Introduction:

We often look at the odds of something happening and decide by that if God will do something or not. But God is bigger than the odds. He can go against all the odds and go far beyond our own abilities. We simply need to trust in Him.

1. THE ODDS AGAINST THEM (1 Samuel 13:5-23 [5] And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. [6] When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. [7] And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. [8] And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. [9] And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. [10] And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. [11] And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; [12] Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. [13] And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. [14] But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. [15] And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. [16] And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. [17] And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: [18] And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. [19] Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: [20] But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. [21] Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. [22] 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. [23] And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
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1. The Power of the Enemy (1 Samuel 13:5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
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2. The Fear of the People (1 Samuel 13:6-7)
3. The Compromise of their Leaders (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
4. The Inactivity of God’s People (1 Samuel 13:15-16)
5. The Advances of the Enemy (1 Samuel 13:17-18)
6. The Weapons of the People (1 Samuel 13:19-23)
7. The Ignorance of the People (1 Samuel 14:3)
2. THE MAN WHO BEAT THE ODDS (1 Samuel 14:1-23 [1] Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. [2] And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; [3] And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. [4] 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 Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. [5] The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. [6] And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto 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. [7] And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. [8] Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. [9] If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. [10] 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. [11] And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. [12] And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. [13] And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. [14] And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. [15] And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling. [16] And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. [17] Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. [18] And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. [19] And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. [20] And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. [21] Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. [22] Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. [23] So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
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1. The Advance of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:1-2)
2. The Courage of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:4-5)
3. The Faith of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:6)
4. The Support of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:7)
5. The Bravery of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:8)
6. The Test Jonathan Gave to the Lord (1 Samuel 14:9-10)
7. The Confidence of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:13-15)
8. The Stirring of God’s People (1 Samuel 14:16-23)

Conclusion:

William Carey, the pioneer missionary to India, went with this motto: Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God. We live in an age when the devil seems to be getting all the victories. We serve a God who is greater than the devil. When will we learn to fully trust Him to do His work in and through us?