YP Address—G.H. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Yeah, 1961, December the 23rd address to young people.
Joy.
From.
Joy.
From.
It's so long as I grow.
She asked a large person.
I blossom.
I'd like to read in First Samuel chapter 13.
First Samuel chapter 13 and beginning at the 17th verse.
And the sailors came out of the camp of the Philistines and three companies. One company turned under the way that lead us to Oprah under the landless fuel, And another company turned away to Baron. And another company turned to the way of the border, that look us through the valley of of Zebulun for the wilderness. Now there was no Smith found dead, all the land of Israel for the Philistines glad, lest the Hebrews make them sore.
Our fears. But all his life went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man who share.
And his colder, and his acts, and his matter. Yet they had a file for the Maddox, and for the colders, and for the forests, and for the axes, and to sharpen the gold. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword in his fear found in the hand of any of the people.
That were with Paul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found, and the Garrison of the Philistines went over to the passage of mixed match.
Now it's in the past upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul, said unto the young man that bare his armor come and let her go over to the Philistines Garrison that is on the other side. But he told not his father and soul, carried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Negron. And the people that were with him were about 600 men on a high of the son of a Hicham, Ichabod's brother, the son of Finnegan, the son of Eli, the Lord priest in Shiloh, wearing an effort.
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 both as and the name of the other, Cena. The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Mitch, and the other southward over against Libya, And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, come and let us go over under the Garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, but there is no restrain to the Lord to save by many.
00:10:15
Or by few, And his armor bearer said unto him, Do all of his in mine heart.
Turn me. 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 that's under us, carry them till we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up under them. But if they say that come up unto us, then we will go up. So the Lord has delivered them into our hands, 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, Hebrews, come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
In the manner of 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 hands of Israel.
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his arm would bare after him.
And they fell before Jonathan and his armor bearers flew after him. And that first slaughter with Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men.
But that isn't wearing. Half acre of land with the oak of oxen might plow, and it was a trembling in the horse.
In the field and among all the people, the Garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled. And the earthquake.
Great trembling, And the Watchmen of sailing Gibeah, Benjamin look, and behold A multitude, And out of the way and they went on beating down one another. And said Saul unto the people that were with him. Number now and see who has gone from us. And when he had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. And Saul said unto Ohio, Bring hit her the ark of God, For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
When it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that's a noise that was in the host of the four times went on, and increased it all said unto the priest, withdraw thine hands, and saw in all the people that were with him assembly together themselves, and they came to the battle. And behold, every man sword is against his fellow. And there was a very great discomfort here where all of the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time.
Which went up with them under the end of the camps in the country. Roundabouts even they also turn to be with the Israelites. But where we saw and Jonathan likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in Mount Ephriam, 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 Adam.
I thought in reading this passage here young people is that we find here.
A dear young man and his armor bearer, whom God used for the blessing of his people.
We can. We know that it was a very dark day in which these in which this event took place. You know what? In Israel we're in the sad condition. They had rejected the Lord and had chosen the king, and we know that the Philistines had power, all of them, and the star was unable to meet the power of the fellow signs. But isn't it lovely to see here a young man and his armor bearer who were exercised for the blessing and good?
Of the people of God, and with whom we might say there was personal devotedness.
Than an evil day. And that's what one feels is so important at a time like this. Oh, it's very easy to get caught in the current of things go along with the crowd. But it takes grace and purpose of heart to belong to the Lord, to seek to live for him, and to also be a blessing among the people of God in such a day as this and whatever failures they may ask you which have been.
In the life of Jonathan, we can at least say in this instance that there was real purpose of heart and devotedness, and God has been pleased to record it. Not only that we might know that he hasn't forgotten this in the life of Jonathan, but also that we might be encouraged in the same path. But it surely also teaches another lesson to young people, and that is that we can't live on past victories. We can't live on past experiences.
00:15:17
And it seems sad to think that this man who was so mightily used of God.
Good. Afterwards, be the very one who chose to turn back and remain in the court of Saul, and not to accompany David and his rejection. And so perhaps there has been a time of devotedness in your life, or mine. Perhaps, as we come to these meetings, our hearts is stirred as we think of the privilege of living in this world for Christ. But all let us remember that we need daily strength from the Lord.
Or the situations that we meet along the pathway of life.
Well, philosophy represent to us the power of the enemy within among God's people. We know that on another occasion, Sam Saul was able to overcome the Ammonites because they were the enemy's power from without. But when the enemy's power came within me, he was not able. It took real devotedness. It took purpose of heart. Yeah, it took life for the people of God.
Which I believe we could say was never seen in the life of Saul. He was more concerned with his own honors.
Than having at heart the good and the blessing of God's people and all dear young people. May you be one who has in your heart a desire to be a help among the people of God. It's easy to be. It's easy to just drift along with the crowd. It's easy to find fault. But it takes much courage. It takes occupation of heart with Christ to be able to go on in a day when things seem to be breaking down.
Then surely the Spires at work to go on in faithfulness and love, and the use of God. And who can tell the blessing that one or two young people who seek to go on to the Lord can be among his people? So here we find just two against the fast host to the enemy, and yet news of God in such a mighty way.
For their deliverance, and for that the people of God could rejoice in being set free from the Philistine.
Well, we noticed too that at the end in the 14th chapter, there were those of the children of Israel who had gone over and identified themselves with the Philistine. And there were others who had hit themselves in the in the holes of the earth.
Well, I suppose those are two ways in which we can meet the difficulties of the way. We can say it's no use and we can drift along with the current of things.
Sort of Join hands with those who want to go on with things of the world and who want to find their pleasure and happiness here. Or we can take another attitude of saying, well, there's nothing to do because no one will cooperate, no one will help you might as well not try to do anything. Well, those are the two extremes. Either go along with the world, Those are the ones that went and joined with the Philistines.
Or you can do the word down into the holes in the earth and say, well, I can't do anything because I'm just one person and so I can't be a help. Well, Jonathan didn't do one or the other. He didn't join hands of the Philistines, neither did he go down into the holes of the rock. But if he knew what was taking place, he saw that the spoilers were at work, but his heart looked up to God.
For the blessing and the deliverance of the people of God.
Well, it was at this time at the stairs went out to do their badly work. And we noticed too, and reading further down, that before these spoilers went out, they had already accomplished something very quietly, very unsuspected among the people of God. And what was it?
While they had been to it that there was no Smith in the land of Israel, bless the Hebrews as they called them. That's the name given to them in the flesh. Faith looked upon them as Israel. Nature looked upon them as Hebrews. Well, they looked upon them in this way as Hebrews, and so they saw to it that there was no Smith. They were very willing to help the people.
00:20:29
Of God. They were willing to help the Israelites not to sharpen their swords and Spears.
No. What were they willing to help them to do? All to sharpen their tools.
To have such good tools that they could be good successful farmers, that they could get along well in developing the earth and bringing out some of the good things that were in that land that God had given to them, to the neglect of their swords and their Spears. All dear young people, sometimes themselves. But that is what the enemy is doing in a day like this, how often we find.
That the enemy is so willing.
To help us get along in the world, we can get scholarships, we can get help of all kinds.
To make a success of this life, we can get loans and we can do everything to have the finest education and the best homes and the nicest cars and just get along so well and the world won't turn us down. They're ready to help. The Philistines were glad to sharpen the tools of the Israelites so that they could be good farmers so long as they neglected their swords and their Spears.
And what is not saying this because I am against the necessity of education in connection with your calling in life.
But all I do say to young people, don't make that your object. Don't neglect the things of God.
To get along in this world because of your bills and the day of battle building, all sort of fear in your hands and all what a sad thing it is in the day of battle is going to come in your life and mine. It's going to come in our private life.
It's going to come in our assembly light. It's going to come in our business life. That is a time when God is going to test us as to whether we really want to put His claim 1St and acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the one who has a rightful claim over our hearts and over our lives. And can it not easily be, But I was so busy getting these things of so-called necessary.
Necessities of life that we can neglect the sword and the sphere. All dear young people, I beg of you not to neglect the private leading of the word of God in prayer. I beg of you not to neglect the meetings. I beg of you not to allow.
There are things that might be called important in this life to hinder you from giving time in your private life for the Lord Jesus. And so we find here that the Philistines had worked this plan, And then when the plan was complete, when there was no sword in the hands of any of the people, only in the hand of Saul and Jonathan.
Then the spoilers went out to work. Then they started to do their work.
And there was number power to combat it. There was no spiritual energy.
To stand against it, because of the sword and the spear had been neglected. And so it tells us here about these three companies. I looked up a little bit about the names of the places where these companies went, and I was quite struck in order that the one that went through Opal was the place where Gideon Fresh squeaked by the Winecraft. That's where he was. All the spoilers don't want to see you and I have that private time.
All the God's precious words, they don't want to see us taking that time.
That we should be spending over God's word. And so the spoilers went out and the 1St place they went to was also. That is the beginning of getting away from the Lord is neglecting His word in our lives.
