. The Lord doesn't need a big crowd. He doesn't need Manny. He can save just as well by few. Because when it's the Lord's battle, it's like David going out against the giant. He didn't need to have a large company, and he didn't even want to have Saul's armor because Saul was a man after the flesh. And so he goes out in quiet confidence in God. And the victory was granted to him. So here with Jonathan. There was humility and he says that the Lord could save by many or by few. And if there's any one of us here to have some little situation that has arisen in life, something that we want to do for the Lord, and then we say, oh, I don't think I could do that. You know, I've often said, and I repeat it again because perhaps I could say it's going to help to me in my life. And that is. Never ask the Lord. Whether you're able to do it, ask him whether he wants you to do it. Because if he wants you to do it, then he's the one that gives the strength. You know, sometimes we get occupied with whether we have enough strength ourselves, whether they have enough support ourselves. That isn't the point. The point is, does the Lord want us to do it? And if the Lord wants us to do it, by then we're his charge. He says in the word, no man goes to warfare at his own. Charges. No soldier goes out at his own charge. Why? As soon as he is ordered to do something, the supplies are given to him. He doesn't have to supply the the needed things, ammunition or whatever himself. This is supplied to him. And so the important thing was to find out, did the Lord want them to go? And now notice the seventh verse. It's rather touching. And his armor bearer said unto him. All that is in thine heart turn thee. Behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. There's a little phrase in this verse that is rather striking, and that is those two little words turn they. It does seem to me, as I read it here, that Jonathan's heart failed him when he was about to go forward, as he saw those rocks on either side and as he thought of his own weakness and thought, I only have one person with me. It does appear as though he said, I just can't do it. And he turned around and his armor bearers saw him turn around and he said, turn around. Jonathan, I'm with thee. And so forward they went to me. It's like a reminder of what we spoke of yesterday, that God always allows something in everything we do for him to help, to keep us humble. And I suppose even dear Jonathan, as he looked back on this occasion, he wouldn't do any boasting. He'd say, well, I would never have gone ahead in that if it hadn't been for my armor bearer. God always sees to it that there's something in every victory that helps to keep. Tumble. But on the other hand, I want to say a little word about this armor bearer. You'll never know, brethren, what a little word of encouragement may mean to some discouraged soul if you say it at the right time. I don't suppose there's one of us in this room, but can remember some time in our lives, perhaps quite a few times in our lives when we were thoroughly and utterly discouraged, when we were just like Jonathan at this point where we just said, I give up and we. We're going to turn back and someone knew how to speak the right word. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and pitchers of silver. No one knows what a little word spoken at the right time may mean to someone who is discouraged. And brethren, may we know how to speak that word. It's easy for us to say the wrong thing. We're pretty prone to that. All of us are guilty of it, myself certainly included, to say the wrong.
Thing at the right time instead of the right thing at the right time and we just discourage someone and perhaps could be a hindrance to them that might mean lost years in their life. Well, it's very lovely to see this and I think the reason it's put in this way and not mentioning the name of the armor bearer is to show us how a hidden service. Unknown and unnoticed by man. Because as far as we know, this armor beard didn't. Even have a sword, Jonathan did, but the armor bearer didn't. And so he was in a precarious position. He he couldn't do anything. He had to go forward in full confidence in the Lord. But I say God has his record of this and God has the record of all that's been done for him. So Jonathan then with renewed courage in the eighth verse says, behold, we will pass over unto these men. And we will discover ourselves unto them. Jonathan now steps forward. He takes the lead. It was apparently his responsibility. He had the sword. And he now goes forward. And he tells his armor bearer that if they boasted and said come up to us, then they would go. But if they said tarry till we come to you, then they would stand still and would not go up. Now, that is, it seems to me to show that if the enemy was boastful and told them to come up, which of course placed themselves in very great danger, to try and climb up to where they were, why, they said, if the enemy is boastful, then we'll know that the Lord's going to give us the victory. Isn't that surprising when the enemy was boastful? And so it often is when everything looks the most difficult, when it just seems like an impossibility. And then we learn that. With God nothing shall be impossible, and how lovely it is to see that He counted upon God in this situation. So it tells us in the 11TH verse. And both of them discovered themselves under the Garrison of the Philistines, And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. I just want to call your attention to this little expression. The Hebrews you notice in the 19th verse of the 13th chapter, the Philistines there said, lest the Hebrews make them swords or Spears. And again in this 11TH verse, behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes. And