Pitchforks and Hoes

#172 - Today's Du-votional comes from1 Sam 13:19-23, "19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a pim[d] for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. One of the first things a conquering country seeks to do is remove the weapons from the people they have conquered, and so the Philistines placed all the blacksmiths under their control. There would be no sword or spear-making in Israel. The only thing the Israelites were allowed to have were agricultural tools, and even these tools had to be sharpened by the state blacksmith for the going fee of a pim. What's a pim? It was pretty close to a days wages. So here you have the mighty army of Israel. Saul and his son Jonathon are the only ones with weapons, every one else is armed with pitchforks and hoes. This is what they have to fight with on the day of the forthcoming battle. Looks grim right? Well, actually, God has placed his people right where He wants them.....dependent upon Him to fight their battle. As we read in Zec 4:6b, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts (armies) And in Hos 1:7, "But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." And as David said just before he took down Goliath, "the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands. And in 2 Chron. 20:15, we read, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's" Understand this in whatever you may be facing today. Empty yourself of all self-reliance. Put down your pathetic fleshly weapons of pitchforks and hoes and let the Lord God of hosts go before you and fight your battles. Surrender to Jesus and allow Him to enter the fray. Remember, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me," says the Lord. (Is 54:17)