Open—John Kemp
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We just want to make a few remarks, but.
Very briefly until they have someone else.
Opportunity.
I've been looking at the.
Of John we all are familiar with.
The.
Character of Jonathan.
His love for David.
Never failed.
However, we know that, Jonathan.
Miss the mind of the Lord.
And he didn't leave the comforts.
Of his father's court song.
You have the opportunity.
The problem was Jonathan was his father. He thought he could change his fault.
That was not possible.
We often think of Jonathan in connection with failure.
And there was a loss in the life of Jonathan that was never regained.
And it will be manifest that the judgment seat of Christ.
His name is conspicuous.
By its absence.
List of David's mighty men.
But you know.
Jonathan was nevertheless a man of faith.
We turn to First Samuel. Just a few thoughts here.
Samuel Chapter.
14.
I don't think we'll take time to read the whole package.
But it's a marvelous account.
Of individual faithfulness in the time.
A great ruin in the testimony.
The judges had failed. The priesthood had failed. The king had failed.
Jonathan was a man of faith.
And he wanted to.
Please the Lord.
And to fight the battles of the Lord.
But it wasn't an easy time.
Many of the Israelites, if you read carefully in the 14th chapter, they got so discouraged.
That they hid themselves.
Among the Philistines.
Some of them went into holes.
They were hidden, and we thought, brethren, that are hidden.
They said what's the use things are in such a state of?
Decline. There's no power. We might as well go over to the Philistines.
Maybe we'll get something from that.
Is that what we're going to do?
Are we going to? The Philistines have a peculiar place in Scripture. They were enemies within the land.
And they speak, I think, of those who would rob us of our food, our spiritual food. We need to be like Gideon, who thresh that wheat beside the winepress. He was going to have food for his people. Though the Midianites had come in like grasshoppers and impoverished the nation, so did the Philistines here.
First Samuel, chapter 313.
19 Now there was number Smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make them swords or Spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen. Every man you share and his culture and his accent is matter.
22 So it came too fast in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was thumb.
The Philistines were happy.
To sharpen the agricultural farming instruments, that wasn't a problem.
Wasn't it a side condition? There was number Smith that could no blacksmith in the land of Israel that could sharpen anything.
But when they brought the swords and the Spears to the Philistines, Oh no, we won't shark the ghost.
So it left them in an awful impoverished state. They didn't have a sword or a spear. The whole nation except Jonathan and.
00:05:08
You understand, And so Saul didn't know how to use it.
And so the Philistine certainly will sharpen your your farming instruments. You can go ahead and produce your crops. We'll come in and take it. That's exactly, exactly what the Midianites did in the time of Midian. They impoverished the land.
But Gideon was going to have food that which was his right and.
Brethren, we don't need to go down into the camp in order to find food for our souls.
This was a day of individual faithfulness.
In circumstances that were very difficult.
Almost impossible.
But Jonathan?
Have faith and he.
Had confidence in God when you read here came to pass. 14 and Jonathan the son of Saul.
That unto the young men that bear his armor. Come and let us go over to the Philistines Garrison.
That is on the other side. But he told not his father. That was a wise thing. You know, previous to this, Jonathan had 1000 men.
And Saul had 2000 men.
But Saul couldn't use those men. He didn't know how to encounter the Philistines. Jonathan went out with 1000 men. You read that in the 13th, isn't it? And he won a marvelous victory.
But then when Saul saw what had happened, he stepped in and he said.
That Israel had one a wonderful victory and he he took the credit from Jonathan for the work that he had done.
Stepped in and took the crack.
But Jonathan left that entirely with the Lord.
He didn't defend himself, he just left that with the Lord. He has the record straight.
But now he was going to go not with 1000 men, he was going to go single handed. I.
Against this host of the fellow sites.
You'd say it must. It looked like an impossible situation. The Philistines were good fighters. There were thousands of them, and it was a difficult ascent up here, these sharp rocks. It wasn't easy, you know. If you're going to do something for the Lord, Satan will put every roadblock in the way.
