God worked many miracles in many ways, not limited by any means, by man or otherwise; rather, “Perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.” [1 Samuel 14:6] For the LORD conquered the Midians with 300 men in the time of Gideon; and with what weapons? “They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands” [Judges 7:20], for they had no weapon. And Abraham, saving his relative Lot with 318 men, defeating four kings and their armies; and who was credited with the victory? “And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” [Genesis 14:20]
And Jonathan, being stirred up with zeal, being one man with his armor bearer, went out to fight the Philistines; and with what weapons did the armies of Israel have at that time? “All Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.” [1 Samuel 13:20] For the LORD is not restrained to save, even with no weapon at all. As it was in the days of Moses, who delivered the nation of Israel with a shepherd’s staff; Moses, working great miracles of God, called it, “The Staff of God”, for he worked with God and God worked with his hand with a weapon which is no weapon.
And Goliath, being the Philistine’s champion, called for a battle — the winner of one conquered for all. For, as he says, “If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” [1 Samuel 17:9] And David, being the anointed one of God, the one to later receive the Kingdom of Israel, heard the taunts of him and fought him; and with what weapons? “He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook.” [1 Samuel 17:40] And the Philistine, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” [1 Samuel 17:43] Then David slew Goliath with the stone and sling, and then with the sword of Goliath, but he had only a staff in his hand to approach Goliath at the time; and David, being one, wrought deliverance that day for the whole nation of Israel. For, “That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.” [1 Samuel 17:46,47]
And now, not by many, but One, and not by sword, neither by spear, but a cross, even a piece of wood, did Jesus, the Anointed one of God, gain us the victory — once for all. David, with staff, sling and stone, defeated Goliath; how much more Christ, being the Son of God, with wood only, which is no weapon at all, work victory for the whole world? Jesus, being one, wrought victory for all, being put up against a whole host of enemies, defeating them by the cross. And Jesus, with an act, rendered powerless the enemy with his own weapon: death. Even in His weakness, gains us the victory; even in His defeat, conquers the enemy; for the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of men; and it is by the hand of Christ that God wrought for us this victory; for He made Him who knew no sin to taste death for all by the grace of God, that we may die to sin and live for righteousness. He will appear again to receive the Kingdom due to Him, having been anointed by the Father as Messiah, Priest, and King.
By the so-called foolishness of the Gospel, He works salvation in the hearts of men, converting from the power of satan unto God; for the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. For Naaman, the Gentile, considering God, thought, “He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” [1 Kings 6:11] Instead, he was called to dip into the river Jordan seven times, which was foolishness to him; for who wouldn’t consider to dip into the water to be clean? And it’s foolishness to the Gentiles to be saved by the cross, or even words of the cross, for they understand not the power of God.
One may ask, “How is it so?” Just as Jonathan delivered Israel as a single man working with God, and by the oath of Jonathan’s father, which said, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” [1 Samuel 14:24] Jonathan became accursed, for he ate some honey, not knowing of his father’s oath. And Saul, being zealous for his oath, said, “For as the LORD lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” [1 Samuel 14:39] But by another oath, which said, “As the LORD lives, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day” [1 Samuel 14:45], so he was saved from death.
And Jesus, working with God, being hung on a tree, became a curse for us; as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” [Galatians 3:13] For the curse of the law stands, even if it be God’s Son. However, by the oath of an indestructible life, of eternal blessing, the oath of the curse of death is nullified; for the power of the law of the Spirit of life is greater than the law of sin and death. And Christ, having once been cursed for us, was raised from the dead to eternal life; for it was impossible for death to hold him. Like Isaac, who was destined to die on the altar, but was received back from the dead, and like Joseph, who was handed over to death and thought to be dead, but was revealed as alive from the dead, and like Benjamin, who was given up by his father, being his one and only son from his beloved Rachel at the time, but was received back from the dead; so in Christ is found the fulfillment, for He who died, rose from the grave, making us alive to God by faith in His name; as it says, “Then my enemies will turn back in the day I call; this I know, that God is for me.” [Psalms 56:9]
As Rehab, the prostitute, was under a curse, being devoted to destruction, but by her faith was saved, her and all her family, so we too are saved from the curse of the law by faith in Jesus Christ. As the curse which condemns us says, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.” [Galatians 3:10] So just as Saul was pleased to allow the Kenites to depart from among the accursed, so we too are pleased to depart from this world which is under God’s curse, which is set for His wrath: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.” [Revelation 18:4] And there is no need to deceive anybody for us, with an oath or covenant, as the Gibeonites did, who deceived Israel into making a covenant with them by dressing in rags, although they were accursed, to save themselves — no. But rather, if we put on Christ like new clothes, we will inherit the blessing; just as Jacob dressed as Esau and inherited the blessing that was due for Esau, so we too will inherit the reward of Christ, if we walk in the footsteps of Him — not imitating Him in costume only, but in word and in deed; and that not of guile, but by the promise of God, Who for it is impossible to lie.