For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God. 1 Chronicles 12:22 (ESV)
We are called to be in Gods great army, here are some things we pick up from this chapter about what we should be like as fighters in God’s Army.
From verse 1 we should love the Lord with all our mind, soul and strength using our energy to help in the cause of our king. Mark 12:30
From verse 2 we should be flexible and adaptable in ministry and work for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:18 and Ephesians 4:16
From Verse 8 our experience in life and walk with the Lord should help us as we fight the good fight, we should use the shield of faith, Let the Lion of the tribe of Judah shine through and be quick to follow the Lord, repent and do good. Ephesians 6:16
From verse 14 we must remember that we are more than conquerers, our faith should be in God and we should be encouraged that greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. Romans 8:37
From verse 18 we should be clothed in the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
Lets fight in the King’s Army today. 1 Timothy 1:18 and 2 Timothy 4:7
Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32 (ESV)
Jesus taught us to watch and pray in Mark 14:38 and he rebuked Israel for not seeing the signs and missing it’s time of visitation in Luke 19:44.
We should be like the men of Issachar who had understanding of the times, as Christians we need to engage with the world around us and keep ourselves informed on current affairs in the news.
We should understand what implications the news, law and cultural movements have from a Christian worldview and what the potential Spiritual impact is.
We have agencies and resources to help with this, these include Open Doors, CSW, Release International and Christian News/Trend analysis like Christian Concern and “The Briefing” by Albert Mohler to name just a few.
We must stay awake, be sober (1 Peter 5:8), keep our eyes open and in response to what we see, we should pray.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13:10 (ESV)
The work and ministry of the Lord cannot be handled in whatever way we want and even our lives are not our own because it is God who is in us just like he was in the Ark. 1 Corinthians 6:19
When we seek to live before God and work in the kingdom we should do so with fear and trebling because God is God. We must be led by his Spirit and not work or try to live by our own ideas and fleshly effort which only leads to death. Romans 8:4-6 and Galatians 5:16
Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:12-13 regarding our walk and work before the Lord that…”Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had. 1 Chronicles 13:14 (ESV)
God’s presence in our lives blesses our lives and households like Obed Edom. We should have homes where God’s presence dwells
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)
The word “Fight” is the Greek word agōnizomai (ἀγωνίζομαι) which means to compete, engage in a contest, to fight, struggle, conquer, defeat, help, agony, anxiety, make effort, contest, to contend, to exert, to be a combatant, to exert oneself and strive earnestly.
This is in line with the theme we observed in today’s OT reading of being in Gods army and working in God’s way.
We are called to struggle against sin and compromise, to contend for the purity of the faith. We are summoned to take hold of eternal life as the prize in this athletic contest.
So the encouragement is for us to persevere, to press forward despite resistance and difficulty. Our lives if we are alive to Christ will be lives of struggle, exertion, battle and contention. We are called to be good soldiers in the Army of our king Jesus like David’s mighty men.
which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15–16 (ESV)
We should read this doxology again and again (short praise to God like the benediction we recite at the end of a service). We should meditate on the wonderful truth this early doxology affirms that Jesus is the true sovereign the only true sovereign, the King.
This is the bibles overarching story of the king in his kingdom. This is why one of the great themes of the bible is the sovereignty or kingship of God.
This affirmation also makes clear that Jesus is immortal which means he was not created and is co-equal with God
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV)
Everything God has provided us with is so that we enjoy them in him, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
God wants us to enjoy our lives with and in light of him (not the flesh). This is one of the core reason God created, for enjoyment and pleasure.
We should enjoy selfless acts too like serving, giving to the poor, bearing each others burdens etc.
We should not pin our hopes on money, money is not our salvation or solution. God is the great provider and he provides richly so we can enjoy our lives so we should focus on and trust in him.
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 1 Timothy 6:20 (ESV)
We should avoid wasting our time and energy in pointless debates, we should guard what we have, the gospel that has been handed down to us.
Today we must guard our hearts and beliefs form all the false alluring stories in the world, knowing we hold the authentic story and all others are a dim reflection or blatant distortion / repudiation of the true.
I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Psalm 82:6–7 (ESV)
These verses have caused controversy in the church and has been picked up by modern day TV preachers to say that we are all gods, that when God created us he created us as little gods so we can create things with our words like God because we are gods too by our very nature…This is rank heresy.
Here God is addressing the judges and rulers of Israel who have been granted some power of attorney on God’s behalf to administer justice but they have not.
God makes very clear that he alone is God in the previous psalm and in this one he makes clear to these men he is addressing that although they were clothed for a while in the authority by which God judges men, they too were men, mortal and so would die, unlike the only true king who we read about today who is immortal.
We may make appeals on Gods behalf and as the body of Christ we stand as representatives of the King and his kingdom in the world today but we are not kings..we are servant. We are not gods. Only God is God!
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