Then it says another company turned away to Bethlehem. Well, that was the place. When they went up from Gilgal, they went to Beth Horn in the battle against the five kings of Canaan in the Book of Joshua. It was, perhaps we might say, in the decisive battle.
00:25:17
Of the possession of Canaan. And this was the place where, when they left your goal, they went up to death, Horan.
Or the enemy doesn't want you and I to live in practical self judgment.
So that we can go on the victory and all dear young people are the little things allowed in your life and mind that are hindering food bearing, that are hindering what we might speak of as victory. And because we are allowing those things and we know they're wrong, our conscience as well as the word of God tells us that they're wrong, but we still go on with them. We we argue that there's nothing very wrong with them.
But the children of Israel, they had to come from Gilgal up to Beth Horan. So we see the enemy. That was where the second company of spoilers went. I was replaced where they went from Jilgar to Victory. And so he attacked that place, Beth Horan.
And the third company? It says they went the way of the border that look up to the valley of Zebulun toward the wilderness.
While I was thinking of that as all who are discouraged, you know the enemy heels is discouragement. That's one of these great tools. He might be neglecting the word.
But perhaps we're reading the word. We might even feel that we're practicing self judgment.
But we might be very discouraged. There are a lot of young people who are discouraged.
They feel it's no use. They feel it's difficult. It's up here and work to follow Christ and one of the enemies greatest tools is discouragement. Indeed one has been impressed in noticing in First Peter chapter 5 it says casting all your care upon him, 40 cares for you. The next verse says he sobers. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil is a roaring lion.
Walketh about speaking whom he native hours.
A discouraged Christian is often to the definite attack of the enemy. And if you and I hear young people, if we're not casting our cares upon the Lord, if we're not leaving him to order our lives and to plan them according to his perfect wisdom and love, by then we'll probably discourage. And the devil is right there, ready to upset one who is discreet. He just knows when to get in.
And the turn us aside. So here were the three companies of spoilers went out. The Garrison of the Philistines moved up into Knicks match, and the people went to look for their swords, and nobody had one. The enemy was so clever. He had worked with all he had secret intelligence. He knew that they were neglecting their swords and their Spears, and the day of battle there was no one.
But Paul and Jonathan?
Who had a fear or a sword in their hands?
And perhaps we could say that in the case of fall, seems to me it would picture to us.
Having the knowledge of the word without the power to walk in it. And so there's another danger in that direction. We can get the truth intellectually, so that we can answer the questions intellectually and still be carrying under a pomegranate tree. That is no spiritual energy in our lives, no love for the people of God, no desire for their good and for their blessings, yet having a fine knowledge.
Of the word, so sorry to say so. Sword will help in the day of battle, and knowledge will never keep us here, young people. But Christ will be enjoyment of himself, of His love that will keep us, that will give us strength in the day of battle. So there wasn't only knowledge that Jonathan he had the sword, but he also had.
A love for the people of God. He had a desire for the deliverance and he had to a confidence in God.
That he was able to deliver his people and that he loved his people and that his Jonathan said in his heart the sorrow of seeing them in *******. The Lord said it's still more and that he loved the people of God. But all we also see it coupled with a very sweet humility. Oh, I think it's lovely in the English portion to see your humility that characterized Jonathan at this time.
00:30:21
And oh, it's so important. This is a day when self importance and pride is a great thing. First One South forward and thank God that we're able to accomplish things. That's confidence. But all we see with Jonathan, there wasn't that self-confidence, but there was confidence in the law. There was a knowledge of his laws and of his faithfulness.
Well, it came to pass upon a day upon a day. Well, it might be today.
In your life, or mine might be this very day that the Lord stirs us up.
It might be that he brought us to this very general meeting to young people, so that this would be the day when our hearts would be stirred up, and when we would have a renewed and fresh desire to live for the Lord Jesus and to be a blessing among his people. So on this particular day, Jonathan said to the young man that bears armor, come and let us go over to the Philistines Garrison that is on the other side.
Yes, that day came. He didn't look at the difficulties.
There were insurmountable. He didn't say. The spoilers are too busy. There's too much trouble here. You couldn't do anything in a condition like this. And perhaps you might say I was a lot of trouble in the little assembly where I come from. There's some spoilers at work there. You'll have to wait until that's over before we can do anything. Hear young people, you'll wait forever if you wait till the spoilers stop their work, the enemy's always busy.
But praise looks to God. Faith counts upon him. Faith knows what man is, but it also knows what God is, that God is able to do more than we can ask or think.
Another thing that I think is very beautiful here is the kind of companion that Jonathan.
