"Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred." (1 Samuel 13:15) This is a very small army. The Philistines have come out with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and so many foot soldiers that the author of 1 Samuel didn't even try to guess their number.
"Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying at Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness." (1 Samuel 13:16-18) Saul is camped to the south. The raiding parties enter Israel in the north, east, and west.
The purpose of these raiding parties appears to be to prevent the Israelites from fashioning any new metal weapons of war and to make it very difficult to even get their farm implements sharpened. "Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, 'Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!' So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads." (1 Samuel 13:19-21) The Philistines must have captured the Israelite artisans whose occupations were to forge swords, spears, and knives and who would sharpen weapons and farm implements for their fellow citizens. (There are historic accounts of nations other than the Philistines using this practice of capturing the metal workers of the people they are trying to subjugate.) No one is left in Israel who can make a metal weapon of war. To get farm equipment serviced, the Israelites must visit their artisans who are in the custody of the Philistines where the Philistines can supervise what is being done so that no weapons of war can be made or sharpened on the sly. Not only that, but the price for having the farm equipment serviced is outrageous and not everyone can afford it. This helps to prevent a large number of people from sharpening their farm implements enough to use them as weapons.
We don't know how long it took for the Philistines to put the Israelites in the dire situation of having no weapons other than bows and arrows, slingshots, and clubs. But as the day of battle approaches we find that the only two men at Gibeah with metal weapons of war are King Saul and his son Jonathan. "So on the day of battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them." (1 Samuel 13:22)
The Philistines have a great many metal weapons at their disposal. They do a lot of trading with a number of other nations, which means they possess the latest and best technology available. Also they are skilled iron workers themselves and are believed to have been the first nation of Canaan to manufacture items of iron. The Philistines are doing everything they can to ensure an easy win for themselves in the coming battle. Their soldiers outnumber Israel's soldiers and their weapons are superior to Israel's weapons.
But none of this hinders the Lord who is mighty to save! Even if the Israelites had no weapons at all, the Lord would be able to give them the victory. We have seen before, and will see again, Him striking an enemy army with confusion or plague before a battle can even begin. We have seen Him enabling the Israelites to fight on the battlefield far beyond the point where human strength usually gives out. The Lord is never limited in any way. It doesn't matter how few weapons His people have at their disposal. It doesn't matter how few in number they are. It doesn't matter how feeble their strength may be. The battle is the Lord's and He has never lost a battle---it is not possible for Him to lose a battle! As David will proclaim in faith later in the book of 1 Samuel when he faces down a giant with nothing but a slingshot, "It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's." (1 Samuel 17:47) In the book of 2 Chronicles, when the Lord's people find themselves so outnumbered in battle that all appears lost, the Holy Spirit will influence a man named Jahaziel and he will stand and say to the fearful assembly, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15)
It is when the battle appears impossible to win, through human strength, that the Lord's helping hand is most visible. We cannot take the credit or the glory for winning this kind of battle; we must give the credit and the glory to God. This, in turn, increases our faith in Him. Seeing Him fight our battles for us causes us to trust Him more and to love Him more.
Our study today reminds me of a song I've been hearing on the radio off and on over the past year and I'm going to include a link to it below. It has been a blessing to me in reminding me that the battle is not ours but the Lord's. I hope it will bless you too.
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