Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to read in First Samuel chapter 13.
First Samuel chapter 13 and beginning at the 17th verse.
And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines and three companies.
One company turned under the way that leadeth to Oprah, under the land of Shuo.
And another company turned the way to Beth Horn, and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zebulun for the wilderness.
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 his share.
And his colder in his acts and his matter.
Yet they had a file for the Maddox, and for the colders, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the golds. So it came to pass 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 was there found, and the Garrison of the Philistines went over to the passage of Mick Smash.
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 soul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people that were with him were about 600 men on a high of the son of a Heub Ichabod brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the Lord's 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 Bo's As and the name of the other Cena. The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Mick Mash, and the other southward over against.
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, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many.
Or by few. And his armor bearer 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, carry until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place.
And we will not go up under 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 that behold, Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the Garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you.
And Jonathan said unto his armor bearer, Come up after me, but 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 bearers flew after him.
And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men within, as it were, 1/2 acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow.
And there 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 saw it was a very great trembling. And the Watchmen of Saul and Gibeah of Benjamin looked. And behold, a multitude melded away, and they went on beating down one another. Then said Saul unto the people that were with him. Number now, and see who has gone from us. And when they 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.
And it came to pass, while the while Saul talked unto the priest at the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased.
And Saul said unto the priest, Will draw thine hand, and saw in all the people that were with him assembled together 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 were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them under the into the camp from the country roundabout even. They also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan, likewise all the men of Israel.
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Which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines fled even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
Saw the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
I thought in reading this passage, dear 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.
When all of Israel were in a sad condition, they had rejected the Lord and had chosen the king. And we know that the Philistines had power over them and that Saul was unable to meet the power of the Philistines. 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 in 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 proud, but it takes grace and purpose of heart to go on to the Lord.
To seek to live for him and yet also to be a blessing among the people of God.
In such a day as this, and whatever failures there may afterwards 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 your young people, and that is that we can't live on past victories.
We can't live on past experiences and it seems sad to think that this man.
Who was so mightily used of God should afterwards be the very one who chose to turn back and remain in the court of Saul, and not to accompany David in 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 are stirred as we think of the privilege of living in this world for Christ. But all, let us remember that we need.
Strength from the Lord for the situations that we meet along the pathway of life.
Well, Philistines 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 enemies power from without. But when the enemy's power came within, he was not able. It took real devotedness, It took purpose of heart.
Yeah, it took love 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.
When surely the spoilers are at work to go on in faithfulness.
And in love and be used of God. And who can tell the blessing that one or two young people who seek to go on for the Lord can be among his people? But here we find just two against a vast host of the enemy. And yet used of God in such a mighty way for their deliverance and.
So that the people of God could rejoice.
And being set free from the Philistines.
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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 Philistines, and there were others who had hid 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 your 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 go, as it were, down to 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 with the Philistines.
Now did he go down into the holes of the rocks? But 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 that the spoilers went out to do their deadly work. And we noticed too, in 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?
Well, they had seen to it that there was no Smith in the land of Israel, lest 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.
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 one feels that 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 in 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 one 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 your young people, don't make that your object.
Don't neglect the things of God to get along in this world, because if you do and the day of battle, there will be no sword and spear in your hand 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 life. 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 claims 1St and acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the one who has a rightful claim.
Over our hearts and over us. And can it not be that while we're so busy?
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Getting these things of so-called necessary necessities of life.
That we can neglect the sword and the spear. All dear young people.
I beg of you not to neglect the private reading of the Word of God in prayer.
I beg of you not to neglect the meaning. I beg of you not to allow the 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 number 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 no 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 to notice that the one that went to Oprah was the place where Gideon Fresh Sweets by the Winepress. That's where he was. All the spoilers. Don't want to see you and I have that private time.
Over God's precious word, 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 first place they went to us Ultra, that is the beginning of getting away from the Lord.
Is neglecting His word in our lives.
Then it says another company turned the way to Beth Horn. Well, that was the place.
When they went up from Gilda, they went to Beth Horan in the battle against the five kings of Canaan.
Book of Joshua It was, perhaps we might say, the decisive battle of the possession of Canaan.
And this was the place where, when they left the Old hall, they went up to Beth Horan. All 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 there little things allowed in your life and mine?
That are hindering fruit 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 Guildhall up to Beth Horan.
So we see the enemy. That was where the second company of spoilers went, that was the place where they went from Guildhall to victory. And so he attacked that place, Beth Horan.
And the third company, it says they went the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zebulun, toward the wilderness.
Well, I was thinking of that as those who are discouraged, you know, the enemy.
Yours is discouragement. That's one of his 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 uphill 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, for he cares for you. The next verse says be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil has a roaring lion.
Walketh about seeking whom he may devour. A discouraged Christian is open to the definite attack of the enemy.
And here, 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're probably discouraged. And the devil is right there ready to upset one who is discouraged. He just knows when to get in and to turn us aside.
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So here were the three companies of spoilers.
Went out. The Garrison of the Philistines moved up into Mick Mash, and the people went to look for their swords, and nobody had one. The enemy was so clever. He had worked this all out. He had secret intelligence. He knew that they were neglecting their swords and their Spears, and in the day of battle there was no one.
But Saul and Jonathan, who had a spear or a sword in their hands?
And perhaps we could say that in the case of Saul, seems to me it would picture to us.
Having the knowledge of the word without the power to walk in it. And so there is another danger in that direction. We can get the truth intellectually.
So that we can answer the questions intellectually and still be tearing 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, Saul's sword, with little help in the day of battle and knowledge will never keep us, dear young people.
But Christ will the 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 with Jonathan. He had the sword, but he also had a love for the people of God. He had a desire for their 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 if Jonathan felt in his heart the sorrow of seeing them.
The Lord felt it 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 reading this portion to see the humility that characterized Jonathan at this time. And oh it's so important. This is a day when self importance and pride is a great thing.
Push oneself forward and think.
That were able to accomplish things, self-confidence. But all we see with Jonathan, there wasn't that self-confidence, but there was confidence in the law. There was the knowledge of his love and of his faithfulness. Though 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, dear young people, so that this would be the day.
What 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. They 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 there was a lot of trouble in the little assembly where I come from. There's some spoilers that work there. We'll have to wait until that's over before we can do anything.
Here, young people, you'll wait forever if you wait till the spoilers stop their work.
The enemy is always busy, but faith 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 who may afterwards be your life companion. But all I ask you, do you want one who will be an armor bearer?
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Do you want one who will help you? You want one who will be an encouragement to you in the past of following Christ? A boy can be a drag to a girl.
Or a girl can be a drag to a boy and hinder in the path of following Christ.
Oh, may we know what it is due to 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 a help instead of a discouragement in that path 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 thing.
Well, Jonathan had an armor bearer. His partner was an armor bearer.
And when he said to him, come and let's go, his armor bearer could say, as he did later on the whole, I am with thee, behold, I am with thee. Oh how lovely that was. To see helpers together remind you of dear Aquila and Priscilla, whose noble names in the scripture shows how a young couple together can serve the Lord.
Amid the hardships and difficulties of going on in the day.
When there's weakness and failure and ruin, perhaps.
Well, why does it say he told not his father? Why not take his father into this confidence?
Well, his father was not a man of faith.
Father was a man who was in a higher position among the people of God, but he didn't have faith.
They remember how Abraham on one occasion when God called him.
To come out from all 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 caught his father was the influence.
That caused them to settle down in Heron instead of going into God's land.
And they stayed there for some time, too, because he told his father. He told his father.
We remember another occasion. How?
Moses, father-in-law discouraged him to Moses father-in-law said 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 presence shall go with thee, 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 path 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 in Abia, in the in the country of the Abias rights if he had asked his father, because his father had built it. But when he acted in faith, God undertook.
And so I say again how important it is that we act before God.
In our exercises to follow Him and for the blessing of His people.
Well, Saul had a large number with him. He had 600.
He tied under a pomegranate tree. He had the Lord's priest there.
As I say, all the awkward things, but not that devotedness and 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 too, and love them. We must recognize the fact that God has a Center for his people.
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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 was that? They didn't notice that Jonathan was gone. Oh, I think this is very beautiful too. Jonathan wasn't the 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 sought no prominence for himself.
Moses thought 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 say to 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 secret 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 rock by the Philistines were on the other side there was a sharp rock.
Where the Garrison was with with Saul and we often find tea that there are sharp rocks to pass.
We see in front of us the Garrison of the Philistines. We see the sharp rocks.
And it seems it's impossible, it's too difficult. And Jonathan said to the young man, he said.
Come, let us go over under the Garrison of these men. 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 business. Lovely, He said. The Lord may use this. There's no boasting here, is there? There's no saying He's going to use us. We're great people.
We've got courage now, 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 I'm leading the incident here, that Jonathan must have looked at those shad rocks.
And I believe he turned around. I believe he turned his back and he's just going to go back.
Because his armor bearer said, turn me. Behold, I am with thee.
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 intermodal.
Seems so impossible and we just felt like turning back was number use.
And that's just the point where we find Jonathan here. Why does God record that? All dear young people, I believe this is important.
God will never let us do any boasting. He'll never let us do any boasting.
And Peter walked on the water, but he could never boast about it. He began to sink.
David became king, but he could never say I was so faithful through all those years.
That God gave me the throne because when the time came he was to get 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 boast in Christ.
He would only have us to boast in him. So it seems to me that the armors are here.
Was the means and this occasion of calling causing Jonathan to turn around.
And go forward in this battle. So they went up. We haven't time to speak of it in detail, but we know how they went forward there. They called up to the host of the Philistines and they said, come up, we'll show you a thing. In other words, they just look down with disdain. Two men coming up to meet them.
Two men able to face the whole Garrison of the Philistines.
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They look with disdain, but then what does it tell us? Oh, it tells us that they got down on their hands and feet.
We've got to get down before we can go up. And so sometimes when we feel disdain, when people look and say, Oh no, you think they're going to do something, well, take it down in their hands and their feet and they climbed up and when they came up to the top.
There was the Philistine Garrison, but when they got there and the courage and confidence that the Lord gives, Jonathan set forward.
And his armor bearer after them, after him. And what was the result?
All complete victory. God granted a complete victory. And what about the spoilers?
All they trembled. What about the people that were afraid of the Philistines?
While they tremble, to the Philistines the whole situation is all changed, and the people who seem so many, so innumerable.
By the whole earth trembled, and Jonathan and his armor bearer went forward.
And God through 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 the fellow signs? Did Jonathan get ahold of them and give them a shaking and say you shouldn't be there with the Philistines and you people in the halls, you come up all he didn't. Isn't this lovely?
Why, in the courage and confidence of faith, he goes forward?
And these people came out of the holes, and the ones that were with the Philistines came back.
And what a great deliverance God wrought. And then after all this, then Saul comes forward 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 looked as if in the end it was all salt victory. And we don't hear one word from Jonathan to defend himself.
Hold your young people. This is perhaps the hardest.
And most difficult point of all, when you try to do something and then perhaps the Lord does.
Given the 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, somebody else got the credit. It's properly recorded up there.
It's properly recorded up in God's book. 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 too. And sometimes criticism and things that happen are God's way of showing us.
The wretchedness of our own hearts. 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 on the Beth Haven at the end of the chapter. They were going to put Jonathan to death that God undertook. Isn't it lovely? Isn't it beautiful to see this devotedness? All dear young people, I say again.
The close of this little meeting.
God has brought you here. It may be that He's 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 and say it's no use but all. May God grant that each one of us fear. Young people, be sure you keep your sword sharp, 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.
The Lord will use us. It may be what a privilege to be used 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 unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again.