The King's Army (1 Chronicles 11:10-47)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.399 --> 00:00:06.919 Well, let's turn our attention now to the book of First Chronicles, first 2 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:33.259 chronicles, chapter eleven. I'm going to begin reading in Verse Ten and Read 3 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:41.929 Through Verse Twenty Five. So Verse Ten through Twenty Five. Now, these 4 00:00:42.009 --> 00:00:47.049 are the chiefs of David's mighty men who gave him strong support in his kingdom, 5 00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:51.920 together with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of 6 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:58.759 Jehovah concerning Israel. This is an account of David's mighty men. JASS Obeam, 7 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.840 a Hatchmanite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 8 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:07.870 three hundred whom he killed at one time. And next to him among the 9 00:01:08.069 --> 00:01:15.510 three mighty men was Eliezar, the son of Dodo the AHOHITE. He was 10 00:01:15.590 --> 00:01:21.420 with David at pass Damim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There 11 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:25.579 was a plot of ground full of barley and the men fled from the Philistines, 12 00:01:26.260 --> 00:01:29.420 but he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it 13 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:36.049 and killed the Philistines, and Jehovah saved them by a great victory. Three 14 00:01:36.129 --> 00:01:40.890 of the thirty chief men went down to the Rock to David at the Cave 15 00:01:40.930 --> 00:01:46.250 of odlum where when the Phillistine when the army of the Philistines was encamped in 16 00:01:46.370 --> 00:01:52.319 the Valley of Rephaim, David was then in the stronghold and the garrison of 17 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:57.680 the Philistines was then at Bethlehem, and David said longingly all that someone would 18 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:01.150 give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate. 19 00:02:02.469 --> 00:02:07.590 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew 20 00:02:07.629 --> 00:02:10.789 water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it 21 00:02:12.069 --> 00:02:15.419 and brought it to David, but David would not drink it. He poured 22 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:20.219 it out to Jehovah and said, far be it from me, before my 23 00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:24.060 God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men, 24 00:02:24.939 --> 00:02:29.659 for at the risk of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would 25 00:02:29.659 --> 00:02:35.650 not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. Now Aby Shai, 26 00:02:35.930 --> 00:02:38.090 the brother of Joe AB, was chief of the thirty, and he 27 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:43.610 wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside 28 00:02:43.650 --> 00:02:47.400 the three. He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander. 29 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:52.680 But he did not attain to the three, and Ben and I are 30 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.240 the son of Jehoiadah was a valiant man of Kabbazil, Cobb zeal, a 31 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:01.349 doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of MOAB. He also 32 00:03:01.430 --> 00:03:06.430 went down and struck down a lion in a pit. On a day when 33 00:03:06.550 --> 00:03:10.949 snow had fallen, he struck down in Egyptian man of great stature, five 34 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:15.979 cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, 35 00:03:16.659 --> 00:03:21.659 but ben and I a went down to him with a staff and snatched 36 00:03:21.740 --> 00:03:24.539 the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 37 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:30.009 These things did. Ben And I, the son of jehoied and won a 38 00:03:30.050 --> 00:03:34.490 name besides the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but 39 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:38.250 he did not attain to the three, and David set him over. His 40 00:03:38.409 --> 00:04:01.629 bodyguard, God bless his word, please be seated. Well, these are 41 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:09.189 some pretty amazing stories, aren't they? These mighty men of David? I'm 42 00:04:09.229 --> 00:04:13.060 they're a little bit buried, aren't they? In in the Bible. These 43 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:15.180 are stories that were used to thinking about when we think of David, for 44 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:23.300 example, killing giants and lions, defeating enemies with just a little bit of 45 00:04:24.970 --> 00:04:30.490 weapons, weapon power. But here we read of these mighty men, of 46 