And if you're going to be faithful, don't expect an easy path.
It was more difficult to be a soldier at this time than it was in the Times of David and the Times of David.
The host of the the army went out. It never tells us that David lost the battle.
But this was not the time of David's great exploits and success. This was a time of great weakness among the people of God.
And.
But Jonathan was going to have a spear and a sword for himself.
And he was going to trust the Lord in this situation. And who did he have behind him? An armor bearer, that's all. Two men.
Are climbing up this steep rock here 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 so on.
Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, come and let us go over unto the Garrison of the Philistines of the sun circumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, but there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. Yes, he looked back at the wonderful victories of the nation of Israel when they came into the land of Canaan. He knew those examples. He knew that God was able to undertake.
In this situation and you know, you may not have the energy of Jonathan here, I don't think.
Back to Jonathan had a lot of confidence because as he was scaling those steep rocks.
00:10:02
I think he was just still ready to turn back.
And if you look in the 14th chapter.
Come over six, come and let us go over under the Garrison of these uncircumcised.
And his armor bearer seven said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart turn thee. Behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
I think that Jonathan.
Was was becoming.
Afraid now he was almost ready to turn back, but he had an armor bearer behind him. We don't know his name.
But he just gave him that word of encouragement.
At the time that he needed it. Turn the the whole, my heart is with thee. Isn't that wonderful? You? We can be an armor bearer. If we're not going to be a soldier in the forefront, you can be an armor bearer. Sisters can do that. I can look back and think of dear sisters gathered to the Lord's name who were real armor bearers and gave me that word of encouragement that I needed just at the time.
When I was engaged in some conflict.
Well, the armor bearer here.
Encourage Jonathan just at the moment when he needed it.
And remarkable that.
When David recounts the mighty men.
He mentions Job's armor bearer, but he doesn't mention Job himself.
But Job's armor bearer is nature.
So you know how young people?
Let's not be like Saul here. Here he was verse two of chapter 14. Saul carried in the uttermost part of Gabaya under a pomegranate tree, which is in migrant and the people that were with him were 600 men. He had 600 men, but he was relaxing and taking his ease under a pomegranate tree.
And the Philistines were pressing in upon him.
Didn't have any power to go against them. I think I've often sat under a pomegranate tree when there was a work to be done, whether it be in the gospel, in the ministry, in the assembly, or it may be in the attending the prayer meeting. I'm sorry to say that sometimes the prayer meeting in my assembly is very poorly attended.
As compared with other meetings.
The prayer meeting is an assembly meeting. The Lord is in the midst in that meeting if sometimes it's neglected.
Anyway, we find that.
Saul had no spiritual power or energy to do anything.
He sat there under the pomegranate tree.
And Jonathan single handed.
Lined up these rocks and.
And we know how the the Lord intervened for him in a marvelous way.
And gave him a victory. Those Israelites that were hiding among the Philistines, traitors, you would say, when they saw the way the battle was going, they came out and joined the ranks.
And those that were hidden in the holes because of fear of the Philistines, they rallied and came out.
Well.
I think that among brethren we have some that are hidden ones too, they just don't have an exercise to.
Be at the meetings and you wonder whether they're in fellowship or not.
So let us in spite of the weakness that we encounter.
Let us seek to be faithful in that sphere where the Lord has placed us.
One brother was speaking to another brother and he said my it must have been wonderful.
In the early days of brethren that I have often read about in the biographies where there's much spiritual power.
When great numbers were gathered to the Lord's name, when there was teaching ability that we seen.
00:15:08
Nothing of now in the same the same proportion.
Intellectual giants that left us so much precious ministry. But, you know, I think that it takes more grace to go on.
Day after day, week after week, in that small assembly where you are, where there's not much activity, there's not much spiritual energy to do anything to go on and be faithful to the Lord. Be an example looking after that Sunday school class and maybe launching out with the gospel.
Where you are.