in the 21St verse, moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines, why aren't they called Israelites? Well, you know, Hebrew was the name of nature, that is, Abraham and the whole nation of Israel were descendants of Eber, and that was just their name in nature, and the Philistines looked upon them just as natural. Man sought to speak, and we find too, Saul on one occasion talks about them as Hebrews. We should never look on the people of God as Hebrews. We should always see them as God sees them. Very easy to look at them as they are in nature, for we still have the old nature within us. But it's good for us to look at the people of God from God's viewpoint, to see them as His people. And so this is the way that faith looked at them. And so you'll notice the difference in the way Jonathan speaks the 12TH verse and the Garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, come up to us and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armor bearer, come up after me, For the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of not the Hebrews, the hand of Israel. Yes, he looked upon the people of God in their favorite place because the. Israel means a Prince with God, and that is the place that grace has brought us into. Isn't it blessed brethren, to think of the place of favor that we have been brought into? And I wish to say to the most failing Christian in this whole company this afternoon, and that God sees you in that place of perfect acceptance, holy and without blame before Him in love. Absolutely nothing changes that place of favor into which Grace has brought us.
And if Jonathan was going to deliver the people of God, he had to see them from God's viewpoint, just as we read in connection with the prophecy of Balaam. He was called to curse the people, to look upon them as they were in nature. But when he viewed them from the top of the rocks, he had to speak of what they were from God's viewpoint. He said from the top of the rocks, do I behold them? He hath not beheld iniquity. Jacob nor perverseness in Israel, and at the very time that he was talking that way, they were falling into sin down there in the camp below. But when he saw them from the top of the rocks, that was God's viewpoint. And how wonderful it is. We need to do that, brethren. We need to see God's people from God's viewpoint if we're going to seek their blessing. They're dear to Him. He loves them with an everlasting love. They're they're going to be presented another. Day without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. So Jonathan now feeling that the Lord has come in, he can say, Come up after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. Confidence now has been restored, and he climbs up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him. Well, you can see why I said that. To climb up to them seemed like putting their life in the greatest danger to think of climbing up, and above all to have to get down in their hands and feet. That surely gave the enemy an opportunity to go at them. But they had counted upon God. And perhaps it signifies to us the attitude of prayer. Sometimes the greatest victories are won upon our knees a little, saying, Satan trembles when he sees the weakest St. upon his knees. And so here we find that Jonathan and his arm are bare down upon their knees, climbing up, shall I say, to victory, climbing up to the place where God was going to manifest His power. Well, when they get up there then it tells us there was that first slaughter Jonathan and his armor bearer made were about 20 men within as it were, and half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plough seemed like a very, very small beginning. Here with all the Garrison of the Philistines, it seemed like a small beginning. But God's work often begins that way. A very small beginning, but confidence in God. God enables us to go on in faith and I say to that I often feel the starting point is very important. It's so needful that when we start things, they start the right way. One young man who had a a sad marriage, he said to me, how can a thing end right that doesn't start right? Well, I say, dear young people, start right. Give the Lord Jesus his rightful place if you start the wrong way. Perhaps it won't end the right way either. But isn't it important when even young people start going together, that they start right? That they acknowledge the Lord, That they give Him His rightful place from the very beginning of their friendship days? And so it is. This new year is starting. Are we going to start right? Are we going to seek to give the Lord his rightful place? How often we have started the wrong way and then we've had to reap the results. The Bible says be not deceived, God is not mocked whatsoever a man saweth that shall he also reap. It doesn't mean that the Lord can't restore in his grace. He does restore. But oh, poor David got restored, but the sword never departed from his house. And so I say, dear young people, start right. And if there's any little service that you're going to do for the Lord, start right. Start in obedience. Seek to give him his rightfulness. In your life and He will guide you and direct you. Now it tells us there was a trembling in the halls, in the field. And among all the people, the Garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled. And the earthquake. So it was a very great trembling. That God was acting on their behalf, and He put fear into the hearts. How these enemies and they trembled before them. And you know, when we seek to walk in obedience to the Word of God, why then there is that confidence that the Lord gives as we seek to go on in the path of obedience. But if you and I are going in our own wisdom or our own strength.
Why? We're going to see how very weak we are. We have no strength of our own, but when we are weak, then we are strong. And so God now began to undertake the Garrison. The spoilers, they were all trembling. And now King Saul begins to take notice. Something has happened. And he looks over and he sees the the Garrison of the Philistines beginning to melt away. The enemy, something is happening over there in the enemy lines, and he says, let's number and see who is gone. Isn't this rather striking Jonathan, this mighty victor, this one whom God was using was so unimportant to them, so unnoticed, that when he slipped away with his armor bearer, nobody had even noticed that he was gone? He wasn't doing a lot of talking about himself. Offer what he was going to do. I remember hearing our brother Annas, who is known to have many here, saying on one occasion. About serving the Lord. And he used that little expression in his broken English delight. Don't make no noise. And so it is, brethren, if you're going to do something for the Lord, we don't have to do a lot of talking about it far better than it should be done quietly and let the Lord make manifest the results instead of us doing a lot of talking about talking. About what we're going to do or what we're doing. Jonathan didn't do any. Talking about this, Jonathan seemed like an unimportant person. And I might look over this company and someone might say, well, I don't think I ever could do anything. Nobody ever takes notice of me or would expect anything from me. Well, I apparently didn't expect anything from Jonathan. Apparently they didn't expect anything from his armor bearer. And so it was an immaterial thing that they just. Quietly slipped away. But they were in communion with the Lord. They, as I say, loved the people of God. And it's so beautiful to see this. They noticed the results. They saw what had happened. And I say to anyone who's trying to do something for the Lord, it's far better that people should see the results than that we have to do a lot of publicizing about it. Christendom is full of all that kind of thing. Publicizing. What's being done? But God's Word shows that principle. We find even in the life of the Lord Jesus, how often we hear him telling not to publish what had been done. I might just comment here because some have said, why did he do that? Why did he tell people not to talk? Well, I've, I've noticed this and perhaps you've noticed it too. He never told anybody to be quiet about what had been done for their souls. But if it was something to do with healing. Something spectacular, something that would attract a lot of attention to his power to heal. Why he told him not to talk about that. And you know, we like to draw attention to ourselves. But the work of God, like Solomon's temple, it's a work that goes on quietly. There was a lot of noise in the quarries where the stones were being cut out and sawed and made for place. But there was no noise of the hammer in the building. No, they just quietly fit into their places. And there's a work of God going on, happy to have part in it, that quiet work of obedience to the Lord seeking to fill our place among God's people. I say again with a love for the Lord and a love for his people, because I believe those two things were what characterized Jonathan. Well, now we find something that seems to me a little bit sad, and that is that Saul thought that he would like to get credit for this. He would like to get into it. Now he'd been sitting under a pomegranate tree, but when he saw something was going on and it seemed as if there might be victory, why, he wanted to be sure that he got a little bit of credit for this. And immediately now he's ready with his 600 men to come running over and jump in and take. Credit. Well, this was another point with Jonathan. Jonathan might easily have felt, well, I'm a little bit upset about this. I, I should get the credit for this. I was the one. Saul wasn't even concerned about it. But isn't it nice to see, in spite of Saul coming over and coming in on this, we don't find one word from Jonathan. Why didn't he do a lot of talking and defend himself?
