THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – Lesson Four 

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – Lesson Four

FAITH

Definition: Supernatural ability to act in a time of crisis, when others are cowering.

Examples:  (a) 1 Samuel 13:5-7; 14:1-23 – 1 Samuel 13:5-7 – ⁵The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.  ⁶When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.  ⁷Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.

1 Samuel 14:1-23 – V.1 – One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

The young man bearing his armor – Armor-bearers assisted kings in wars by carrying weapons such as swords, spears, bows and arrows, sling and shields.

David served Saul as an armor-bearer.  1 Samuel 16:21 – David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

Application:  In the spiritual warfare, as soldiers of the King of kings, we are instructed by: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – ³For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  ⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  ⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Ephesians 6:10-18 – ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

V.2-3 – Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, ³among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

Ephod – See Exodus 28:6-30.

V.4 – On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh.

One was called Bozez, and the other Seneh – [The Universal Subject Guide to the Bible: “Bozez – shining.  Rock of Michmash … Seneh – thorn bush.  Sharp rock between Michmash and Gibeah …”]  This is an indication of the difficulty encountered.

Application:  John 16:33 (AMP) – I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

1 Timothy 6:12a – Fight the good fight of the faith.  …

See V.5-14 – [V.13 – Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him.

Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him – Application:  2 Timothy 2:3 (CEV) – As a good soldier of Christ Jesus you must endure your share of suffering.]

See V.15-23 – [V.20 – Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.  Similar occurrences:  Judges 7:22 – When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

2 Chronicles 20:22-23 – ²²As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

²³The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.]

General Application: Let us continue to seek the Lord for the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit.