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WAR
War
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the night.
In reading God’s word, it’s hard to miss His admiration for the valor of great men. Men of courage, and war. His word beams…like a father’s love for his son…in the wonderful telling of these heroic men’s lives. Over and over, their stories become the fabric and spine of His holy word.
Consider His servant Caleb. Though a battle-scarred 85 years old, yet he demands of Joshua his mountain. Nevermind that giants…3 sons of Anak…live and rule there. Pray only grant me legal deed of ownership. My holy God and I, shall make short work of these giants.
There was young David, and his five smooth stones. Not in case he missed, but because Goliath had four brothers. Or David’s mighty men…the three…and the thirty. Adino and his mighty spear, killing 800 men in a single outing. Shammah, holding his ground in a field of lentils. Benaiah, the lion slayer. Abishai. Joshua, taking the Promised Land by force, one city at a time. All brave men…fearless men. All considered forever noteworthy, and so graven, in His eternal word.
There were the 60 valiant of Israel…from our text…who set perimeter watch around Solomon’s bed. And the 1,000 mighty men, whose bucklers lined David’s tower walls. Each story, told with a latent, doting love. Each performance in battle…every act of daring and valor…told with the touch of a father, watching his son play ball. Letting the world know…forever…that in God’s eyes, these were great men. Hardy men…battle-hardened and committed. Braving death without caution, for the cause of Israel.
These are God’s role models. And there’s something to be said, for the examples God has chosen. There are no great generals from the last 200 years. No giants of technology or invention. No pioneers in medicine or astronomy. Only these brave men from antiquity. Their fearlessness in the face of death. Their commitment to the cause of Israel. These things rate eternal ink, in God’s library.
The silver thread…that knits these great men to us…still weaves today. For these all knew…so deep in their soul…that they were God’s chosen people. Knew in their home life…knew in their heart…knew in their closet, that their God, was the real God. Knew that of all races of people on the earth, God had picked this people, to give His holy word. Here is the rock-solid assurance that made them fearless. This intimate knowing…of who they were in the world…is the very wellspring of their valor.
We see God’s button-busting love for great men, surface again in the patriarch Job.
Behold, my servant Job…
But here, the fighting arena has changed…moving inward. No longer walled cities; the battle front is now a man’s character. Not the noisome clash and blood in fields of war; but the testing of a man’s moral fiber…his gut integrity. The things a man loves, weighed in the balances, with his personal walk with God. This was Job’s battleground. And at the core of his righteousness, weaves the same silver lining…knowing, that his redeemer lives. After the purging fires, it is all that remains. And yet on this alone, he boldly stands.
The apostle Paul too, was anchored by this same confidence.
I know whom I have believed…
Same furnace, burning in his bosom. Knowing who he was, in a world of millions. Knowing just how special that is. And knowing that his God, is the real God. In this man, we sometimes hear the clash of battle, from Israel of old. But his was an iron crushed and annealed, by the love of God. And so in Paul, we see also the purging…the soul searching…of Job.
God is no less enamored today; by the valor of great men, in the cause of Israel. And just as in olden days, they number few. Our world…at dusk on Day Six…has nearly reached a bathypelagic depth.
They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
The arena today, has moved even farther inward. Still, we have the clang and noise of our wars. Still, the besetting fires of Job, dog our narrow way. But the front lines are spiritual now. The cause of Israel, is not so different, from the mission of the church. It is the chosen people of God…in a world of billions…battling enemies. It is the delivered slaves, taking the Promised Land by force. It is brave men of war, rising to that march, against an overwhelming array of unseen, spiritual foes.
And like our role models of old, the same cord runs through us, as ran through them. Knowing whom we have believed. Knowing just how special we are to God. And knowing that our God, is the real God. So long as that passion burns within us, angels will record in the books, the battles and journeys of the people of God. And our God will wait an eternity, for what Satan twice promised him.
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Hybrid Mode