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:35.370 David, these men that God provided him, and were reminded about a theme 47 00:04:35.610 --> 00:04:43.079 in the Bible that we might consider tonight, this theme of soldiers, of 48 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:48.399 armies, of serving the king. If you're a Christian, let me ask 49 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:53.790 you this question. What are the various ways that you think about your life 50 00:04:53.910 --> 00:04:58.629 as a Christian? There are many. Perhaps you think of yourself as a 51 00:04:58.709 --> 00:05:04.110 child adopted by God, obedient and to him, loved by him. Perhaps 52 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:09.779 you think of yourself as a light reflecting the glory of God as he shines 53 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:14.660 in you. Perhaps you think of yourself as a business man or a steward, 54 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:18.579 a person investing the gifts God is given you to increase them and please 55 00:05:18.660 --> 00:05:23.850 your master. Well, these are all true, and there are many more. 56 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:30.089 Another way to think about our lives is as a soldier. Revelation thousand 57 00:05:30.089 --> 00:05:32.490 nine hundred fourteen, for example, says that on the day of the Lord, 58 00:05:33.329 --> 00:05:38.839 the bride of Christ, clothed in the robes made wipe by his blood, 59 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:45.399 will ride with the Lord as his army and strike down as he as 60 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.959 he strikes down his enemies and even before the day of the Lord, we 61 00:05:49.029 --> 00:05:54.990 are told in Ephesians, Chapter Six, verses ten through twenty, that we 62 00:05:55.069 --> 00:06:00.629 should daily put on the whole armor of God, being strong in the Lord 63 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:05.060 and in the strength of his might, UN walk in his ways, to 64 00:06:05.339 --> 00:06:12.500 fight the battle, to be strong and courageous. On this passage tonight, 65 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:16.740 God helps us to understand who we are as his soldiers and what it means 66 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:20.449 to fight in the strength of his might, and he does this by telling 67 00:06:20.529 --> 00:06:25.810 them, telling us about David's mighty men. And what we'll see is that 68 00:06:25.930 --> 00:06:29.730 just as a he, just as God equipped these mighty men to fight for 69 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:36.360 King David, God has also equipped you to fight for King Jesus. So 70 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:42.079 first let's begin at the beginning of this passage. In verse ten, we 71 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:46.839 read that now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him 72 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:50.550 strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king 73 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:57.949 according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Well, these verses, these 74 00:06:58.069 --> 00:07:01.819 various phrases, these clauses, remind us of what we've learned so far. 75 00:07:02.220 --> 00:07:09.060 In Chapter Eleven, that God had anointed David as King over Israel, and 76 00:07:09.139 --> 00:07:13.779 had done so long before the people ever decided to anoint him as king. 77 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:17.649 You remember, back at the beginning of chapter eleven, with people say. 78 00:07:18.730 --> 00:07:23.129 They say, and Jehovah, your God, said to you you shall be 79 00:07:24.050 --> 00:07:28.089 shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel. 80 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:32.319 There's a kind of anointing ceremony that happens there, as the elders make 81 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:36.959 a covenant with him, as all Israel gathers around their king, and they 82 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:42.720 do so all according to the Lord. So David, in a sense, 83 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.790 has been crowned, anointed as King. Then in the next passage we read 84 00:07:46.829 --> 00:07:54.230 that he secures the capital, Jerusalem, in a marvelous victory. He takes 85 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:58.899 the city, but again we are reminded that this is because of the Lord 86 00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:05.819 David we read in Verse Nine, became Greater and greater, for Jehovah of 87 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:11.620 Hosts was with him. This phrase, Jehovah of Hosts, God of hosts, 88 00:08:11.819 --> 00:08:15.410 Lord of hosts, as a way of speaking about our God, who 89 00:08:15.410 --> 00:08:20.089 has many armies, hosts of armies, and so speaks even in terms of 90 00:08:20.129 --> 00:08:24.689 as David rules and commands and is strong, he only does so because God 91 00:08:26.329 --> 00:08:31.079 is with him. So he has been crowned, he has a capital, 92 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:37.720 but he still has work to do. A sense, he has been made 93 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.149 king, but there is a kind of establishing of that kingdom that still needs 94 00:08:41.230 --> 00:08:46.350 to happen, and that's why our passage speaks about these mighty men working with 95 00:08:46.629 --> 00:08:52.269 all Israel to make him king. It's not as though he needs to become 96 00:08:52.309 --> 00:08:56.379 king again or that he sort of slipped somehow, but it speaks in a 97 00:08:56.419 --> 00:09:01.019 way of establishing that kingship, not just in Jerusalem, not just with his 98 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:07.340 people, but in particular overall the Philistines, over the people in the land. 99 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:13.970 David had work to do, and this kind of work was not exactly 100 00:09:15.450 --> 00:09:20.330 it was not the temple work and some of the building projects that his son 101 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:24.399 Solomon would take up, but it was bloody work. It was the work 102 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:31.000 of war. God had commanded Saul to take care of the Philistines, to 103 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.879 send them out of the land, much like Joshua began to do, and 104 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:41.230 the judges did as well. Israel, at various points throughout this whole history, 105 00:09:41.230 --> 00:09:46.789 after Moses, continued to fail at this task. Successes in some ways, 106 00:09:46.269 --> 00:09:52.710 victories in some ways, but many failures as well. Finally, Saul 107 00:09:52.860 --> 00:09:56.500 is established as king and there is some hope that this one, who has 108 00:09:56.539 --> 00:10:00.980 been commissioned to this task, would do the job. But he did not. 109 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:07.169 Saul, like David, was anointed and saw, like David, was 110 00:10:07.370 --> 00:10:13.450 called to establish that kingship. Saul failed to do that. Over and over 111 00:10:13.570 --> 00:10:20.649 again we see saul turning away from the Lord, turning away from the commands 112 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:26.159 that he had been given. Now it was David's turn. God had replaced 113 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:31.879 Saul on the throne by this king who is to do his work. God 114 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:35.429 had given this hymn this task to do and he promised David that he would 115 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:41.590 do it through him, that he was established his kingdom and his name forever. 116 00:10:43.309 --> 00:10:46.590 Not this point, I'll just pause very briefly and remind you all of 117 00:10:46.710 --> 00:10:52.139 something that we forget, that when God promises to to do something in us, 118 00:10:52.179 --> 00:10:58.139 when he calls us to do something, he always provides the means to 119 00:10:58.179 --> 00:11:01.860 do that. This something we often forget. It's something Saul often forgot. 120 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:07.250 God gave him a call and he often felt like God would not provide the 121 00:11:07.330 --> 00:11:11.649 means to do that. The philistines were strong, the Philistines were powerful, 122 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:18.200 the Philistines had more weapons. The PHILISTINES had giants. Many, many reasonable 123 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:24.799 reasons, but ultimately unreasonable. If we remember that God is a God who 124 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.799 provides, we must remember that in our lives, as we live them, 125 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:33.269 the things that God has called you to do, whatever spetificate, particular thing 126 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:39.149 you might think of God, God is providing the means for you to do 127 00:11:39.309 --> 00:11:45.750 it. And so is the case with David and what God provides him in 128 00:11:45.870 --> 00:11:50.899 particular. Many, many things. But here the focus is on these mighty 129 00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:58.059 men, these mighty men who are mighty in many different ways. Let's think 130 00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:01.970 about some of those. First of all, we see that they are strong. 