Weiji 危機: Danger and Opportunity

The Chinese word translated in English as crisis is weiji 危機 (way gee).  The word is made up of two distinct characters wei (危 = danger) and ji (機 = opportunity).  So, in the minds of the ancient Chinese, all crises are made up of two components, danger and opportunity.  As we face a crisis, many times, our reaction to that crisis will determine whether we see catastrophe, which is the result of the danger, or victory, which is the result of opportunity.

Today, I want to post on crisis and our response to it.  Let’s look at our text:

1 Samuel 13:1-7 (NKJV)
^13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ² Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent. ³ And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" ⁴ Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal. ⁵ Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. ⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. ⁷ And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

The Crisis

  

In order to begin we need to define the word crisis in English.  The word crisis according to Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary can be defined as a crucial turning point in an affair or in a series of events:  A critical moment, favorable or unfavorable.  In simple terms this is the moment when the outcome of a particular circumstance or a set of circumstances is dependent on the action that you take at the moment.

An example of a simple crisis might be that you are driving down a road at a high rate of speed.  You’re heading toward a fork in the road, where you must make a decision to turn either right or left.  Turning one way will take you to a beautiful resort hotel, and turning the other way will take you to an unpleasant swamp.  You have no idea which place is in which direction.  You must make a decision to turn either right or left.  When you have reached that point where you MUST take action and turn the wheel one way or the other you have reached a crisis.  The way you turn the wheel will determine the outcome of events that takes place after that time of crisis.

In our text we see the unfolding of a crisis in the lives of two men, Saul and Jonathan.  Both of them have reached a moment of crisis, where action must be taken.  In this situation they had very different responses to that crisis and because of their responses they had very different outcomes.

Saul has taken three thousand men, two thousand he kept with him and one thousand he sent with Jonathan.  Jonathan attacked a garrison of the Philistines.  This was a declaration of war.  It was as if Saul was saying to the Philistines that he was willing to make war on them; that he would no longer remain under rule by them.  The Philistines, for their part responded to this declaration by coming to Michmash prepared or all out war with Israel.

Look at their responses:

Thirty thousand chariots

Six thousand horsemen

And so many foot soldiers they couldn't be numbered

This mighty army, armed to the teeth was sent to face three thousand Israeli soldiers, none of which was prepared for war, especially to face an assault of this magnitude. 

1 Samuel 13:22 (NKJV)
^13:22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

The Bible tells us that as a result the men of Israel were frightened and began to melt away, hiding in caves and trembling.  We see their reaction in verses six and seven of our text.  The number of men following Saul had deteriorated from two thousand men to about six hundred. 

So here is Saul’s moment of crisis.  The Philistines have gathered to face him with an army vastly larger than the force he commands.  His people have become frightened; they’ve begun to desert and hide themselves.  He’s left with about six hundred men to face all of these enemy troops and his response will determine the future of his kingdom and his rule of Israel.

This is an all out assault on the people of God.  The Philistines are holding nothing back; it’s an overwhelming assault by the forces of Hell.  The enemies of Israel represent the forces of Hell in the Bible.  These are the enemies of God.

Today, as God’s people we face an almost daily assault by the forces f Hell.  We’re in a position that’s not unlike that of the people of Israel.  We, as the church, are also facing an assault as we all face crises in our own lives.  What made Saul’s situation so dire is that the men of Israel began to desert and hide under the pressure of the confrontation.  They were unwilling to face the forces of Hell, individually in their own lives.  This is the pressure point that led to Saul’s response to the crisis.  Our individual responses to crises will affect and determine the response of the church.

That response will either bring the realization of the danger or the realization of the opportunity.  We will all face crises throughout our Christian walk because we will all face tribulation or spiritual persecution throughout our lives.

Acts 14:21-22 (NKJV)
^14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

So we must be prepared to endure tribulations and in enduring them be ready to respond to crises.

The problem for the people of Israel at this time is that they were under bondage to the Philistines.  The Philistines had rule over them.