Had chosen. What kind of a companion did he choose? Did he choose one?
Who would tend to discourage him and would say, oh, it's no use.
Don't try, Jonathan. The odds are all against you. But instead he had chosen a companion, an armor bearer who had the same godly exercises and who was a help. To him and dear young people, these are very important occasions. Many friendships start at such times as this. It's quite often that you meet a boy or a girl when they ask, you would be your life companion.
But all I ask you do you want one who will be an armored bearer. You want one will help you. You want one will be an encouragement to you in the past of following Christ.
Although it can be a drive to a girl or a girl can be a drag to a boy and hindering the path of following Christ, how may we know what it is? Give your young people when you go out together during these meetings, try and encourage one another.
Try and encourage one another to follow Christ and be your help instead of a discouragement in that file, and it'll be a blessing to you and a blessing to the one whom you choose to be your partner. And if you find that the one who is going around with you is not really one, you could call an armor bearer. An armor bearer, the better the better. Stop it now. Better stop now before it's too late, because.
To have a spiritual drive in your life as a sad, sad frame. Earl Jonathan had an armor bearer. His partner was an armored bearer. And then he said to him, come and let's go, his armor bearer could say, as he did later on, Behold, I am with thee. Behold, I am with thee. Oh, how lovely that was to see. Hopefully together.
Remind your dear Aquila.
And Priscilla, whose noble names in the Scriptures, so as how a young couple together.
Come through the Lord and with the hardships and difficulties of going on in the day, when there's weakness and failure and ruin perhaps.
00:35:04
Well, why does it say he told, not his father? Why don't take his father into this confidence?
Your father was not a man of faith. His father was a man. He was in a high position among the people of God, but he didn't have faith. He remembers how Abraham on that occasion, when God called him to come out some of the Chaldees, he talked it over with his father. He allowed his father to take the lead and when they started out for the land of Canaan, his father car, his father was the influence that caused him to settle down.
Inherently instead of going to God's land. And they stayed there for some time too, because he told his father, he told his father he remember another occasion how?
His father-in-law discouraged him to Moses. father-in-law said this. You're not able to bear the burden of this people alone. That's too heavy. As one brother said, the Lord never asked him to bear it alone. He said, My present shall go with me and I will give thee rest. He never asked us to do a thing alone. His promise to be with us is our encouragement and our health.
Well, he didn't tell his father and dear young people if there's someone.
Whom you know will discourage you, even a loved one in the past of following Christ. Sometimes you have to look beyond that loved one. Sometimes you have to look beyond that person and not allow them to influence you. Gideon would never have pulled down the altar that was an idea and in the country of the abbia's rights if he had asked his father because he saw the building. But when he wanted him faith, God undertook.
And so I said again how important it is that we act before God.
In our exercises to follow him and for the blessing of his people.
Well, Paul had a large number with him. He had 600.
He died under a pomegranate tree. He had the Lord's priest there.
As I say, all the ugly things, but not that devoted nothing spiritual energy.
And that's what we need in a day like this. It's true that God still recognizes people, and we must recognize the people of God do and love them. We must recognize the fact that God has a standing for these people. But what I'm Speaking of, particularly this afternoon, dear young people, is devotedness to Christ, personal devotedness to Christ following him.
According to his mind and to his word.
Well, it tells us to in the end of the third verse, that the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
Oh, how exactly? Didn't notice that Jonathan was gone. Oh, I think this is very beautiful too. Jonathan wasn't a man that attracted attention to himself. He didn't try to attract any attention to himself. No, he went on quietly unnoticed. But he had a large heart. He loved the people of God. He couldn't bear to see them in ******* but he thought no prominence for himself.
Sought to deliver the people of God one time, but he sought to do it in a way that gave prominence to himself as a ruler and a judge. But God had to teach him many lessons before he could finally use him. And may I save your young people some is often seen dear young people with a real zeal, real desire to be a blessing among the people of God, but were perhaps content to go by unnoticed, content to go in and out among the people of God and not to be noticed.
But that's the great teacher here, Jonathan told not his father, And the other 600 didn't even know that he had gone well. He goes out and there were two sharp rocks.
On one side there was a sharp laugh, for the Philistines were. On the other side there was a sharp lock.
Where the guys he was with with Saul and we often find tea that there are sad locks to pass.
We see in front of us the Garrison of the Philistines, we see the sharp rock and it seems all it's impossible, too difficult, and Jonathan said to the young man, he said.
00:40:07
Come, let us go over under the Garrison some of these men. It may be that the Lord will work for us, Or there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. Is this lovely?
He said the Lord may use this. There's no boasting here, is there? No saying he's going to use us? We're great people. We've got courage. How? He said the Lord may use it. And if he if he does want to use us, why? He doesn't need to have a large company. He just needs to have a heart that looks to him. So he said that he may use this. But then it seems to me, in leading the incident here, that Jonathan must have looked at those cat locks.
And I believe he turned around. I believe he turned his back. And we're just going to go back because his armor bearer said turn me, the old arm would be.
Well, hasn't that time come? Sometimes, perhaps we wanted to do something to the Lord and we're all ready. And then the difficulty just seemed so insurmountable, seemed so impossible, and we just felt like sending back was no use.
And that's just the point where we find Jonathan here. Why does God record that all the young people? I believe this is important. God will never let us do any boasting, will never let us do any boasting. And Peter walked in the waters, but he could never boast about it. He began to sink.
David became king, but he could never say. I was so faithful to all those years that God gave me the throne, because when the time came, you forget the throne. He had fled from the face of Saul and was down with the Philistines. All God will always let us see our own helplessness, our own nothingness. But that's a good thing for us. It's necessary because he would only have us to both impress. He would only have a subpoena him.
So it seemed to me that the armor were here. Why the means in this occasion of causing Jonathan to turn it on and go forward in this battle. So they went up to having time to speak of it in detail. But we know how they went forward there. They called up to the host of the fellow signs and they said come up, he'll show you a thing, in other words.
They just looked down with disdain. 2 men coming up to meet them.
Two men able to face the whole Garrison of the Philistines. They look for disdain.
But then what does it tell us? Oh, it tells us that they got down on their hands and feet. You've got to get down before we can go out. And so sometimes when we feel the same, when people look and say, Oh no, these things are going to do something, well, figure down in their hands and their feet and they climbed up and when they came up to the track or there was the Philistine Garrison.
But when they got there and approved and confidence that the Lord gives, Jonathan set forward.
And his armor there after them? After him? And what was the result?
All complete victory. God granted a complete victory. And what about the spoilers?
How they trembled. What about the people that were afraid of the first time? Or they stumble too in the Philistines? The whole situation is all changed and the people who seem so many, so innumerable.
Why? The whole earth trembled, and Jonathan and his arm were there, went forward, and God threw them.
Delivered the people of God. And what about these ones that have gone down hid themselves?
In the hole what about the ones that have gone over to this whole time the Jonathan get a hold of them give them a shaking and saying you shouldn't be there with the Philistines and two people in the halls you come up all he didn't business. Lovely. Why in the courage and confidence of faith he goes forward and these people turn out of the hole and the ones the Lord the Philistines came back and what a great deliverance God was and.
Then after all this, since all comes forward.
00:45:01
And he joins the crowd. He brings his army into the battle. And Saul got all the credit as far as outward things were concerned. It looks to work. In the end. That was all victory, and we don't hear one word from Jonathan.
To defend himself. All your young people. This is perhaps the hardest and most difficult point of all. When you try to do something and then perhaps the lawyer does, he was a privilege of doing some little thing for him. And somebody else comes ahead and as it were, they take the credit and the devil says, oh, you were the one and somebody else got the credit. It's properly reported up there. It's properly recorded up in God's book.
And God saw to it that it was properly recorded in his word for us to read. Oh, never mind, he gets the credit this shows God tested Jonathan about whether he was really doing this out of love for him and love for his people.
And God tests us, you, and sometimes criticism and things that happen. A God's way of showing us the resignation of our own heart. We like to get credit. We like to set self forward. We like to be noticed. But here we find that they went unnoticed. They didn't even know that they were gone, but all the results of it all were the deliverance of God's people.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day and the battle passed over unto death haven. At the end of the chapter. They were going to put Jonathan to death, but God undertook. Isn't it lovely? Isn't it beautiful to see the young people? I say again, the cause of this little meeting. God has brought you here. The Canadian has brought you here because he wants to encourage your heart. It's easy to get discouraged.
It's easy to see the odds against you in fourth millions, but only God. Grant for each one of us few young people. Be sure you keep it forward, and be sure that you not only keep it sharp, but also that you seek to walk in that communion with the Lord that gives moral courage and strength, which will be characterized with love for the people of God, a desire for their deliverance. And if you and I seek this?
It may be a lot of user. It may be what a privilege to the use of him. What a privilege to do something for the one who did more than we can ever tell for us. May God grant our hearts will be encouraged to live not under ourselves, but under Him who died for us at Rose Gate followed her.