131 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:07.330 These are they are strong and what seems to be an almost superhuman way, 132 00:12:07.809 --> 00:12:13.330 and perhaps it is a superhuman way, they do these great heroic deeds 133 00:12:13.769 --> 00:12:18.559 that you can hardly imagine anyone accomplishing. But of course we're reminded throughout that 134 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.960 it's because of the Lord that they did them, that they were strong because 135 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.600 of him, because of what he was doing. Throughout we, throughout this 136 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:33.389 passage is were reminded of God's provision. The focus always comes back to dot, 137 00:12:33.669 --> 00:12:37.470 always back to God, even as we might hear the story and think, 138 00:12:37.629 --> 00:12:43.509 wow, what an amazing man. Immediately we hear that it was God 139 00:12:43.629 --> 00:12:50.740 working through him, God winning the battle. Nevertheless, think for a little 140 00:12:50.740 --> 00:12:56.419 bit about the instruments that God uses here, think about how strong they are. 141 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:03.730 The first example we have is Jashobeam, who wields a spear against three 142 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:11.090 hundred and he kills them at one time, probably not meaning instantly, but 143 00:13:11.250 --> 00:13:16.639 in the one battle he takes them all down. Honestly, I can't even 144 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.159 imagine what that would look like, how that would happen. It seems well, 145 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:26.669 it is amazing. We have another story, then, of Eliezar, 146 00:13:28.830 --> 00:13:31.590 the El yet AISAR, who, in the midst of not only great strength 147 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:37.990 of the Philistines who had gathered there for battle, but in the great fear 148 00:13:37.350 --> 00:13:46.899 of his brothers in arms, while everyone's fleeing, while everyone is running away, 149 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.580 Elias are, stands there in the middle of the field and defends it 150 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:58.529 and kills the Philistines. One mighty man is missing here. We're not scholars, 151 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:05.529 aren't sure why that is. It could be that he's am considered under 152 00:14:05.610 --> 00:14:09.809 this second one. Elias are, because we have these plural words, and 153 00:14:09.889 --> 00:14:15.279 the Lord saved them by a great victory. Another possibilities. It's a scribal 154 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:22.159 error as the author was looking at the passages and second samuels jumped his eyes 155 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:26.789 and we just are missing the bit from the original text in the texts we 156 00:14:26.870 --> 00:14:33.350 have today. But either way we have before us these three mighty men that 157 00:14:33.470 --> 00:14:37.509 God is giving and gives to David and reminds us of his victories through them. 158 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:43.419 But beyond these particular three there's yet another class of men, also very 159 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:48.659 amazing, but yet not so amazing somehow that he will say and make these 160 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:54.730 comments that they didn't quite attain to the three, which is amazing considering, 161 00:14:54.889 --> 00:14:58.690 for example, verse twenty, Abby Shy, the brother of Joe Ab, 162 00:14:58.850 --> 00:15:03.409 the chief of the thirty. So this other class of men. He wield 163 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:07.039 his spear against three hundred men and killed them and one a name beside the 164 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:11.840 three. He was the most renowned of thirty, became their commander, but 165 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:16.200 did not attain to the three. So even these mighty men, in some 166 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:20.200 ways there's a classes of mighty men, mighty men on top of mighty men. 167 00:15:22.669 --> 00:15:26.230 We read of the striking down of this Egyptian, five cubits, seven 168 00:15:26.269 --> 00:15:31.269 and a half feet tall, held his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, 169 00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:37.740 Ben and I ah comes at him with a staff, somehow snatches the 170 00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:41.419 spear out of his hand and puts him to death. You see that these 171 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:48.620 men are strong, very very strong. We also read that they are are 172 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:54.690 skilled in battle. This same Ben and I ah, we read in Verse 173 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:58.730 Twenty Two that one day he went down and struck a lion in a pit, 174 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:03.879 on a day when the snow had fallen. Again, when we're reading 175 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:08.440 quickly through the passage, these things might be easy to skip over, but 176 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:15.519 consider what that would mean for a moment. The fighting, or I should 177 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:18.870 say hunting, of lions was a great sport of the