I am not known for my musical expertise, but one thing I do know: the beauty of the trumpet is its ability to play single notes well. In spite of all the sophisticated communications equipment available, the trumpet has been used by the military to efficiently and effectively send clear and simple messages directly to the troops. When urgency is a life or death matter, it’s no time for the trumpeter to try out his trills. Or as Paul writes: “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Cor. 14:8).
He was writing to the Corinthian church about their fascination with tongues speaking, and pointed out to them that the purpose of communication was, well, to communicate! What good was it—when lives hung in the balance—to make sounds that were unintelligible? We should be certain about the notes to be played and then play them certainly. Anything else leads to confusion or something worse.
Failing to raise the alarm can be fatal. The Lord laid this principle out through His servant Ezekiel: “If the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them,…his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezek. 33:6). Is there no enemy to be fought in our day? Is there no watchman on the wall? Is there no trumpet to be blown? “Is there not a cause?”
After the lengthy preparatory notes given to the Jews before they entered Canaan, God gave one final set of instructions, and it had to do with trumpet playing: “If ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets…that they may be to you for a memorial before your God” (Num. 10:9-10).
The silver trumpets, made from the redemption money, were to be blown by the priests. Yes, it was priestly work then—and still is—to call God’s people, both for assembling together and for going out unitedly to war.
In recent years, there has been a blowing of trumpets in North America to call the saints together at the “beginning of your months” for conferences. These have been both days of “gladness” and “solemn days.” Most who are familiar with these times would agree that much good has been done and that the Lord has brought in blessing to the Lord’s people, both individually and corporately.
But it should be noted well that the silver trumpets were not only to be used to call the Lord’s people to assembly. The question remains: who among us will give the trumpet blast, in no uncertain terms, to call the Lord’s people to a concerted and sustained gospel offensive? Who will call the saints to war?
This is a day of mealy-mouthed equivocation and chaotic confusion in the camp of Christendom. Some seek a path of compromise with the phoenix-like Babylonian complex. Others pour their energies into trying to salvage a condemned world system through political activism. Yet others busy themselves with building religious empires, energized by best sellers and bottom-line successes. With soldiers running this way and that, distracted by their own agendas, is it any wonder that the enemy is dominating the field in the countries of the West?
The battle is generally going badly for the Church in North America and Western Europe. Yet we thank God for some fearless fighters who, Jonathan-like, say to their armorbearer, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6). Valiantly Jonathan’s armorbearer replied, “Do all that is in thine heart…behold, I am with thee according to thy heart” (1 Sam. 14:7). And, as the story goes, when the Philistine thugs saw the brave duo below them, they hurled down the challenge: “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing” (v. 12).
It was Jonathan and his young compatriot, however, that showed the Philistines a thing or two. Up they went, with the armorbearer strangely enough following Jonathan. Aren’t assembly leaders to simply rally the troops from a safe place, surrounded by the people? “Come up after me,” cries Jonathan, confident that “the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel” (v. 12). Oh, for elders like that today who will shout, “Come after me!”
The commentary adds that, like the work done by oxen yoked together, the two Israelites—a prince and a commoner—plowed the mountain-top half acre for God. But that was by no means the end of the battle; it was only the beginning. Such terror took hold of the Philistine hordes that, from a vantage point several miles away, Saul’s watchmen gaped incredulously as the uncircumcised “multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another” (v. 16)! In the same way, I firmly believe, our God could turn the tide of battle today.
Let Saul play king at his make-believe court under a tree at Gibeah; let Israel’s erstwhile soldiers “hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits” (13:6) or feel suddenly called to take an extended vacation in the land of Gilead. As long as Jonathan had his trusty friend—and the Lord—they would not while away their afternoons drinking tea and discussing the deplorable state of things. To say the least, with his sword in hand, Jonathan certainly made his point, one still heard today by any serious believers.
Young men and women, before you strap on your weapons and head out to prove God in the high places of the field, a word of warning. Read the rest of the story again, in case you have forgotten. Here it is, in brief.
When Saul hears the tumult of the battle, he lifts his head in wonder, in fear. Who has gone missing from the camp of idlers? Who dares to stir up the bees’ nest and taste the sweet and strengthening honey of victory? Who would defy the king’s example of resolute inaction? Who would take such initiative to fight the foe without a general consensus of the inert mass gathered about Saul? It was his son, a man from the next generation!
The king now compounds his error by commanding the people not to enjoy the spoils of war, not to strengthen themselves for the ongoing battle. And so “the people were very faint” (14:31). What folly! Yet those who wish to head out to battle today must take this message to heart. It will not only be the Philistines you will need to face; there will also be those who ought to encourage and help us who will actually stand in our way. The only harsh words ever recorded from Jonathan’s lips come at this moment: “My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?” (vv. 29-30). Withholding resources from the soldiers of Christ in the time of battle will not go unnoticed by our Commander-in-chief.
In conclusion, permit me to humbly issue a two-fold challenge:
• To those who have lingered long enough, waiting for a call to arms: Look to God alone for you encouragement, your equipping, and your victory. Let Him lead you against the foe. Don’t worry about numbers. Find a kindred spirit or two to take with you. And with sword well in hand, go show the enemy a thing!
• To those who have hesitated to call a generation of spiritual young people to united battle: We face a strong and determined foe. He uses ruthless tactics and relentless pressure while we pick and fuss over trivialities. The enemy spares no expense while we often try to nickel and dime our way to victory. From this day forward, like another generation in another cause, may we declare that “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge…our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor” to advance instead the cause of the once-crucified Christ “while it is called Today.”