Sermon Tone Analysis

Compromise or Courage: Responding to Tests of Faith

PRAY

INTRO: Our lives are not short on crises nor on conflict.

We all face them—sometimes daily, sometimes for prolonged periods.

The Bible teaches us that God uses such circumstances as tests of our faith.

Will we compromise, attempting to take matters into our own hands instead of staying faithful to God’s command, or will we courageously face each crisis with confident commitment to God’s will and his glory?

Today in our text we see how two family members respond very differently to what can most certainly be viewed as tests of faith.

One fails miserably, and the other passes with flying colors.

The first is King Saul, the second prince Jonathan.

The King caves to pressure and behaves wisely in his own eyes (Prov.

3:7), while the prince acts in courageous confidence in the God who goes with them (Deut 31:6).

Let’s look at the situation that Isreal finds herself in.

In spite of her sin in requesting a king (instead of trusting God to continue ruling them), God uses this for his sovereign purposes and gives them Saul (son of Kish) to be Israel’s first-ever king.

You’ll recall that Saul looks the part (he’s a huge hunk), and the people like him.

But not quite everyone is made a full-blown Saul supporter until the Holy Spirit rushes on Saul to the lead the people in successful battle against Nahash, the leader of the Ammonites oppressing the people of northeastern Israel.

As Israel confirms and celebrates her king, Samuel gives a public address to call the people to repentance and confirm their allegiance and accountability to the Lord their God.

We find ourselves in our text today, in the not too distant future, with Israel beginning again to deal with an all too familiar enemy:

Saul and the Philistines (13:1-7)

The Setting

There are textual issues with v. 1, such that the Gk Septuagint* omits the verse altogether bc of it’s lack of clarity.

(*the Hebrew scriptures translated into Greek around 250 years before Christ)

There’s a number missing in Saul’s age, which probably should read 30 or 40 (or something between).

1 Sam.

9:2 called him a young man (or choice man in his prime… kind of idea) - Many of you would call me a “young man” in the prime of life, right?

Well, I’m 37. Now I am neither tall nor a runway model like Saul, but you get the point.

Also, if this is meant to be the typical kingship formula then another number is missing before the two (which would be the number 40, since that was both the common understanding and the length Acts 13:21 says that he reigned (no doubt a rounded figure).

So it might have read forty and two years.

BUT… It’s also probable from the context that this isn’t the kingship formula but would read something like “Saul was [30 or 40] years old when he began to reign, and when he had reigned two years...”

Saul’s Standing Army

3000 men - 2000 with Saul, 1000 with Jonathan (old enough to fight)

[map 1 - Saul’s kingdom]

Philistine control over Israel

Is Saul complacent?…

It is Jonathan’s initiative (at Geba)…

Jonathan Wakes the Giant

Jonathan attacks and defeats one of the Philistine garrisons, the one at Geba.

The Philistines get wind of it and Saul knows he must draw more troops.

So he blows a trumpet to start a chain reaction of getting word out to Israel to join him at Gilgal.

And boy, did Jonathan and Saul ever stir the hornets nest.

The Philistines come out in a HUGE show of force (probably) 3,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and too many foot soldiers to count!

The people see and hear of this force, and they hide and scatter.

Saul is at Gilgal, but anyone who remains with him is quaking with fear.

Saul’s Impatient Disobedience (13:8-15)

Waiting for Samuel

Samuel had previously said...

Given the context, Saul knew exactly what he was supposed to do.

Saul’s Compromise & Excuse

In Saul’s “defense,” the situation is dire and he wants to seek the Lord’s favor.

So what’s the problem? - Saul disregarded direct instruction.

Application:

When is it ok to disobey? (When is it ok to disregard God’s instructions?) - When you’re in a desperate situation?

When you’re convinced that you’re doing something that God would actually want you to do? (even though he has expressly given a different command… doing the wrong thing for the “right reasons”?)

Why must obedience be complete?

(the way we’ve been instructed with the right heart attitude—joyful and submissive)

Obedience is the evidence of the condition of our hearts.

Failure to obey is failing to obey the test of faith.

[consider Abraham… and the letter of James]

If we don’t find it a joy to obey God, then we have forgotten (or never fully appreciated) his great grace to us.

Samuel’s Rebuke

You have done Foolishly

Not keeping the command

Your kingdom would have continued, but now it is doomed.

Your kingdom ends with you.

The Lord is choosing for himself another king who has a submissive heart to him, who will obey His will.

Your lack of submission to God as evidenced by this sin is the direct cause of God giving the kingdom to another.

Application: Is God’s response to Saul overly harsh?

(Or his response to our sin?)

Can there be any injustice in God?

Does God do what he says?

(He said: 1 Sam 12:14 & 12:25)

Just as Saul’s kingship rose from nothing and started well, so it quickly declines into a display of Saul’s lack of submission to God, such that will lead to nothing.

His family is unseated from the throne, and it’s due to Saul’s disobedience.

The deep irony in all this, almost to the point that it pains me, is that Jonathan is also deeply impacted by Saul’s sin, and yet Jonathan is faithful to God and courageous in his actions.

But first!

(further context)...

A Severe Situation: Outmanned and Outgunned (13:16-23)

[in this case, the continued consequences of sin… the people, and Saul]

No direction from God

Saul fowled up seeking God’s favor, and receives no direction from God through Samuel.

HUGE Philistine force, tiny Israelite band

(600 left)

Raiders have gone out in three other directions

(destroyers - special forces) to subdue and subject everything and everyone in their path

Israel is poorly armed

Severely outgunned (out-sworded and out-speared) - only Saul and Jonathan have swords (Philistines must have confiscated weapons prior to this)

Jonathan’s Daring Attack (14:1-15)

[in their own words…]

“Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving”

- faith

“The question in Jonathan’s mind is not whether God can deliver the Philistines into the hands of the Israelites, but whether this is God’s will.”

(Deffinbaugh)

“I am with you heart and soul”

- the confidence in a teammate to follow someone who has faith in God and courage to see him glorified

“the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel”

- confident conviction that God confirmed his will

Application: (and summary)

What is the great contrast between Saul and Jonathan at this point?

(The coming of a crisis, and our reaction to it, reveals who we are.) - One is complacent and compromising, while the other is courageous because of his confidence in God.

What about you, are you confident in God?

How can we strengthen our confidence in God to act submissively to his will and courageously for his glory?