1 Samuel 14:1-6: a reflection

1Now it happened on a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father. 2Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron; and the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone. 4Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few.”

As Jonathan proposes to go with only his armor-bearer against a Philistine garrison, he acts on a bold faith: that God is not limited by numbers, and can save by many or by few. Come, let's go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, Jonathan says; it may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few. Jonathan and his armor-bearer were only two, against a garrison; by numbers, the odds were hopeless. But Jonathan's faith was not in numbers; it was in God, who is not restrained by how many or how few stand with him. God can save by many or by few; nothing restrains him. And so Jonathan steps out in faith. This shows that God can save by many or by few; nothing restrains him. God can save by many or by few; he is not limited by numbers. Nothing restrains the LORD from saving. Step out in faith, for God is not limited by your small resources. The odds do not bind God, who saves as he wills.

Notice the faith Jonathan acts on. He and his armor-bearer were only two, proposing to go against a whole garrison of the enemy; by any counting of numbers, the venture was hopeless. But Jonathan's confidence did not rest on numbers or odds. It rested on God: there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few. He knew that God is not limited by how many or how few stand with him; God can save by a few as easily as by many, for nothing restrains him. And on that faith, Jonathan stepped out. This is a faith worth learning. We often measure what is possible by our resources, our numbers, the odds, and conclude that a thing cannot be done because we are too few, too weak, too limited. But God is not restrained by our small resources; he can work and save by few as well as by many, for nothing binds him to the odds. This does not mean we act recklessly, but that we do not let our smallness or the odds keep us from stepping out in faith where God may be leading, trusting that God is not limited by our limited means. We do well to trust that God can save by many or by few, and so to step out in faith where he leads, not bound by our small resources or the odds. Trust that God can save by many or by few; he is not limited by numbers. Do not let your smallness or the odds keep you from stepping out in faith. Nothing restrains the LORD from working, whatever the odds. Step out in faith where God leads, trusting he is not bound by your limited means.

That is worth taking to heart, for God can save by many or by few, not limited by numbers or the odds, and we can step out in faith trusting this, as Jonathan did against the garrison. We can measure what is possible by our small resources and conclude a thing cannot be done; but Jonathan trusted that nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few. God is not bound by the odds. Do not let your smallness or the odds keep you from stepping out where God leads; trust that he can save by few as well as by many. Trust that God can save by many or by few and is not restrained by numbers or the odds, and so step out in faith where he leads rather than being bound by your small resources, as Jonathan, proposing to go with only his armor-bearer against a Philistine garrison, acted on a bold faith that God is not limited by numbers and can save by many or by few, saying it may be that the LORD will work for them since there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few; for Jonathan and his armor-bearer were only two against a garrison, and by numbers the odds were hopeless, but his faith was not in numbers but in God who is not restrained by how many or how few stand with him, so that he stepped out in faith, which is a faith worth learning, since we often measure what is possible by our resources, numbers, and the odds and conclude a thing cannot be done because we are too few, too weak, or too limited, but God is not restrained by our small resources and can work and save by few as well as by many, for nothing binds him to the odds, which does not mean we act recklessly but that we do not let our smallness or the odds keep us from stepping out in faith where God may be leading, trusting that God is not limited by our limited means, so that we do well to trust that God can save by many or by few and step out in faith where he leads.

Lord, as Jonathan proposes to go with only his armor-bearer against a Philistine garrison, he acts on a bold faith: that you are not limited by numbers, and can save by many or by few. Come, let's go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, Jonathan says; it may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few. Jonathan and his armor-bearer were only two, against a garrison; by numbers, the odds were hopeless. But Jonathan's faith was not in numbers; it was in you, who are not restrained by how many or how few stand with you. You can save by many or by few; nothing restrains you. And so Jonathan steps out in faith. Show me the faith Jonathan acts on. He and his armor-bearer were only two, proposing to go against a whole garrison; by any counting of numbers, the venture was hopeless. But Jonathan's confidence did not rest on numbers or odds. It rested on you: there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few. He knew that you are not limited by how many or how few stand with you; you can save by a few as easily as by many, for nothing restrains you. And on that faith, Jonathan stepped out. This is a faith worth learning. I often measure what is possible by my resources, my numbers, the odds, and conclude that a thing cannot be done because I am too few, too weak, too limited. But you are not restrained by my small resources; you can work and save by few as well as by many. This does not mean I act recklessly, but that I do not let my smallness or the odds keep me from stepping out in faith where you may be leading. Take that to my heart. Keep me from letting my smallness or the odds keep me from stepping out where you lead; help me trust that you can save by many or by few, Lord, not bound by numbers or the odds, and step out in faith where you lead, trusting you are not limited by my limited means.