Introduction

• Pastor announces the Elevation Nights tour, then pivots with the statement, “There is a word from the Lord.”
• Reads 1 Samuel 13:16–22 as Israel faces battle with no weapons.
• Frames the message for anyone feeling unarmed in present wars such as financial, relational, or emotional battles.
• Introduces the contrast between Saul sitting and Jonathan moving.

Key Points and Exposition

1. The Day of Battle: No Weapon in Hand

• 1 Samuel 13 shows Israel without weapons because the Philistines controlled every blacksmith.
• Modern parallel includes moments of conflict without resources, guidance, or emotional tools.
• Being under-armed can lead to despair, fear, or resignation.

2. Saul vs. Jonathan: Two Postures

• Saul sits under a pomegranate tree, a symbol of promise, surrounded by Ichabod’s lineage which represents lost glory.
• Jonathan chooses movement and says, “Perhaps the Lord will act” in 1 Samuel 14:6.
• Core question posed to the listener: pomegranates or Philistines.

3. Jonathan’s Three Catalysts

1. Development: Youthful holy ignorance with less fear and hesitation.
2. Detachment: Releasing outcomes to God and following signs rather than guarantees.
3. Desperation: With no weapons, staying still meant defeat while movement created possibility.

4. The Missing Blacksmith

• The Philistines monopolized ironwork, leaving Israel without craftsmen to forge weapons.
• This mirrors a lack of mentors, parents, pastors, and leaders who shape people spiritually and emotionally.
• Call to action for leaders to become blacksmiths who equip the next generation.

5. From Promise to Process

• Pomegranates first appeared as proof of the Promised Land’s fruitfulness in Numbers 13:23.
• They also decorated priestly garments and symbolized promise and blessing.
• Sitting beneath promises without action turns faith into passive nostalgia.
• Faith requires belief combined with movement.

6. One Weapon Is Enough

• Jonathan carried one sword while his armor-bearer had none, yet they defeated the enemy.
• Elisha’s widow’s oil in 2 Kings 4 shows that miracles often start with little.
• Personal testimony shared that one gift can open doors far beyond expectation.

7. God Turns Enemy Weapons on Themselves

• As Jonathan advanced, God caused confusion and the Philistines attacked one another.
• Isaiah 54:16–17 declares that God created the blacksmith and controls every weapon.
• 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 reminds believers that spiritual weapons carry divine power.

Major Lessons and Revelations

• Possibility is not automatic. Promises invite pursuit.
• Where you sit and who you sit with shapes your future.
• A lack of mentoring explains many repeated defeats.
• God’s sovereignty extends even to enemy resources.
• Greater is He who is in you than anything formed against you.

Practical Application

1. Identify your one weapon such as a gift, scripture, or relationship and use it this week.
2. Recognize areas where you have been sitting under promises without action.
3. Become a blacksmith by discipling or mentoring someone intentionally.
4. Replace unhealthy sources of sharpening with prayer, worship, and the Word.
5. Reframe opposition by asking how God might use it for victory.

Conclusion and Call to Response

Isaiah 54:17 is declared as a promise that no weapon formed against God’s people will succeed.

The call is to rise from complacency, move toward contested ground, and trust God to work through what is already in hand.