1 Samuel 13:19 (NKJV)
^13:19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."

So as a result the Israelis were unprepared for war.

1 Samuel 13:22 (NKJV)
^13:22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

They didn't have weapons of warfare.  They couldn't have effectively fought even a force that didn't outnumber them, little less this overwhelming army that they faced.  This lack of preparation also influenced Saul’s response to this crisis.

As you face crises are you prepared for the battle that will ensue if you stand and fight, or are you so unprepared for battle that your only recourse is to withdraw.  These men who deserted weren't cowards, they knew that they were unprepared to fight and face certain death.  So their response to the crises that they faced was to desert their positions, but what if they had been prepared for battle, would their response be different.  I believe that preparation for crisis will help us to respond in a manner that will bring victory rather than defeat.  We can prepare for spiritual battles and crises in our lives with the proper equipment.

Ephesians 6:14-18 (NKJV)
^6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Our Weapons:

     Truth – Jesus Christ ther way the truth and the Life

     Righteousness – We are made righteous through Christ

     Preparation of the Gospel – That we are ready with the Gospel.  This is what got Jesus through the      assault on him by Satan in Luke 4 – “It is written;” He knew the scriptures.

    Faith – Small faith can move mountains

    Salvation – our minds are renewed in the will of God

    Prayer – What you ask in my name will be given

This is our weaponry; this is what we’re given to fight battles with.  Are you pared to fight or are you allowing yourself to be ruled over by the forces of hell?  Not having the liberty of the Gospel at hand is bondage, isn’t it?  Not having the weapons of our warfare at hand, not being prepared to repel the enemy is bondage to that enemy.

During he cold war, people called Ronald Reagan a warmonger because he refused to negotiate with the enemy on the Strategic Defense Initiative.  This was a system of satellites that would destroy incoming missiles.  He always said that peace came through might.  He called America’s nuclear weapons “the Peace Keepers.”  SDI and an aresenal of nuclear missiles meant that we had the weapons to protect ourselves from our enemies aggression.  We were prepared to meet that enemy in battle.

The real problem is that a lack of preparedness will force you into a response that will be fraught with danger because you’re not able to seize the opportunity.

In 1967, the enemies of Israel attacked.  Israel is a small nation surrounded by enemies on all sides.  Those enemies are larger countries with much larger population, but Israel was prepared for war.  They knew that their enemies wanted to destroy them and they responded and not only defeated their enemies but increased the land of Israel.

They seized opportunity out of crisis because they were prepared.  Our response to crisis will be made out of whether or not each of us is prepared for all out war.  If we’re prepared for war we can see the realization of the opportunity presented by the crisis.  If we are unprepared we will see the danger realized.

Two Responses

In our story Israel is faced with a real crisis, and there are two leaders during this time, Saul and Jonathan.  We see here two different responses to the same crisis.  Let’s examine each of them

Saul’s Response

1 Samuel 13:8-12 (NKJV)
^13:8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹ So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. ¹¹ And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, ¹² then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering."

Saul’s men had scattered, he was facing an enormous army with a small force, and the men were beginning to desert and scatter.  We can see the outline of his response in his explanation to Samuel in verses 11 and 12:

“And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, ¹² then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.’”

First he tells Samuel, “I saw the people scattering from me.”  He’s thinking that it’s up to him, that he has to do something to keep it all together; that he had to do it on his own. I can see his thought process here, “I’ve got to do something to keep these people from leaving, it’s all up to me.”  This is not a response of faith this is panic.  So, what he does he do?  He takes it upon himself to offer the burnt offering, but he should have waited for Samuel.

Who does Samuel represent?  He represents God, he’s the man of God.  So Saul is not waiting on God’s plans or purposes.  Samuel told him to wait  seven days at Gilgal and I will come and make the offering.  Look at this verse:

1 Samuel 10:8 (NKJV)
^10:8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer 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."

