How goes the battle? Thousands of tongues are singing...

Strong Men in the Service of the King

(1 Chronicles 11:20-47, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 12, 2017)

[20] Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. [21] He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

[22] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. [23] And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. [24] These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. [25] He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

[26] The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, [27] Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, [28] Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, [29] Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, [30] Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, [31] Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, [32] Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, [33] Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, [34] Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, [35] Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, [36] Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, [37] Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, [38] Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, [39] Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, [40] Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, [41] Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, [42] Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, [43] Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, [44] Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, [45] Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, [46] Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, [47] Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Warfare and the Old and New Testament Time of Preparation and Mission

In this section of 1 Chronicles we are granted an opportunity to think about David and his mighty men and to make the connection to Jesus and his disciples. We have talked about “the three” and “the thirty” as well as the larger group of “mighty men.” Why so much talk about warriors in the Old Testament? And why do so many think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of war and then assume a contrast to the God of the New Testament as a God of love?

First, we need to state that such a supposed division between the God of one testament from the God of the other will not work. God's steadfast love is a major theme of the Old (Psalm 136) while His coming judgment cannot be missed in the New (2 Thessalonians 1). Yet the movement of His story from preparation to resurrection mission does involve a change in emphasis. There was a time when the leading edge of obedience was conquest of the land of Canaan. That was temporary, and now we go to all the nations as troubadours of hope. This two-fold role was all over the prophets who were prosecuting a case against Israel and also serving as heralds of a new era of blessing, Timing is everything, and the movement of the story from Old to New does lead to a change in emphasis of what mighty men do, yet God Himself never changes.

Abishai and Benaiah

Back to two very famous men who were dedicated to David, we learn of the great achievements of Abishai and Benaiah. The first of these was one of three sons of David's sister, Zeruiah. He used his spear with deadly success when he was greatly outnumbered. He was a commander over “the thirty,” inspiring others who were important to the mission of the king. The second, Benaiah, was a leader of men who was utterly dedicated to David and to his son Solomon. In obedience to their wishes, Benaiah executed other men who had broken faith with David and Solomon, including Joab, who was Abishai's brother and David's nephew. Here in 1 Chronicles 11 Benaiah is presented as a man who had the courage to stand against much larger or more powerful foes and to defeat them, even using their own weapons to win the victory. He was “a doer of great deeds” who “won a name” as a warrior in David's forces.

The “Thirty,” their Families, and Communities

Following the brief mention of Abishai and Benaiah, the Chronicler lists many others (more than thirty) who were part of the “mighty men.” Most noteworthy in these verses are the immediate family members, the extended family clans, the localities, and the tribes that these men are known by. The word “brother” appears four times, and “son” or “sons” eighteen times.

It does not mean anything to us to be a Pelonite, a Hushathite, or an Ahohite. We don't know what it's like to live in Netophah, Pirathon, or Gaash, or even have much of a clue of how it would have affected a man's identity as a soldier to have the foreign heritage of an Ammonite or a Hittite, or to belong to one of the individual tribes of Israel. We do know what it is like to have people we love around a Thanksgiving table, or to miss a town that we associate with special times of gathering. People are made by God to be part of something larger, something you might even be willing to fight or die to protect. All of the men listed here were at their best when they served God by being true to the man He had chosen, David, the king of His elect nation.

We too have one Man who should be the focus of our greatest affection and loyalty. When the God of all glory becomes Man to defeat sin and death, that should get our attention. Our King continues to lead us in a new battle of the ages, a fight that calls for men of strength and courage. We are not taking land by force of the swords and guns of this world, but by the Word and Spirit of God. Our Lord has given gifts of leading men and supporting family and friends for the spiritual warfare that He has ordained during our brief days upon the earth. We give thanks for this good provision, and especially for the great King of the kingdom of resurrection life.

It could be that your family and even your hometown support your connection with Jesus. Thank God! Then again, that may not be the case. Some may applaud your part in the mission that “a thousand tongues would sing” your great Redeemer's praise. Others might be openly combative against the things you hold most dear. Either way, “rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4). We are mighty warriors of the crucified and risen Lord of the resurrection, and we “can do all things through Christ” who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Remember that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). How goes the battle? Much progress is being made. At the time that Charles Wesley wrote his famous hymn about 1000 tongues, only a dozen or so nations had the Bible. Today people are praising Jesus in nearly 3000 languages! Hallelujah!

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 34 – The Society of the Righteous

Gospel Reading—Matthew 10:5-15

[5] These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. [9] Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, [10] no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. [11] And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. [12] As you enter the house, greet it. [13] And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. [14] And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. [15] Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.