Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth–aven.And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven.
3 sermons cite this verse
If we back up in 1 Samuel chapter 10, go with me real fast to 1 Samuel chapter 10, verse eight. Samuel gives instruction. He gives Saul a play-by-play. He says, okay, you're gonna go here, you're gonna do this, you're gonna go here, you're gonna go do this. And this is what he says. You shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt sacrifices, burnt offerings, and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait till I come to you and show you what you should do. So Saul knows what he should do. He does not have short-term memory loss. He understands how to be obedient. But what does he do? He goes and makes the sacrifice. This is wrong for a couple of reasons. He's not a Levite. And more importantly, Samuel gave him specific instruction to wait for him. And it's interesting to me that he waits the full seven days and it's just like, okay, I just gotta do this thing, right? …
What is the summary of this story or this picture so far? It's basically picturing that the Philistines who are gathering a massive army is about to put a lot of pressure on Saul and his army. And if you're taking notes today, I've titled this message, Small Victories. Because I don't know about you, but sometimes my biggest weaknesses or my biggest failures come from pressuring situations that are actually seemingly small. So Saul is, he's at a battle and he's facing immense pressure. And here comes this big, threatening army with their chariots and charioteers and all of the men that they have with them are coming to add pressure. And you see where the small compromises in character begin right in this space. Because I believe that a lot of times that we're in battle seasons when the pressure hits, when the compromise decision comes. And it says in verse Samuel 13, 7 and 8, it says, Saul remained at Gilgal and the troops with him were quaking with fear. …
Saul was not born a king, or the son of a great family; he was a man of humble birth and circumstances, and he was raised by God's free grace to be the ruler and king of His people Israel. Samuel, God's prophet, revealed this to him, anointed him with oil, and after he became king, instructed him in his duty: and, moreover, put him on his trial. Now his trial was this. God's people, the Israelites, over whom Saul was appointed to reign, had been very much oppressed and harassed by their enemies round about; heathen nations, who hated the true God and His worship, rose and fought against them; and of these nations the Philistines were the chief at that time. They overran the country, and brought the Israelites into captivity. They tyrannized over them, and to make sure that they should never be free, they even took away from them the means of forging weapons to fight with. "There was no smith found through all the land of Israel," says the chapter, "for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews (i.e. the Israelites) make them swords or spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock." Saul was raised up to throw off this heavy yoke, and to destroy the cruel oppressors of his people. He "chose him three thousand men, and with a third of them Jonathan, his son, smote the garrison of the Philistines which was in Geba." …