Speakers: Pastor Neil Lindwall

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ESV 1 Samuel 13:3-7 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

“Tombs” = “Bor” In biblical Hebrew, the literal meaning of the word be'borot (plural of bor) is "pits" or "cisterns." In the ancient Near East, a dry cistern or a deep pit was frequently used as a place of burial or a "tomb" for those discarded or in despair. While the specific plural form be'borot is relatively rare, the root bor (pit/tomb/cistern) is used throughout Scripture to describe the "Underworld" or the "Grave." See Psalm 28:1, 30:3, 88:4. In Genesis 37:24 Joseph was thrown into a pit, “bor”, & that pit was his "tomb." He was effectively dead to his father and his past life from that moment. See also Isaiah 14:15 & 19.

ESV 1 Samuel 14:1-3 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 

Find Your Faith

ESV 1 Samuel 14:4-6 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

Find Your Tribe.  

ESV 1 Samuel 14:7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”

ESV Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

ESV 1 Samuel 14:8-12 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will 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 hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

Find Your Courage.  

ESV 1 Samuel 14:13-15 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great (Elohim) panic.

In Hebrew, verse 15 Ends with: וַתִּהְיֶה לְחֶרְדַּת אֱלֹהִים (vattihyeh le-charadat Elohim).

• Charadah (חרדה): This word means a shuddering, a quaking, or a terror so intense it causes physical trembling. It’s not just "fear"; it’s the vibration of something being shaken.

• Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): The Name of God used here emphasizes His power as the Creator and Judge of the earth.

The 1st Trembling or Panic (Charadah): The Enemy trembled because of Jonathan’s attack. This was human fear.

The 2nd Trembling (Charadah Elohim): The Earth trembled because God joined the fight.

ESV 1 Samuel 14:16-23 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.

CLEAR THE CAVES!  

3 Ways to Defy the Tomb

1. Identify Your "Cave" (The Find My Faith Move)

2. Recruit Your Armor-Bearer (The Find My Tribe Move)

3. Take the First Step (The Find My Courage Move)

My “Defying Moment”

The Cave I am leaving: ________________________________________

The Armor-Bearer I am calling: __________________________________

The First Step I am taking: _____________________________________