“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:47 NKJV)
The Lord does not save with sword and spear. We know that Jesus was never a man of violence and was never known to have raised a sword or spear. When hurt, he turned the other cheek. When hurt over and over again, he forgave those who hurt him. But is we say that the battle is the Lord’s and that he will give it to us, what does this mean” What battle is our Lord fighting and what shall we do with it when it is given to us to carry on?
The third major division of Samuel recounts the steady demise of Saul and the selection and preparation of David for the kingship. Samuel mourns for Saul ad one would mourn for the dead. The death of Saul concludes this last division of the Book.
Now David is introduced. God’s new king of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah and from Bethlehem. There are more references to this in Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:2-6. The king was chosen and provided by God who orders all things according to the counsel of His own will, not according to human desires.
David now becomes a warrior of the Lord. Following the anointing of David and his installation into the court of the king, there is this update on the situation of Israel in regard to Israel’s enemies. Sochoh and Azekah were towns of Judah, approximately fifteen miles west and seventeen miles northwest of Bethlehem. Ephes Dammim, the camp of the Philistines, probably lay about one mile south of Azekah.
David fought in the name of the Lord and for the glory of the Lord, whose name and glory will extend to the uttermost parts of the earth and to all nations. David fully understood the chief issue: the Philistines were, in effect, challenging the Lord y confronting the Lord’s people.
This is the battle that is the Lord’s. The Lord is trying to make his ways known to his followers and to spread the word throughout the land, yet there are those who fight and rail against him. There are those who would not allow his word to be heard or his wisdom to be known. There were those who would not recognize his glory and might.
This is the battle that we, even today, can continue to carry on as faithful Christians. It does not require a sword or spear. It required only eyes that will see the glory of God, ears that will hear the whisper of God and arms that will encompass the love of God. It is a fight for the good, for the truth, for the just, and for the greatest world.
Lord, help us to continue the battle and to fight as Christians to preserve and defend the word and to spread it through the entire world. Help us ever to rely on God for our strength and our comfort and to continue in the steps that David taught us. May we be true followers of your holy name and true sons and daughters of your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
References: The People’s New Testament Commentary by M. Eugene Boring and Fred B. Craddock and The MacArthur Bible Commentaryby John MacArthur.
You might also like to read:
- Bible Verse of the Day
- Daily Bible Guide
- The Disciple by Ronald Way
- Growing in Christ
- Bible Study Tools Online
- The Jesus Walk Bible Study Series
- Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament
- UpWords Daily Devotions by Max Lucado
- Pocket Devotions by Mike Brooks.
A discussion of today’s bible verse is encouraged. If you would like to participate, please feel free to write a comment in the space below. There are many different outlooks and interpretations of scripture passages and, the more we share, the more we learn.
Sharon is a member of the Community Church of the Midlands that meets at Seven Oaks Community Center at 200 Leisure Lane in Columbia and is a frequent participant, with her husband Douglas, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral located at 1100 Sumter Street in Columbia.
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