
God is Not Restrained
I. Background
- The Lord was your King
a. 1 Samuel 12: 12-13
“12 When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you.”
- Having any king other than the Lord is evil!
a. 1 Samuel 12:19-25
“19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.” 20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. 22 For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”
II. Going on the Offensive
- War with the Philistines
a. 1 Samuel 13:1-5
“Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel.
2 Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.”
- They were greatly outnumbered
a. Israel = 3,000 men. Philistines = 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and innumerable people.
- The people went into hiding and were trembling with fear.
a. 1 Samuel 13:6-7
“6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7 Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.”
- Saul sinned by having an offering without Samuel The Prophet and numbering the people.
a. 1 Samuel 13:8-12
“8 Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”
b. 1 Samuel 13:15
15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.”
- Saul suffers the consequences for His sin.
a. 1 Samuel 13:13-14
“13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
III. The people of God were unprepared for war
- The enemy killed the blacksmiths
a. 1 Samuel 13:19
“19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”
- Israel went to the Philistines (the enemy) to be sharpened.
a. 1 Samuel 13:20
“20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.”
- Only 2 people were ready for war.
a. 1 Samuel 13:22
“22 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.”
- Blacksmith
a. Wind / bellows
b. Fire
c. Force / power
IV. Let’s cross over
- 2 men attacked a innumerable army!
a. 1 Samuel 14:6-7
“6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” 7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire.”
God is not restrained to save by many or few.
Restrain – To limit or keep under control.
V. What do men do to restrain (control/hold back) God?
- Having a King other than Jesus, who or what do you serve?
- Disobeying authority
- Not honoring God’s Word, written or prophetic
- Trembling leaders
- Counting (numbering) our resources instead of God’s
- Untrained (not discipled) people. People without weapons.
- Allowing only a few to be trained or equipped.
- Having no “Blacksmiths” (Five-fold ministers)
- No wind (bellows) Holy Ghost
- No Fire (Acts 2)
- No power
- Hiding from the enemy (fear)
- Traitors in our midst
VI. Taking the restraints or control off of God.
- 1 man of faith went on the offensive.
a. 1 Samuel 14: 8-15
8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you’; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us.” 11 When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, “Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 So the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, “Come up to us and we will tell you something.” And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling.
The result was the defeat and plunder of the enemy.
People follow brave, faith filled leaders.
a. 1 Samuel 14:20-23
“20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. 23 So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven.