Fear Not

More with Less

Chapter 34

December 10

1 Samuel 13:6-7; 14:1,6

13:6-7

When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.

14:1
One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

6
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."

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Preface

The story of King Saul and his son Jonathan provides us with one of the clearest examples of F2F.

First, Saul made the mistake of shifting from faith to fear. He went backwards! In faith, he was driven by bold action, following God's lead, leading Saul to defeat the Ammonites. This led to God appointing Saul king, making him a representative to God's people, per their wishes. But once Saul received the top position, he became risk adverse yet arrogant, impatient and disobedient. Ironically, the riskiest thing he could have done was exactly what he did by forgetting how he obtained his position. He did what God warned the Israelites and him not to do (when they asked for a king against God's wishes)--He stopped putting God first.

This led to an erosion of Saul's and the Israelite's faith, resulting in them hiding, cowering from the Philistines, an otherwise beatable opponent.

Jonathan, on the other hand, with only one man by his side and a heart filled with faith in God, charged the Philistines. And God gave him the victory.

Faith with little overcame thousands. Fear with thousands overcame nothing.

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The contrast between Jonathan and Saul epitomizes the difference between faith and fear.

First, Saul's spiritual character had become seriously compromised. Immediately after becoming king, he began to act independently of God's law, the priest and the prophets, doing things his own way.

Consequently, Saul became self-reliant instead of God reliant. He put his faith in what he could see, limiting his perspective to world considerations and concerns. Instead of waiting for God's timing, he was impatient (13:8). Instead of having a priest make the sacrifice to God, he made it himself, violating God's command (13:9). Worse, he put his faith in the sacrifice and not in Him to whom the sacrifice was being made. And he chose sacrifice over obedience (15:22). To top it all off, instead of taking responsibility for his action and asking for forgiveness, he made excuses (13:11-12). As a result, he stepped outside of his calling, making everything he did and represented about himself and his title as king.

Saul effectively disqualified himself as God's representative to His people.

By shifting his focus from a God-centered life to a Saul-centered one, a corresponding shift in where he placed his trust occurred. He forgot who was on his side, trusting only in himself and his own resources. How was this any different; how did it set him apart from, the Philistines, those who served as the challenge he faced?