1 Samuel 14:6 (NIV) Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Everyone knows that when it comes to engaging in a battle against anyone, it is a great advantage to have more than just yourself. If you are facing a person bigger than you are but you have two guys with you fighting on your side, you’re the one that’s going to come out on top. When it comes to battle, most people think that more is always better and wins the day. That’s how the United States and the Soviet Union became engaged in the Cold War. Each one was trying to amass more armaments that the other one. More always looks better, except when it comes to God.

When Saul was king, Israel’s main enemy at the time was the Philistines. They were always looking to make war against Israel and they had a lot of fighting men, in addition to three thousand chariots. The Word of God tells us that they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were an incredibly large number of fighting men. This made the Israelites quake with fear. Instead of engaging the enemy, many ran and hid in caves. Not so with Jonathan, however. Jonathan had faith in God. He wanted to do something to trust the Lord and engage the forces of the Philistines. He talked with his armor-bearer and found that he was in favor of whatever Jonathan had in mind. He must have known that Jonathan was a man of great faith and courage. Together, they set out to see if the Lord was going to deliver the Philistines into their hands. Jonathan’s position was that God could give him and his armor-bearer the victory over these enemies of Israel if He so chose. As soon as they felt sure that the Lord was giving them the green light to attack, they set out without hesitation and began to fight against their enemies and the Lord began to deliver the Philistines into their hands. They had killed about twenty of them when all of a sudden, the rest of the horde of fighting men began to run for their lives!

As incredible as this sounds and is, we shouldn’t be that surprised. Once Jonathan and his armor-bearer knew that the Lord was with them, victory was already assured. The Lord delivers by many or by few, or by none at all but Himself! He doesn’t need a large army to work with, and He doesn’t even need a few. After all, who was it that helped God create the heavens and the earth? And when Satan and a third of the angels rebelled against Him, what army did the Lord need to enlist to expel them from heaven? It would be good for us if we remember who it is that we love and serve like Jonathan did. No matter how many are against you or no matter what the odds against you are, you plus God equals a majority. By many or by few, one way or another, the Lord will give you the victory when you turn to Him and trust Him. As Jonathan said, nothing can hinder Him from saving!

Pastor Joey Vazquez