It's wonderful to be together like we are this weekend and have the encouragement one with the other, but we're going back to assemblies to find the situation the same as when we left. Are we going down the spiritual energy to go on or are we going to give up and say there's nothing being done here? Let's go down to the Philistines.
Where there's some activity and we're going to drift back to the camp. If I build a game, the things that once I destroyed, I make myself a transgressive.
Haggai was one who stirred up the people.
To get away from their sealed houses, spending all their energy and.
Preparing beautiful residences for themselves.
Leaving the House of God.
In an unfinished condition, thinking of their own things and.
Or getting or neglecting the House of God.
What did Paul say to Archippus? Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it, Jeremiah says, cursed be he that doeth the word of the work of the Lord negligently. We put a lot of effort into secular things were in the.
Drop your 12 of Romans.
Not.
Lazy in business. That's not the correct translation there. As to diligent zealousness, having the energy, it's not a question of secular work there, but it's the Lord's work, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord Well, just a few thoughts, brethren. This was a day of.
Small things and a day of much weakness.
23.
So the Lord saved Israel that day. What a wonderful victory he accomplished.
And if there's a victory in our lives in any measure, let us get back to Gilgal.
And owned that it was all the grace of God. It wasn't our power.
So it says in the 23rd verse Israel say the Lord saved Israel that day and the battle passed over unto Beth Horan. Oh yes, you know the Philistines. The spoilers came out in two or three regions. They were all around.
But you think after this wonderful victory of Jonathan, it would be all over? No, no, you're going to be a struggle yet. The battle passed over unto Beth Horan. We're still going to have to meet conflict and that which would discourage us. You know when Peter made that right. Confession of the Lord.
In John chapter 6, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
You might have wondered what why the Lord responded to him the way he did.
He didn't say I would have said Peter, that's a lovely confession you made.
Wonderful, thank you Reverend Lee speaking, the Lord didn't say that he said have not I chosen you 12 and one of you is Adele. In other words, he said Peter.
If you're looking at me, don't look at others because there's another disappointment ahead for those of us who are older have seen a lot of disappointments among the gathered Saints.
And the battle is not over yet.
00:20:03
Until the Lord comes.
Uh, Satan will oppose more than anything the truth of being gathered outside the systems of men to his precious name, to give the Spirit of God his rightful place and the Lord his rightful place. And if we want to have a sword and a spear and food, we can have it, but we've got to put forth the energy.
We can't be sitting under the pomegranate like Saul did here when there's a battle ahead of us and there's a work to be done.
We think of the gospel and the vast fields right here in Canada now to reach every nationality you could mention. Oh, may the Lord help us to continue on, continue on in the things which Dallas learned as we go back to our home meetings where there might be only two or three. May we count upon the Lord in that day of weakness.
That there is no restraint for him to save by many or by few, he is the same.
He is the same and.
We can enjoy the Lord potentially as much as the apostle Paul did in this day of weakness. May the Lord bless His word to us.
Thank you #166.
Or Donald Strong this afternoon and let us run never tired by President shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desires present Savior wild, nor fear nor city.
#166.
00:25:34
Moving dog and our Father, we do thank you for the encouragement of the Scriptures. And so we do feel our hearts encouraged, and we just pray that they'll preserve and keep us. And it's upon thyself we thank Thee for the hope of the Lord Jesus soon return for us. That day will come when all evil will be restrained.
Satan's power and our Lord will reign alone in righteousness until He comes we.
Now we have a warfare ourselves need to be in the Word, to learn the doctrines of Scripture, that our practical path might be conformed to Thy Word and honoring and pleasing to Thee, that we might know what it is we are to defend and uphold. And we just pray that each one of us might have.
That sword of the Spirit in our hands as we go on in the path, waiting for the Lord's coming and to encourage.
One another to go on, to go forward. And so we do pray that we might each be able to take up that place of the the armor bearer to encourage one another. So we just commit this little time we've had to be and should we be left here the remainder of the day, the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen.