What does the Bible say?
"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." (1 Samuel 14: 6)
He saves us, regardless of how many or how few there may be.
Ironically, with God, the fewer of us, the more of Him, and the greater the victory:
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| Gideon and the Three Hundred |
"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand." (Judges 7: 2-3)
There is strength in God, and He is with us according to His Covenant, and God will identify Himself as LORD (YHWH) when He refers to Himself as the protection for His people, which includes you and me who believe on Him.
We have this Covenant with God our Father because of His Son, Jesus:
"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews 12: 24)
Jesus is the LORD incarnate, who now represents us at God our Father's right hand (Romans 8: 33-34), the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13: 8)
Let us see other promises which the LORD, our Covenant God, made with Israel, and which we can rest in today:
"3And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. " (Deuteronomy 20: 3-4)
Our strength and protection have nothing to do with numbers, but with our Number One Savior.
Consider Abraham, who with a small band of men defeated many kings:
"14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." (Genesis 14: 14-16)
Then:
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: " (Genesis 14: 21-23)
The part in between these two passages reveal where Abraham found great protection and power:
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17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." (Genesis 14: 17-20)
Melchizedek is a picture of Jesus, our Great High Priest today:
"17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
"18For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
"19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
"21(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)" (Hebrews 7: 17-21)
Abraham knew that His wealth had nothing to do with him, but with God, who blessed him and prospered him, but with the blessings of God Almighty, which we have to today through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
David stood up to Goliath as the shepherd boy rested in the covenant promises of the LORD:
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| Little David Took Down Big Goliath Because He Had the LORD on His Side |
"45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17: 45-47)
Consider also the calm example of Elisha, when he was surrounded by the Syrian army:
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| Elisha Points Out the Heavenly Hosts |
"15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria." (2 Kings 6: 15-19)
God asks us to see Him in the midst of our trials. Not to look at ourselves, but to see Him who has been from the beginning (1 John 2: 13-14), that He is taking care of all things for us, and is still saving to this day.
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