King's, especially in 178 00:16:18.909 --> 00:16:23.110 the ancient Near East. There's pictures of kings doing this kind of thing and 179 00:16:23.549 --> 00:16:29.789 in various places and inscriptions and descriptions of them doing this. And here this 180 00:16:29.909 --> 00:16:34.419 kind of kingly activity of hunting lions is ascribed not to the king, but 181 00:16:34.539 --> 00:16:38.580 one do if the king's servants. I'm not to make David lesser but in 182 00:16:38.700 --> 00:16:44.220 some ways to make him greater by showing these mighty men. And one of 183 00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:48.850 the ways that they would do this is they would dig a pit, somehow 184 00:16:48.889 --> 00:16:52.690 lay this trap, a lion would fall into it, they'd capture it with 185 00:16:52.730 --> 00:16:59.090 a net and then would jump down in the pit and defeat the lion. 186 00:17:00.690 --> 00:17:03.720 This would, I imagine, be a difficult task. I've never done anything 187 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:10.839 even remotely close to this, but notice the little detail that's added. Not 188 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:12.359 only does Ben and I do all this, but he does it when the 189 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:18.390 snow has fallen. As a one commentator I read, I'm forgetting who, 190 00:17:21.109 --> 00:17:23.630 but he said, well, while other men are sitting close to the hearth, 191 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:30.460 Ben and I is out there in the snow capturing lions. You imagine 192 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:37.460 the difficulty of having good footholds and all the rest inta doing a task like 193 00:17:37.619 --> 00:17:44.259 this. Nevertheless, they're strong, they are skilled. I'm later in chapter 194 00:17:44.410 --> 00:17:48.930 twelve will read of the Benjamites who were able to sling a stone with the 195 00:17:48.009 --> 00:17:55.490 right or the left hand. These descriptions go on and on. But perhaps 196 00:17:55.650 --> 00:18:02.039 even more importantly than them being strong and then being skilled, these mighty men 197 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:07.039 are also fiercely loyal, at least at this point, to their king. 198 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:12.470 And there are all kinds of ways that this story will get qualified later on. 199 00:18:14.829 --> 00:18:18.670 The faithfulness of the king, for example, is undermined when we read, 200 00:18:18.230 --> 00:18:22.230 I didn't read it to you tonight, but in verse forty one. 201 00:18:22.869 --> 00:18:27.460 We read of these mighty men and one of them is named Ariah, the 202 00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:34.380 hittight, and we know was greatly sinned against by David and likewise on some 203 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:41.099 of these men will sin against him. But here that picture is somewhat idealized 204 00:18:41.220 --> 00:18:45.930 for us and it's showing us who these men were, particularly at the beginning 205 00:18:45.930 --> 00:18:49.450 of the history. They were strong, they were skilled and they were fiercely 206 00:18:49.609 --> 00:18:56.720 loyal. The best example of that comes from this small story. In Verses 207 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:03.559 Fifteen through nineteen, we read that there was a Philistine, a group of 208 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.640 Philistines, or the army of the Philistines, rather garrison, that were encamped 209 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:15.029 there at Bethlehem. You remember that David was from Bethlehem, and David is 210 00:19:15.109 --> 00:19:19.430 says longingly in verse Seventeen, Oh, that someone would give me water to 211 00:19:19.470 --> 00:19:26.380 drink from the well of Bethlehem, that is by the gate. Now many 212 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:30.059 commentators, especially the ancient ones, spent a lot of time, spend a 213 00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:34.099 lot of time looking at this verse and considering the difficulties that we have with 214 00:19:34.299 --> 00:19:45.210 food and hunger and desires, not controlling our appetites. But I think something 215 00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:49.490 different is going on here. It seems to me that David is is not 216 00:19:49.690 --> 00:19:55.480 necessarily requesting something but, as it says, he's longing for something. He 217 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.839 sees his hometown run over by the Philistines and he sort of want longs for 218 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:06.200 a taste of home, we might say, a sense of home, even 219 00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:12.549 victory over home. He expresses this, this expresses this thing, not necessarily 220 00:20:12.630 --> 00:20:18.950 asking for it. But what happens? What's the response? Three mighty men, 221 00:20:19.829 --> 00:20:25.299 in their loyalty to David, break through the camp of the Philistines, 222 00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:29.140 draw water out of the well of Bethlehem and bring it back to David. 