“Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore 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 restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.’ So the armorbearer said to him, ‘Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.’ “ - I Samuel 14:6 &7
It’s awkward to pick up in the middle of this story, so go back and read The Book. To hit a few highpoints, Saul is King over Israel, his head’s now so far up his ego he can’t see sunshine, and Israel is embattled with a formidable enemy, the Philistines. Saul has a God-fearing advisor, Samuel, but Samuel moves as God’s spirit leads and that doesn’t always fit Saul’s timetable - ‘cause again, Saul’s got this demi-god complex going on. Jonathan, Saul’s son sees the enemy is encroaching but knows his father’s ego trip is hindering true leadership. Jonathan knows that if something doesn’t change, the Children of Israel are gonna have their rear-ends served up to them on a platter, handily. Picking up in verse six, Jonathan realizes he has nothing to lose by following God’s stirring in his heart and so the story goes.
SPOILER ALERT!!!! – Jonathan stands to defend his people, the Philistines are defeated by God’s hand, and Saul wants to kill his own son because his ego is wounded. Read the juicy details for yourself in Samuel 14 and surrounding chapters.
I am bi-vocational. My forty years in the food service industry has paid the bills for me to be able to heed God’s call to ministry for nearly thirty years. From owning to managing, I have an extensive background in food. Since 1995 I have been a consultant, helping individuals design and develop their dreams of restaurant ownership. I also coach existing restaurateurs with everything from team-building to menu planning. In the midst of the current COVID – 19 Pandemic (Plandemic, crisis, world scam, power grab, etc. – however you classify it) I have had restaurant clients calling to question why there is a shortage of beef available across the country. (Oh, I had been reading articles regarding government agencies buying up beef cattle and destroying it to slow the supply chain across America, but in spite of possible skepticism over truth in the media, I now had this personal experience.) I began calling suppliers and they confirmed that just regular ole beef cattle, from steaks to hamburger meat was in short supply. News of a meat shortage in America was spreading fast in the industry.
Now, how do Jonathan and the Israelites hiding out in caves, scared, intimidated by an enemy, have anything to do with COVID-19 and a beef shortage, you might ask. Stay with me, friends. This nation, like the nation of Israel in that moment, has been scared into believing that defeat is in the hands of a virus which has killed, worldwide, fewer than the “Swine Flu” of recent history. Yet, people in power have persuaded our population to run scared, hide out in the caves of their residency, and fear any movement, because “death is just outside your neighbor’s door.” A current generation of political individuals, once known as leaders, are currently in positions which give them titles like Governor and Mayor, Representative and more. Amazingly, many of these individuals have reared their heads claiming power which reaches FAAAAAR beyond their position. Suddenly, in a time when they should be SERVING the American people, we find them, like Saul, with their heads so far up their egos they can’t see sunshine, acting as if they are gods of some universe near their mailing address. (EMPHASIS on little “g” in that term god) These individuals want to help people who stole their way into our country instead of defending those who rightly possess this land. They don’t seek wise counsel, they are their own obliviously moronic counsel, making abstract decisions to fit their own agenda of self-aggrandizement ... IS ANY OF THIS SOUNDING FAMILIAR to Saul’s story?
We are a besieged nation – not by a foreign enemy with weapons, but by an elite group of power mongers who would rather see you and all that you possess be destroyed, than not get their way. COVID caused a SHORTAGE OF BEEF, REALLY!!!?? WHY!!?? We now have government agencies working to force us into dependence on them so that we bow to their wishes instead of standing for the God-ordained values on which this nation was founded. We have individuals in itty-bitty places with fat ugly egos demanding that the very Commander in Chief of this nation bow to their wishes, because he is destroying their sway over the people! Hmmmmm . . . One man, in this case, the King’s own son, looks and says, “Hey! All of this doesn’t add up. We’re GOD’S PEOPLE, why are we hiding out in fear, buying all of the Philistine press? Those folks don’t recognize our God, so why are we acting as if they are bigger than He!?
Friends, let me acknowledge that COVID is a real virus. However, ask yourself, “Has the math changed?” Two plus two still adds up to four, does it not? Are we as a nation buying wholesale the words of social media, mainstream media, and Internet news such that we, the RIGHTFUL people of this land are being manipulated to surrender to lesser gods who are only gods in their own mind? “Well, Brother Royce, they are our elected officials, and they have to support the president. Nobody can be working against the president, he’s in charge. . .” I often hear well-intended people speaking like this, assuming all is well when a person speaks from a position of power. They look in dismay when I call crooks and thieves for what they are – even if they are wielding a gavel in congress. May I remind you, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, and it looks like a duck – it’s probably a duck. FRUIT gives evidence of the type tree that’s growing. I simply ask you. Are you searching out and standing for truth, or are you following the wind of “popular opinion”, assuming you have no recourse? Jonathan said what, “Hey! Sometimes God saves by using a mass army. Sometimes His rescue is by only a few. I have to follow my heart, and my heart tells me if we sit and buy the lies of the enemy, we will surely die.” Our Commander in Chief is hated because he “Calls a Spade a Spade”, in my opinion. Saul hated his own son because he too spoke and lived truth, which led to victory. Christ was hated by the very people He came to save. As for me, I’ll buy the message of the old Pentecostal hymn which reminds me of Jonathan’s actions – “I’m going to the enemy’s camp and take back what was stolen...” You may get wounded, OR DIE, but will you stand? To be honest, I enjoy the freedom of preaching the gospel and being able to assemble for worship. This freedom and many others WILL disappear in your generation if someone doesn’t stand . . .
Called to Wield His Sword, Brother Royce
I Cor. 9:16
