Do you know the story (이야기) of Jonathan? I’m not talking about me, I’m talking about Jonathan, the best friend of King David (다윗 왕의 친구). There is very little in the Bible about him, but I think Jonathan was awesome. I’ve never preached about Jonathan, nor have I really thought about where my name comes from. But I was reading the Bible a few weeks ago and in my quiet time I came across 1 Samuel 14 (사무엘기상 14). For the next two weeks I’m going to be preaching from this chapter because God has put into my heart two messages for our church that we all need to hear. Tonight’s sermon is titled “An Impossible Life” (불가능한 생명)
Let’s read from 1 Samuel 14, verses 1-15. The summary (개요) of the story is that Jonathan chose (선택) to fight, he believed God was with him, and he killed 20 men and set into motion a victory that would solidify the kingdom of Israel. That is a great story for the Bible, but we really have to understand the process by which Jonathan was able to start a huge chain reaction because if Jonathan can do it, then we can do it.
Can I preach to everybody about “one day” (하루는)? (v1) We live every single day thinking about that one day, one day when we have money, one day when our businesses are thriving, one day when we have so much to time, one day when our kids are grown, or our grand kids are grown. We constantly (항상) think about that one day. We don’t know how long Jonathan has been thinking (얼마나 오래) about this “one day”, but we know that when that day came, he chose to go fight (조나단은 싸움을 선택했다).
Our “one day” is where our dreams (꿈) are. Our hope (희망) is in one day. Today is that one day. I am telling you that the one day you have been waiting for is this day. 하루는 오널입니다. Write it down (저거새요). That day has arrived. I want you to know it. Today is our one day (오늘은). Believe it. This is what our faith is (믿음은 하나님의 능력을 믿고있다).
I can’t really speak Korean. But today is that, one day when God shows His power. I’m speaking in tongues right now and you understand. That is the spirit of God working in your hearts to make this my one day. Can you see that when I decided that today was the one day, I said I was going to cross over to the Philistine camp (블레셋 군대) and let everything go and see what God will do. Where is your philistine camp? What do you have to do?
For some of us in the room, the Philistine camp is the job market (일자리). We need new jobs, we cannot be stuck at dead end jobs. For others of us, it is our relationships (관계) with combative people, that could mean your parents, brothers, sisters, and children. For some of us, that camp is going back to school. I’m here to tell you that nothing stops God, go and fight the impossible battle (불가능 전투).
Let’s go to verse 6. 요나단 이 무기를 든 젊은 병사에게 말하였다.“저 할례받지 않은 이방인의 전초부대로 건너가자. 주님께서 도와 주시면 승리를 거둘 수도 있다. 주님께서 허락하시는 승리는 군대의 수가 많고 적음에 달려 있지 않다.” (사무엘기상 14:6 RNKSV)
This is what Jonathan’s faith told him: “nothing can hinder the Lord” (아무것도 주님을 방해 할 수 없다). We need to stop believing that you need anything else for victory on that one day. God is not stopped by anything or anybody. You don’t need somebody’s help. You have all the help you have. It doesn’t matter who is against you. You have the power of God. It doesn’t matter who is with you. Jonathan only had his one armor bearer. You may only have your spouse, or you may only have a cat. It doesn’t matter. But God knows your life is like a battlefield (싸움터) with no support. God is with you (하나님은 당신과 함께하다). He will go with you from here to the ends of the earth. Amen? God is with you, there is nothing that can stop Him, so when you go with God, there is nothing to stop you.
I’m saying that because I know some people in this room know exactly where the battle is, but they want to sit and wait for God to bring the car schoffer them. Isn’t it enough that God is going to defeat the enemies who battle you? The day you believe in your heart would come is here, but you need to go after it. Jonathan knew that he would have to go fight and that God will cause 1 man to defeat 1,000 in battle.
Can we go back to verse 2? 사울은 그 때에 기브아에서 그리 멀지 않은, 미그론에 있는 석류나무 아래에 머물러 있었다. 사울을 따라나선 군인들은 그 수가 약 육백 명쯤 되었다 What does that mean? Some of us are waiting for God to give us victory one day, but that day of victory isn’t coming because you are waiting for God where you think is comfortable. Don’t sit in a cave under the pomegranate tree (석류나무). You cannot win the battle if you’re not fighting in it. You cannot have your one day be this day if you’re spending this day in a cave. The victory (승리) is on the other side where the Philistines are, it’s not by the pomegranate tree. There is no victory under the pomegranate tree, don’t wait around for God to do something, God put it in your heart, believe He has already given you the victory (하나님은 당신의 마음에 뭔가를 넣어, 그것을 이동). Jonathan left the pomegranate tree and dispersed an army that had all the weapons. Jonathan overcame great odds and did something that an entire army could not do.
Here’s the problem, those of us who are not fighting the impossible battles in faith, we’re under the pomegranate tree right at the edge of the battle. We’re close enough to where we know we have to go, but not quite there. “Migron” in Hebrew means the “edge” (절벽). Think about this then; the Israelites were supposed to be chasing what God was going to give them, but instead they decided to camp out at the very edge of where God wants them to go because they found a comfortable spot where the fruit looks good.
Victory is not easy (승리는 쉽지 않다). Jonathan and his armor bearer didn’t just appear at the place where God set his victory. No, Jonathan and his armor bearer had to get there and they had to get there by getting through two types of challenges. Let’s go to verse 4 and see what they are in our lives. 요나단이 블레셋 군대의 전초부대로 들어가려면 꼭 지나야 하는 길목이 있었는데, 거기에는 양쪽으로 험한 바위가 있었다. 한쪽 바위의 이름은 보세스이고, 다른 한쪽 바위의 이름은 세네이다.
하나님은 불가능의 하나님이다. Have you noticed that when God gives you an impossible dream, because He gives everybody an impossible dream. We are the His children (자녀), the children of the God of the impossible. He wants us to do the impossible because our Father does the impossible and He gives us victory over the impossible. But the impossible is not called the impossible for no reason. It is the impossible because the road to get to the fight for victory is treacherous (배반하는)—it is impossible!
On the one side there is a mountain called Bo-zez (보세스). In Hebrew, the word Bozez means slippery (미끄러). It’s like the slippery slope of success (성공의 미끄러운 경사). The more you move up and in the right direction, the more slippery it is for you. You go in the right direction and you find yourself doing the wrong thing. It’s dangerous because you think you are doing the right thing, but you are not. [Need more examples here]
On the other side there is this mountain you need to pass which is named Senah. Senah means thorny (가시 투성이의). This describes the pain of growing (성숙 아픔). You know it’s tough when the mountain is named thorny. It hurts to grow. It hurts to be strong. It will prickle all over.
I want you to know that the road to impossible is slippery but also thorny. The obstacles are ungodly dangerous, but that is exactly the calling God put on all of us. To go to the impossible moment and get there through the slippery pathways and the thorny roads. Being a Christ follower is being on the road to the impossible. Jonathan chose and his statement was the same: “God is giving them to me, no matter what.” (v6-7) Either I fight and die to my impossible life or I fight and God gives me victory, either way, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (사는 것이 그리스도이시니, 죽는 것도 유익합니다).
We believe Jesus did the impossible (예수님 부활은 불가능). His life, death and resurrection were impossible. Jesus experienced the slippery slope when the devil tempted him in the desert for forty days. Jesus experienced the thorny when he was accused of doing what is right and punished by death on a cross. Impossibly, that heinous act became our impossible salvation (그 가증스러운 행위는 우리의 구원이되었다). We believe it, it is in our hearts.
I can feel some people saying in this room, what does this guy know (Jonathan 무엇을 알 수 있까, 어려움을 모르는)? He doesn’t know how hard my life is. He doesn’t know what it is like to raise children. He doesn’t know what it is to have a crazy (미친) boss, a crazy employee, a crazy customer. Look at his life, everything is so easy. He even has a spouse that supports him. I am not going to argue with you. I don’t know how hard your life is. You may feel like the reason Jonathan succeed was because he had somebody to go with him, this armor bearer and you don’t even have a spouse to help you. Everybody else in your world is getting ahead with their dreams because God blesses them and they have great support. So you are going to hang out by the pomegranate tree until you get some support.
Let’s go to verse 13. Look at what the Bible says, “Jonathan climbed up with his hands and feet (손과 발로 기어올라갔고)” There is no easy way up (쉬운 방법이 없습니다쉬운 방법이 없습니다). There is no dignified way up (위엄있는 방법은 없습니다). You think the impossible is bringing your friends and family to a church like this, small, and old, invite them, it doesn’t matter how. You think you need more money and a promotion (전진), get there, it doesn’t matter how. Just get there and you will have a chance at the impossible fight. Climb up, it doesn’t matter how because God is with you just like God was with Jonathan. The impossible is close reality in our lives right now.
