No Assumptions

There are these two instances in Scripture that I’ve repeatedly been puzzled over.  For the first time tonight, I finally made the connection between them, though!  Check these out:

1. 1 Samuel chapter 14 is talking about Jonathan’s daring plan to attack the Philistine army all alone with just his armor bearer by his side.  The rest of Saul’s army was honestly just hanging out under a tree, but unlike his father, Jonathan knew that God promised to back them up against any army that stood in their way.  So he and his one buddy climbed these crazy cliffs and proceeded to take down 20+ Philistines all by themselves.  But verse six always had me confused.  It reads, “Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men.  Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.  Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
2. Daniel chapter 3 tells of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.  The king got so mad that he ordered for them to be thrown into a furnace if they wouldn’t bow down.  This is easily one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament, but verses 17 & 18 again just seem so strange to me: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us.  He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

I guess what strikes me as a little off about these passages is the fact that these people didn’t assume about what God was going to do.  Why do they put disclaimers on God?  Sure, Jonathan hoped that he would be used at that time to conquer the Philistines, but he didn’t assume he had God figured out.  And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego hoped that God would show up & show off by saving them from the furnace, but they didn’t assume they knew what God would do.

Although these men had faith in the promises of God, they didn’t make the mistake of proudly assuming what God’s delivery on those promises would look like.  We so often get disappointed if God fails to meet a need in the manner or in the timing that we assume is best.  But a promise delayed isn’t a promise broken.

Numbers 23:19 says, “Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”  I’ll admit I am guilty of twisting the fact that God’s promises are good to mean that God’s fulfillment of those promises will look exactly as I think it should.

What I love most about these passages, though, is that they never discredit God’s ability to follow through.  Jonathan said, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving.”  And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, “the God whom we serve is able to save us.”  These men wanted everyone to know that even if God didn’t show up when they wanted Him to, it didn’t mean he couldn’t.  God got all the glory because they told of His power and allowed room for Him to work as He pleased.

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