Army

Like A Mighty Army

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And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host. For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.
1 Chronicles 12:21-22

At this point in David’s life he was staying away from king Saul who was very jealous of David’s  power and authority over the enemies of Israel. David, as a youth, had slain the giant Goliath with a stone in a sling, and cut off his head with the man’s own sword.

As David is staying out of Saul’s way he begins gathering a massive army of many men of valor. They were courageous and determined in the battles they fought against raiders of the kingdom. These men were coming, even from the family of Saul. An amazing gathering army. It is even like the army of God.

When I read these verses this morning, I thought of the song we followers of Jesus Christ often sing, “Onward Christian Soldiers” written well over one hundred years ago. It is very inspirational, and tells us how we ought to be toward the evil which we see in the world today.

Here are the words of the song:

Onward Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before! Christ the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banner go!

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then Christian soldiers, On, then Christian soldiers, On to victory! Hell’s foundation quivers At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift voices, Loud your anthems raise!

Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod; We are not divided; All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.

Onward, then, ye people, Join our happy throng. Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud and honor, Unto Christ the King; This through countless ages Men and angels sing.

Chorus:  Onward, Christian soldiers,  Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before.

This mighty army is made up of those who have been redeemed by the sacrifice Jesus made by giving Himself for our sins. He gave His life, His shed blood – every drop – that we might be made right with God. He died, He was buried, and He rose from the grave. We are a mighty army when we are right with Him.

If you have never called on the name of the Lord in faith turning from your sins to Him, then you urgently need to do that today, even right now.

Words of the Prophets – Ezekiel (4)

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Come Up Out Of Your Graves

 

“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
And He said unto me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, Thou knowest.’
Again He said unto me, ‘Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.’
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
Then said He unto me, ‘Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Then He said unto me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.’ Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it,’ saith the LORD.”  Ezekiel 37:1-14  (KJB)

The Battles Within

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“…The LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.” 2 Samuel 3:39 b  (KJB)

There are battles within kingdoms of men. There are battles which occur within each individual man and woman.

King Saul had died in the battle with the Philistines by falling on his own sword, for fear that the enemy would mistreat him if he were taken alive.  David had been chosen as King of Judah, but the other tribes were still being led by the General of Saul’s army, and he had appointed the young son of Saul, Ishbosheth, as king.  That is an inside battle.  A nation at war against itself.

Abner had been murdered by Joab, David’s General, because Joab because in a battle between the two factions Abner had killed Asahel Joab’s brother.  Joab killed Abner in hatred, revenge, and at a time David had made peace with Abner.  It was not the act of King David.  It was the act of a vengeful Joab.

Joab’s act was a wicked act against God and King David.  The words of David in the Scripture of 2 Samuel 3:39 are words that are just and right.

Again the reader is reminded that there are consequences to our actions.  Good from good.  Evil from evil.  We all reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  We need; all of us who take a breath of air; need to flee to the cross of  Jesus Christ where, there alone, our sin debt is paid in full.

“The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

Our hope; mine and yours; lies in the death, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Day 19 – Kings of Honor and Kings of War

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The reading for Day 19 was 1 Samuel 15 – 28, much about the fall of king Saul; yet also about the rise of a man after God’s own heart.

Saul began his reign as the chosen, anointed king of Israel, chosen by God.  His heart was right, humble, and honorable.  He seemed not to be grasping for power, nor leadership, but was content working for and with his father keeping donkeys.

We have all heard the phrase, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely” and we can see an element of that in Saul.  He seems intent of doing the “right thing” without obedience to God.  A for instance; when God had given him commandment to go and “utterly destroy” the Amalekites (15:3) here is what he did,

“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”  1 Samuel 15:7-9 (KJV)

Some might argue, “Well, he was at least partially obedient”.  That is not much argument.  Obedience is carrying out the command to the letter, which Saul did not do.  No matter what his intent was he sinned against God and the kingdom was removed from him and given to another.

Saul was a man, after this that had much fear in his reign.  He himself was fearful.  He was afraid of a little giant challenging the army of God (chapter 17).

Then a youth who was a shepherd boy who was not afraid of lions and bears heard the giant bragging of his abilities and powers against the God of Israel.  He became angered by this, and took up the challenge himself.  With nothing but a sling, five stones and most of all his faith in God he faced the giant Goliath, and God gave David the victory that day.

David had already been anointed king to take Saul’s place.  When Saul saw this he was jealous and enraged by David, hating him and trying to kill him.  There is no honor in king Saul; only jealousy and fear and hatred.  He no longer loves God, God’s Word, nor His plan for himself or Israel.

Even Jonathan, kings Saul’s son recognized David as the future king of Israel,

“And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.  And he said unto him, ‘Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.”  23:16-18

Jonathan was more a man of honor than was his father.  He was not afraid of David being king.  He honored David and he honored God.  David was that man after God’s own heart.  This was the king which God has used to bring the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to save us from our sins.

-Tim A. Blankenship