First Samuel 14:1 opens with the fact
that the day of battle had arrived. Remember in 1 Samuel 13:22
reveals that “So it came about on the day
of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of
the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were
found with Saul and his son Jonathan.” Both father and son
were said to have weapons that none other in Israel had. But look at who it was
that act. Wasn’t Saul the anointed king whom the people wished would go out for
them in battle like the kings of the other nations? Yet, the person that took
the initiative to go out and encounter the Philistines was not Saul but his son
Jonathan. When we were first introduced to him, it was he who had
acted decisively against the garrison of Philistines at Geba, which his
father Saul had largely ignored.
In this opening verse of 1 Samuel 14,
we are given a clue to the kind of man Jonathan was. Unlike his father, he was
active and decisive; the kind of personality more conducive to leadership. So
here he was at it again. He had a brave plan. Many would have preferred to
sit back and wait to react rather than act proactively. But not so for
Jonathan. He was not content to live a sedated life. Today God is still looking
for such proactive people who dare to act even in the face of what seems like
an insurmountable obstacle. Faith is a fact, but faith is also an action. God
needs people who are not cowed by their circumstances. People who would arise
to meet the challenges of the day. People who dare to step up to the plate in
the face of extreme dangers to meet the challenges boldly.
Like most gutsy, young people, Jonathan
was looking for adventure. Having tasted victory over the Philistines the first
time at Geba, he was not about to waste another opportunity to an inviting
challenge. Daringly, he said to his armor-bearer, “Come and let us
cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” This very
phrase gives us a clue to the kind of person he was. He was not afraid of the
tough challenge. This shows us the kind of people we will need in the ministry.
People who would not shrink from the challenge. Forget about the weaponry he
lacked, just thinking of the massive force the Philistines had stationed at
Mishmach would have been enough to send chills into his spine. Yet Jonathan was
not afraid. He rose up to the occasion. This is audacious faith.
Not telling his father about what he
was going to do, also indicates to us that audacious faith refuses to be
dampened. Obviously, he could imagine what his father would say to him had he
revealed to him what he was about to do. So he refused to let even his closest
kin to dampen his adventure. In the journey of faith, it is better to act than
to consult and wait for opinions, after one has prayed and become certain of
God’s direction. We need audacious faith, but we also need to act confidently.
Faith is not waiting passively expecting God to intervene. It is acting in
consultation with God and then confidently do whatever needed to tackle the problem
at hand. Let our positive actions reflect the faith we have in God!
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