gettingthejobdone

Getting The Job Done

1 Samuel 14:1-23
1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come,
and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that
were with him were about six hundred men;
3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh,
wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock
on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other
Seneh.
5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these
uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy
heart.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this
shall be a sign unto us.
11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the
Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew
you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the
hand of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before
Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half
acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also
trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on
beating down one another.
17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had
numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on
and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold,
every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the
country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled,
even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
KJV

Have you ever seen a problem and knew something should be done to resolve the problem. As did every one around
you. Every one talked about the problem. But no one was doing anything to resolve the problem. Remember that
problems unresolved continue as a problem to the next person and even generation. They never just go away on their
own. Problems unresolved will in fact continue until they dissolve or reduce to naught the problem solver. You may be
looking at or be in this kind of situation. Thinking you can do nothing or do not have the ability to do anything. If so keep
this thought in mind as we look at a person who was in that situation "God can use the irreducible minimum to bring into
manifestation the necessary forces of his magnitude to solve any problem."

Let's watch him do it with Jonathan and then use the principles Jonathan used to get the problem solving job done.
The first thing Jonathan did was confide in someone to be his partner. He was not asking him if they should go but
saying come and go with me. His mind was made up. He would go but not alone. Always follow this bible principle of
partnership. There in is safety

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to
help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
KJV

Jesus always sent the disciples out by twos for this very reason. It was Peter and John at the gate called Beautiful. Paul
and Silas in Jail. There is safety in twos. Not only safety for the physical man in the number but also in counsel. Safety is
not in the multitude of counselors but the counsel. Notice Jonathan did not go to the group of people mentioned in
verse 2&3. Never seek partnership of those not getting the job done. We already know what they are doing. Nothing.
And that would be what there counsel would bring you to do. Nothing.

Verses 4&5 said Jonathan made a straight path to the camp of the problem. Tactics but no evasion are always to be in
use. No procrastination or indecision. Battles are lost on the fields of procrastination, and indecision is always loss of
power to act successfully. However do not disregard timing. Timing is a vital part of tactics. Get straight to the problem.
The longer you dance around it. The bigger it grows. Remember it does not just go away and it does not get smaller. It
always grows. On either side of his path going straight to the problem was two sharp rocks. One named Bozez meaning
shining. This rock is pointed toward Michmash where the Philistines are camped. The other rock is named Seneh.
Meaning thorn. Pointed to Gibeah the camp of the Hebrews.

This shining is not that of reality. It means to bleach white. It is deception. It is not all it is showing it’s self to be. So often
that is the way of real life problems. They are serious but not too serious to over come. The Philistines were a real life
problem. They made the host of Israel believe they were too big to overcome. But not Jonathan.
He saw the problem through the eyes of the Lord and spoke to his partner to encourage him and let him know their
victory or eliminating the problem was not in number but in God. Big number or little number the problem would be
solved by God. He never focused on the Philistines deception as did the host of Israel. When you face the problem
straight on, their will always be a shining. Just keep your focus on the power to solve. God.

Then there is the other rock. Seneh pointing to Gibeah the camp of the Hebrews. It means thorn. That which
discomforts. And the thorn, those who would not get to the problem solving on their own will now move into action
because one decided to get the job done, you can see this in verse 20. Such will often be the case in real life. As
Jonathan was the catalyst to move a well able army into action who had been deceived to fear, you too will often be the
needed catalyst to move others well able in the Lord into action.

But there are a couple of more things worth note before the thorn arrives. In Verse 7 the partner of Jonathan reassures
him and encourages Jonathan to keep going with just a few words. “I am with you, do what you will." the wonderful value
of a partner.
And Jonathan kept going and his partner with him. Verse 13. They won the first skirmish. Two over came twenty
because their confidence was in God. Enough to move the thorn of discomfort into action. In verse 23 you can see the
problem dealt with and solved. Why? Someone went out to get the job done.

Could be up to you to get the job done or at least started.