223 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:36.609 This is not about a victory necessarily. This is about showing loyalty to their 224 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:41.769 commander, isn't it? They love David so much that they're willing to risk 225 00:20:41.930 --> 00:20:48.369 their own lives for something that's maybe a silly request, just a bit of 226 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:52.559 longing for home. And they say will do it, and they go and 227 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.799 they're victorious, says these mighty men tend to be, and they bring back 228 00:20:56.839 --> 00:21:03.549 David this water. But David, recognizing their loyalty and in thankfulness for it, 229 00:21:04.349 --> 00:21:12.390 does a very wise and loving thing. He doesn't drink it, which 230 00:21:12.430 --> 00:21:18.430 I think in some ways would perhaps make him look like something of a tyrant 231 00:21:18.099 --> 00:21:22.059 making and risking making his men and risk having them risk their lives for just 232 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:27.940 a cup of water. But instead, and neither does he throw it away 233 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:30.660 and say hey, I didn't ask for this, what is this for, 234 00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:37.930 and again waste their their work. Instead, he takes the drink and he 235 00:21:37.089 --> 00:21:41.809 pours it out to God, he makes a sacrifice salad of it, he 236 00:21:42.009 --> 00:21:47.400 dedicates it to Jehovah, who is the one who is giving them victory in 237 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:51.039 all of this anyway, and says, far be it from me, before 238 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:55.559 I god that I should do this. Shall I drink the life blood of 239 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:59.799 these men, for, at the risk of all their own lives, they 240 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.549 brought it. Therefore, he would not drink of it. These things did 241 00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:08.470 the three mighty men. So, you see, to go back to the 242 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:15.779 the original thought, David has a task to do. David is King and 243 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:22.579 God is equipping him with an army, in Army led by mighty men that 244 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:29.859 are courageous, that are strong, that are skilled and very, very loyal 245 00:22:30.690 --> 00:22:38.130 to their king. Well, this teaches us about our own position to Jesus. 246 00:22:38.170 --> 00:22:45.920 Jesus also has battles to fight. Jesus also has been crowned as king 247 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:51.960 you remember that when Jesus died on the cross, that wasn't the end, 248 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:56.400 was it? He rose victorious over sin and death and was and even ascended 249 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:02.069 to the right hand of God. This great sign of victory which he did 250 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:07.509 in his glory. We read in various places of scripture that this is exactly 251 00:23:07.589 --> 00:23:11.829 what this meant. We read in Colossians, for example, that in Jesus 252 00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:15.779 is death on the cross, in his ascension, in his victory. In 253 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:22.380 this way he became a king and ruler over all powers and authorities, principalities. 254 00:23:25.259 --> 00:23:29.529 But this victory that Jesus achieves on the cross in a sense going up 255 00:23:29.609 --> 00:23:34.170 to Mount Zion, ruling over it, taking it from the stronghold of Satan. 256 00:23:34.970 --> 00:23:40.809 It's a victory that has to be brought to completion, and so even 257 00:23:40.890 --> 00:23:45.000 today there are battles that are still going on. You might think about the 258 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:52.319 spread of the Gospel, the conquering of people's hearts, the putting away of 259 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:57.430 sin and blindness. You might think of him doing that great work that Solomon 260 00:23:57.509 --> 00:24:03.750 did of building up the temple, of establishing the worship of God through the 261 00:24:03.829 --> 00:24:10.539 people of God. You might consider his complete victory over evil to come when 262 00:24:10.579 --> 00:24:15.220 all of Satan and those who love him will be a cast forever and bound 263 00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:19.740 and banished forever and ever. These are the kinds of battles that are still 264 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:23.259 going on and the kind of a battle that is to come on the day 265 00:24:23.289 --> 00:24:29.930 of the Lord. And just as Jesus has these battles to fight, God 266 