Well, he knew the Lord knew all about it. The Lord knew all about it. But Saul seeks to put on a display, and he calls for the priest and. He says here he called to bring Hitler the ark of God. Just seemed that he was trying to put on some display as to his own spirituality and have a little part in this for himself. But the Lord saw to it that the record is written in such a way that we would know that the Lord was using Jonathan on this occasion. Now let's just notice a little before we close here. The 21St verse. Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Then there's another company, likewise all the men of Israel, which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim. When they heard that, the Philistines fled even they also. Followed hard after. Hard after them in the battle. Now here you find that there were two companies that had just given up and been discouraged. These Hebrews had gone over to the Philistines and perhaps his pictures to us some. And as we look back and think of ones whom we've loved and known, and how they've become discouraged and turned aside and they've turned over to the world. These went back to the Philistines and it says they had gone and identified themselves with these enemies of the Lord. And now we find a great restoration taking place. These people who had gone over and identified themselves with the Philistines, now they see that God is working among his people and they come back and they wish to have part among God's people. Well, you know, we often. Think of those who have been turned aside, and perhaps, brethren, our own heads can hang in shame sometimes, that we might contribute part to the discouragement. We might have part in them being turned aside. And perhaps if there was a more of a stir in our hearts of love for the Lord, love for one another, and they saw that there was that warmth and desire for the Lord, and after His things, perhaps they might be attracted, Perhaps there might be. Who would be restored and brought back so often? You know, it's our own coldness that hinders restoration. It it takes a lot of grace on our part that a soul should be restored we find in the book of Ruth. Naomi and her family had all gone down into the into the land of Moab. And what was it that brought them back? Well, it says they heard that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. All they said, we hear that God is blessing his people again. We want to go. Back and be with them. And what was it brought these Hebrews back? They saw God was blessing his people. He was giving encouragement among his people, and now they want to come back. And then there's this second company, those that they haven't gone over to the world, but they had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim. They hadn't left God's land. They're even called not Hebrews, but men of Israel. But they just were the kind, it seems, that said well. I'm just not going to do anything because if I try to do anything, it might be wrong. So they just don't do anything. Isn't it possible for us to be like that? Perhaps it's possible for us to come to the meetings and say, well, I'm going to come to the meeting, but I'm not going to do anything. Not going to give out of him, not going to pray. I just don't want to get involved because I just, I think it's easier just to go along that way. Well, there were men of Ephraim just like that. They were just content to sort of go along and not do anything, just hid themselves as they hear people say count me out. Well, that's what they were. They were count me out, those kind of people. But here we find a great restoration of those kind of people, those count me outs. They all came back now and they joined themselves with the people of God. And how did it all begin? Because one person. One person, his heart got stirred. He had a love for the people. He saw their condition and he didn't hide himself. He didn't give up. He didn't go over to the Philistines. No, he said, maybe I could do something. Maybe the Lord might use me. And he became the beginning of that blessing. Well, brethren, perhaps we could each ask our own hearts, are we willing to be that hidden person, perhaps that armor bearer who perhaps nobody notices?
But perhaps it's a little service of prayer, perhaps. Word of encouragement to some discouraged person because you know the greatest preacher that God records in his word, Peter, 3000 people saved when he preached on the day of Pentecost. He was brought to the Lord by a quiet brother named Andrew. That was the one that God used to bring Peter to the Lord. He brought him to Jesus. And so here we find it says in the 23rd verse. So the Lord saved. Not just Jonathan. So the Lord saved. Israel that day, yes, the Lord saved Israel that day. There was great blessing as a result of this. Well, may the Lord encourage us. Brethren, we're living in Laodicean days. We often feel it in our own hearts. We often feel how difficult it is to go on, and I suppose every one of us are affected by this. But the Lord loves His people to the end. He never gives them up. Let us not give them up either, but seek. Good and seek their blessing, but in order to do it, we must just be content to go on seeking to have the Lord's approval, have love for his Saints, and be content just to do what we do as under His eye and for his glory. And the Lord will take notice of all it is done for him. And it says in Second Corinthians chapter 4. Or rather one Corinthians chapter 4 about that coming day when God makes. Manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God. May the Lord grant that we will desire to do what we do for His praise for His glory. Could we sing that little hymn? 242 Sing aloud to God our strength He has brought us hitherto. He will bring us home at length. This the Lord our God will do. Doubt not, for His word is stable. Fear not, for His arm is able. 242 Someone started for us.