Samuel told him, “I will make the burnt offerings,” but what else did he tell him?  “I will show you what you should do.”  In other words God has already given him a plan.  God already had a purpose for what was taking place. “I will come and show you what to do to end this crisis according to the will of God.”  So, Saul isn’t looking for God’s counsel, either.  He’s thinking, “Samuel’s late. God’s not here when I need him, so I’ve got to suck it up and do what I think has to be done.” 

1 Samuel 13:12-14 (NKJV)
^13:12 then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

The Kingdom is taken from Saul.  His response to the crisis resulted in the danger being fully realized.  He’s lost the kingdom, he’s lost it all and that was hwhat he was afraid would happen if he didn’t act on his own anyway, wasn’t it.  That’s what drove him to make the decisions he did.  “I can’t fight without the men, so I have to act to keep it all together.  It was the action that he took to keep the kingdom together that cost him the kingdom. 

Contrast this with Jonathan’s response:

Jonathan’s Response

1 Samuel 14:6-12 (NKJV)
^14:6 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." ⁷ So his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." ⁸ Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us." ¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden." ¹² Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

Jonathan is facing the same crisis.  He’s hopelessly outnumbered; his men are just as unprepared.  In fact, as we saw, only Jonathan and Saul had any weapons.  But look at his response in verses 8-11:

1 Samuel 14:8-11 (NKJV)
^14:8 Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us." ¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden."

The first thing he does is look for the will of God.  “What’s God trying to do in all this?  What’s God’s purpose.”  It’s an attitude of faith that God can use to bring His plan to fruition. 

Before he did anything he looked for God’s counsel.  “Let’s show ourselves to the Philistines and how they respond will be a sign from God as to what we should do.”  They’re standing on the promise that God has answered and will deliver them according to his word.  He knows that God can deliver despite the circumstances, if he will act according to God’s will.  In his response Jonathan sees the opportunity part of the crisis fully realized as the Philistines’ great army is destroyed not by Jonathan’s action but by God’s action.

Facing Crises in our Lives

When a church is facing a crisis, like trying to increase the presence of the church in the community by doing new and different things to reach people.  There is an opportunity to move forward and to cause the church to grow.  There are also risks.  There will be more pressure placed on us as individuals.  There will be more assaults from Hell on us as individuals; financial pressures, health pressures, marriage pressures to name just a few.  The devil will assault both the church and the individuals that make up the church.  There are two possible responses to crisis.  As in the scenario of our illustration, we can 1) put on the brakes and stop all forward momentum, or 2) we can press on turning either to the right or the left.  Turning either in panic or in faith. We can either wind up in a stinking pit of despair or in the will of God.

James 4:7 (NKJV)
^4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

This is the appropriate response to crisis.  Submit yourself to the will of God, like Jonathan as he faced the garrison of the Philistines.  “God I know you have a purpose in this, and I’m looking for your purpose and will.”  That’s Jonathan’s response.  That’s the response that wills ee opportunity realized. 

What happens if we see the danger realized?  We lose dominion, we become like Israel hiding in our holes.  We miss out on the promise of God.  There’s no deliverance, there’s no fruitfulness.  Fear doesn’t win battles, so the church struggles to stay together, forget about moving forward.

What happens, though, if the opportunity is realized?  1) We continue to gain power and dominion over the spirits that rule our city and 2) Opportunity will result in more visitors, growth in the church and revival.

Much of how the church responds is dependent on the response of the individuals who make up the church’s response to individual crises.  After all, the overall assault on the church will be made up of smaller assaults on individuals in the church. 

How are you going to react?  Like Saul, in panic, or like Jonathan in faith?  Are you prepared for battle or dominated by the enemy? 

We need to react like Jonathan.  Look for God’s will.  Look for what God is trying to do.  Desire to be a part of what God’s doing.  Be the fuse that ignites deliverance.  God can deliver by many or by few.  Either way it is by individuals responding to individual crises in faith that ignites the movement of God.  Jonathan’s action brought about God’s deliverance.  Our actions will bring about God’s promise.