I sense God saying to somebody in this room that fear (무서움) of losing your spot where you are is keeping you hostage. Let me tell you that the fight is tough but the rewards far exceed what you are doing under the pomegranate tree. You are on the road to the impossible. God saved you for that impossible road, walk in it. It is yours.
I want to end our time together with a time of prayer.
하루는 사울의 아들 요나단이 자기의 무기를 든 젊은 병사에게 말하였다. “우리가 저 건너편에 있는 블레셋 군대의 전초부대로 건너가자.” 그러나 요나단은 이 일을 자기의 아버지에게는 알리지 않았다. One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
2사울은 그 때에 기브아에서 그리 멀지 않은, 미그론에 있는 석류나무 아래에 머물러 있었다. 사울을 따라나선 군인들은 그 수가 약 육백 명쯤 되었다. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men,
3(아히야가 에봇을 입고 제사장 일을 맡고 있었는데, 그는 바로 이가봇의 형제이다. 아히야의 아버지는 아히둡이고, 할아버지는 비느하스이고, 그 윗대는 실로에서 주님을 모시던 제사장 엘리이다.) 그들 가운데 아무도 요나단이 떠난 것을 알지 못하였다. 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
4요나단이 블레셋 군대의 전초부대로 들어가려면 꼭 지나야 하는 길목이 있었는데, 거기에는 양쪽으로 험한 바위가 있었다. 한쪽 바위의 이름은 보세스이고, 다른 한쪽 바위의 이름은 세네이다. 4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5바위 하나는 북쪽에서 거대한 기둥처럼 치솟아올라 믹마스를 바라보고 있었고, 다른 하나는 남쪽에서 치솟아올라 게바를 바라보고 있었다. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
6 요나단이 무기를 든 젊은 병사에게 말하였다. “저 할례받지 않은 이방인의 전초부대로 건너가자. 주님께서 도와 주시면 승리를 거둘 수도 있다. 주님께서 허락하시는 승리는 군대의 수가 많고 적음에 달려 있지 않다.” 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried 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 can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
7그의 무기를 든 병사가 대답하였다. “무엇이든 하시고자 하는 대로 하십시오. 무엇을 하시든지 그대로 따르겠습니다.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
8요나단이 말하였다. “우리가 저 사람들에게로 건너가서 그들에게 우리를 드러내 보이자. 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them.
9그 때에 그들이 우리에게, 꼼짝 말고 서서 자기들이 올 때까지 기다리라고 하면, 우리는 올라가지 않고 있던 그 자리에 그대로 선다. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them.
10그러나 그들이 우리를 자기들에게로 올라오라고 하면, 우리는 올라간다. 이것을, 주님께서 그들을 우리에게 넘겨 주셨다는 징조로 알자.” 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”
11그 두 사람이 블레셋 사람의 전초부대에게 자기들을 드러내 보이니, 블레셋 군인들이 소리쳤다. “저기 보아라! 히브리 사람들이 그 숨어 있는 굴에서 나온다.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.”
12전초부대의 군인들이 요나단과 그의 무기를 든 병사에게 소리쳤다. “이리로 올라오너라. 너희에게 보여 줄 것이 있다.” 요나단이 자기의 무기를 든 병사를 돌아보며 말하였다. “너는 나를 따라 올라오너라. 주님께서 그들을 이스라엘의 손에 넘겨 주셨다.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”
13요나단이 손과 발로 기어올라갔고, 그의 무기를 든 병사도 그 뒤를 따라 올라갔다. 요나단이 블레셋 군인들을 쳐서 쓰러뜨렸고, 그의 무기를 든 병사도 그 뒤를 따라가면서, 닥치는 대로 쳐죽였다. 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.
14이렇게 요나단이 자기의 무기를 든 병사와 함께, 겨릿소 한 쌍이 반나절에 갈아엎을 만한 들판에서, 처음으로 쳐죽인 사람은 스무 명쯤 되었다. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.
15이 때에 블레셋 군인들은, 진 안에 있는 군인들이나 싸움터에 있는 군인들이나 전초부대의 군인들이나 특공대의 군인들이나, 모두가 공포에 떨고 있었다. 땅마저 흔들렸다. 하나님이 보내신 크나큰 공포가 그들을 휘감았다. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
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