The Lesson of Little Big Horn

One of the most iconic battles of the Wild West era was the battle of Little Big Horn. After having already experienced a defeat at the hands of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, the army was determined to confine the Indians to reservations in Montana. Rather than wait for reinforcements to arrive, Lieutenant George Custer ignored advances scouts who told him they were outnumbered. He rushed head long into one of the most well-known massacres in all of American History. Six hundred men rushed into the teeth of 11000 braves that day, and every last one of them died. Custer thought that he would catch the braves unorganized and unprepared for the battle and feared he would lose the element of surprise if he waited for reinforcements. Well he didn't lose the element of surprise, but he and 600 of his men did lose their lives.

When it comes to waiting on God, the question is not what we lose if we wait, but what we lose if we don't. Saul learned this lesson all too well in 1 Samuel 13 & 14.

Highlight:

“...Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering. Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord ’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” ' 1 Samuel 13:7-14

'Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.” ' 1 Samuel 14:6-7

Explain:

1 Samuel 13 and 14 record for us a chronicle of two very different men. On the one hand is king Saul. He is reactive, fearful, impulsive, and impatient. The other picture we see is Jonathan. He is brave, courageous, even crazy. But what we see in the two of them are two responses to the enemy before them. The text tells us that Jonathan has 1000 troops with him and Saul has 2000 troops with him. The chapter begins with Jonathan attacking the Philistines in Geba. As a result of their attack, Saul put everyone on notice that the Philistines would now be considered hostile combatants because of Jonathan’s attack. Once word spread that the Philistines had been attacked at Geba, all of the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. There are 3000 chariots, six thousand horseman and a whole bunch of footsoldiers.

This throws Israel into outright terror, they are hiding in caves and thickets, rocks and holes and cisterns. The warriors who were with Saul were gripped with fear. In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel had told Saul to wait for 7 days at Gilgal for him to arrive and offer the burnt offering. The only problem was Saul was losing men by the day because they were absolutely scared to death. He started with 2000 men and by the time he breaks camp he only has 600.

Saul sees his numbers dwindling and reacts by being impatient and making the sacrifice Himself which He was forbidden to do. Only the priest could do that. Saul’s refusal to wait according to 13:13 cost him the kingdom. What he thought he would lose if he continued to wait he actually lost because he didn’t wait.

Saul’s fear and reaction brought him tremendous trouble. Contrast that with his son Jonathan who reacts very differently to the odds that are stacked up against him. Whereas Saul reacts in fear, Jonathan responds in faith. Jonathan and his armor bearer decide to crawl up the rocks to spy on the enemy. Jonathan’s courage here is downright crazy. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, Nothing can keep the LORD form saving, whether by many or by few.” What an astonishing display of heroism. Remember this is all of the Philistine forces, soldiers as numerous as the sands of the sea. Two men are about to attack them all.

The difference between Jonathan and Saul is revealed in the last phrase of verse 6, nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. If Saul had learned that he wouldn’t have lost the kingdom. What is equally astounding is that his armor-bearer responds essentially with I’ll go if you do. Jonathan’s courage is so infectious that his armor bearer is ready to charge the hordes of hell with him! Contrast that with the mass exodus, Saul’s fear had caused.

God miraculously delivers them and though there are other lessons in the end f the chapter, these are enough to consider for one sitting.

Apply:

1. Fear always has consequences. Saul’s fear made him impatient and his impatience left him losing everything. In our lives, when we enter a season of waiting on God, it is so incredibly difficult for us not to rush to conclusions and jump the gun to get ahead of God. In that moment we have to ask ourselves, the question is not what will we lose if we wait, it is what will we lose if we don’t! Losing a battle is far less than losing a kingdom. It is so easy to react in fear when we should respond in faith. That faith is revealed in our lives by obedience. When we obey we show we have faith in God’s word. Our disobedience, conversely then, displays our fear. Obedience is the proof of faith.

2. There is less that 100 years from Gideon’s victory and Saul’s defeat. Gideon defeated the enemy with half of what Saul had left. Jonathan defeated them with 2! God never plays by our rules and He is never confined by our mathematics. God by Himself is a majority. This God is the One that moves mountains, and raises the dead, and has the sun stand still, and parts the seas. Miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle for these people and they are so ridiculously fearful. Fear makes for a bad memory. When we walk in fear we forget what God has done in our lives over and over and over and over and over again. We begin to count noses rather than call on His name.

3. Fear and faith are both contagious. Make sure that you

have the right one. The fear racing through the camp of the Israelites fueled a mass exodus, but when a leader walks in faith with confidence to put God to the test, armor bearers follow His lead.

Respond:

God give me the courage to have faith displayed by a willingness to wait on you when the battle is at my doorstep so that those around me can find the courage I have found.