00:24:30.089 --> 00:24:34.730 has given him instruments to do this work. Not that Jesus is dependent on 267 00:24:34.849 --> 00:24:40.079 them in some way, that he would somehow fail if they weren't given to 268 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:45.240 him, but God, in his great wisdom, gives Jesus an army, 269 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:52.119 hosts, you might think, for example, of the angels. Let me 270 00:24:52.200 --> 00:25:00.190 read a few verses from Matthew, Chapter Thirteen. In Matthew Thirteen versus forty 271 00:25:00.309 --> 00:25:06.430 and forty two. We read of the last days. We read Jesus says 272 00:25:06.470 --> 00:25:08.900 the harvest is the close of the end of the age, and the reapers 273 00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:14.059 are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so 274 00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:17.539 it will be at the close of the age. The son of Man will 275 00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:21.930 send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin 276 00:25:22.009 --> 00:25:26.490 and all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace in that place where there 277 00:25:26.490 --> 00:25:33.930 will be weeping and Nashing is nashing of teeth. God has given to Jesus 278 00:25:33.970 --> 00:25:38.799 this great hosts, this these mighty armies. But among these hosts are included 279 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:45.200 his people. The beginning of the sermon I quoted from a revelation, Chapter 280 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:51.990 Nineteen and all. Let me read it to you now. The revelation nineteen. 281 00:25:52.670 --> 00:25:56.470 Verse Fourteen, we read that the armies of Heaven, a raid in 282 00:25:56.589 --> 00:26:02.150 fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. Well, 283 00:26:02.190 --> 00:26:06.299 who are these armies? A raid in linen and lighting on white forces 284 00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:08.619 will just previous US Lee? In Verse Eight, we read that it is 285 00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:14.779 the bride of Christ. It was granted her to clothe herself with white linen, 286 00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:19.130 bright and pure. In other places we read of robes of white being 287 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:25.410 given to the saints, Robes that are made white by being washed in the 288 00:26:25.450 --> 00:26:30.609 blood of the lamb. Well, these armies of Heaven, arrayed in fine 289 00:26:30.690 --> 00:26:34.200 linen, these saints of the Lord, he goes on to say and describing 290 00:26:34.359 --> 00:26:41.240 in phrases reminiscent of Psalm. Too, from his mouth comes a sharp sword 291 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:45.039 with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a 292 00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:48.990 rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of fury, of the 293 00:26:48.029 --> 00:26:52.109 wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has 294 00:26:52.150 --> 00:26:57.750 a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords. You see how 295 00:26:57.910 --> 00:27:03.059 God is describing for us the Great Day of the Lord, this great king, 296 00:27:03.299 --> 00:27:08.099 this great and powerful king, riding forward conquering the nations and as we 297 00:27:08.180 --> 00:27:14.420 know from Matthew and as we see from revelation, that he is flanked by 298 00:27:14.579 --> 00:27:21.250 angels and Saints Doing His bidding, powerful and mighty. All of this, 299 00:27:21.650 --> 00:27:26.930 these things that are pictured here, are given in earthly terms in first chronicles. 300 00:27:26.930 --> 00:27:32.160 These pictures of David going out to the Philistines and conquering these enemies of 301 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:40.119 the Lord with these mighty pet men equipped by the power of God. Well, 302 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:44.750 all this reminds us of something very important that I said at the beginning. 303 00:27:45.190 --> 00:27:51.910 It means that you are equipped, just as these mighty men were, 304 00:27:52.910 --> 00:27:56.750 because of Jesus and who he is, because of who we are in connection 305 00:27:56.910 --> 00:28:00.660 with him, as his bride, as his body, as his army. 306 00:28:02.819 --> 00:28:07.140 It means that his victory is our victory. It means that when God has 307 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:12.009 placed us in him, he has given ev US everything we need to fight 308 00:28:12.210 --> 00:28:19.049 those battles, both now in our lives here as pilgrims, and on the 309 00:28:19.049 --> 00:28:23.089 last day, on the day of the Lord. We think of these mighty 310 00:28:23.170 --> 00:28:29.079 men and wonder at their great strength. Wonder at your own strength. Be 311 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:34.640 Amazed at the miracles God does in you in bringing forth the fruit of holiness, 312 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:41.029 in putting to death sin and evil desires. You think of his disciples 313 00:28:41.150 --> 00:28:45.869 going out into the world, risking their lives and indeed even giving their lives 314 00:28:47.269 --> 00:28:52.990 for the sake of the Gospel. But that work these particular mighty men. 315 00:28:53.950 --> 00:28:59.619 It extends beyond that. It extends to each and every one of us, 316 00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:04.660 whom God has equipped, whom he has given to us strength and guaranteed victory 317 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:14.650 even over death. And so, with that we consider his words in Ephesians. 