Scripture Daily

Context No. 4048 of 4322 · 1 Samuel

Context · Reflection

1 Samuel 13:15-23: in context

15Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17The raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”; 20but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle. 21The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads. 22So it came to pass in the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

This passage paints a picture of Israel at a great disadvantage. The Philistines had kept the Israelites from having blacksmiths, so that they could not make weapons; on the day of battle, we are told, not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the whole army, except for Saul and Jonathan.

God's people faced a well-armed enemy with almost nothing, a handful of frightened men, unarmed, hiding in caves. Humanly speaking, the situation was hopeless. And yet, as the next chapter will show, it is precisely from this position of weakness that God would give a great victory, through Jonathan's daring faith that the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few. There is encouragement here for those who feel outmatched and under-resourced. God's ability to save does not depend on the resources we bring; he can win through the few and the weak as easily as through the many and the strong. When we face a struggle where we feel disarmed and outnumbered, our hope is not in our own resources but in the God who is not limited by how little we have.

When I face a struggle feeling disarmed and outmatched, do I conclude the battle is lost, or do I remember that God's power to save does not depend on the resources I bring, and that he can win through the few and the weak?

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