318 00:29:15.289 --> 00:29:21.490 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 319 00:29:22.529 --> 00:29:25.720 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 320 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:30.599 against the schemes of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and 321 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:36.279 blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers 322 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:41.509 over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 323 00:29:42.670 --> 00:29:48.390 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able 324 00:29:48.390 --> 00:29:52.619 to withstand in the evil day and, having done all's to stand firm. 325 00:29:55.180 --> 00:30:00.980 Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth, having put on the breastplate 326 00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:06.339 of righteousness and his shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given 327 00:30:06.380 --> 00:30:10.769 by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of 328 00:30:10.930 --> 00:30:15.890 faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, 329 00:30:15.970 --> 00:30:18.730 and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is 330 00:30:18.849 --> 00:30:23.039 the word of God, praying at all times in the spirit, with prayer 331 00:30:23.480 --> 00:30:30.720 and supplication to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for 332 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:37.349 the Saints. You are mighty man. Indeed, in many ways you are 333 00:30:37.470 --> 00:30:44.869 even mightier than these men described here in first chronicles eleven, because you don't 334 00:30:44.910 --> 00:30:49.819 just defeat flesh and but blood, but you put out the flaming darts of 335 00:30:51.059 --> 00:31:00.660 Satan himself. You fight against great cosmic powers of evil and when this is 336 00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:06.890 who you are and this is how God has equipped you, so fight alongside 337 00:31:06.930 --> 00:31:11.410 the Lord Jesus, knowing that victory already belongs to you. It means that 338 00:31:11.529 --> 00:31:21.680 you can be brave courageous as you fight your enemies, Sin and death and 339 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:25.960 the evil one. And you can be brave too, as you remember that 340 00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:32.559 your weapons are not real swords and or I should say physical swords and physical 341 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:40.750 shields, but they are truth and righteousness and holiness and the truth of God. 342 00:31:41.829 --> 00:31:48.500 You can be brave, for example, and powerful in extending grace, 343 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:56.900 in forgiving someone who is hurt you, in seeking the Lord for the resolution 344 00:31:56.220 --> 00:32:01.609 of conflict and unity and communion in the church. It means that when you 345 00:32:01.890 --> 00:32:07.849 fight your personal sins and temptations, that you can be strong in Him who 346 00:32:07.849 --> 00:32:13.170 has equipped you, because just as the Lord had fought for David and for 347 00:32:13.369 --> 00:32:20.240 these mighty men, he also fights for you. And in that strength, 348 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:24.720 in his strength, seek to grow in these skills, not in hand to 349 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:30.710 hand combat, but in the war of the soul. And Ask yourself, 350 00:32:30.750 --> 00:32:36.309 are you growing stronger? Are you becoming faster? Are you becoming more adept 351 00:32:36.470 --> 00:32:42.230 and wise to the wiles of the enemy? If not, then seek the 352 00:32:42.309 --> 00:32:46.380 Lord. He will teach you, he will strengthen you, he will equip 353 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:52.500 you, because you belong to his armies. And in all this, let 354 00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:59.650 us pray that God would help us to remain fiercely and intensely loyal to him, 355 00:33:00.769 --> 00:33:05.210 to be willing to do anything he asks at the drop of the hat. 356 00:33:05.250 --> 00:33:09.210 At the drop of a hat, at the slightest request, let us 357 00:33:09.210 --> 00:33:17.440 go and serve our Lord with gladness and courage and strength. May God grant 358 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:21.839 these things to us, his soldiers. Let us pray