THE EXEMPLARY SOLDIER

This chapter that we have just read from is an amazing chapter, in it we see some great truths for soldiering and also some great truths for the Christian life.

I want to challenge you with something – the Christian life is a soldiering life. It is a life of performing one’s duty without complaint and having a willingness to sacrifice and even suffer loss for the cause and the commander.

I want you to realize that Christ is our commander. The cause his glory. To not be actively soldiering and contributing to one’s potential is to be in dereliction of duty.

I had a Corporal say that I was in dereliction of duty while I was in boot camp. The story goes like this. In the midst of boot camp, every platoon gets a week of service time. This means that our platoon would either work on the base outdoors, in the chow hall, or the rifle range. Well, we would all rather be working outside seeing the scenery, etc. But we got chow hall duty. So we had to go to the chow hall around 3am every day. While in there our platoon slapped chow on recruit’s trays, cleaned, stocked and were generally abused. Well I was cleaning up after one of the meals and I was pushing a mop. It was long push mop, and I was doing it with one hand – I was doing it and though I was doing well enough, the truth was – I wasn’t doing my best, I was not living up to my potential. So, one of chow hall staff, a corporal, I think it might even have been Drew Carey now that I look back, he looked just like him – he said, “RECRUIT, YOU ARE IN DERELICTION OF DUTY AND I CAN HAVE YOU COURTMARTIALED. Now, I don’t known if he could do that, but I was not doing the job I could as if I was using two hands.

Friends, we are far to often in dereliction of duty. You and I, we have much to offer our Lord, if we would be like these exemplary soldiers.

Let’s Pray!

In this passage, we see, not the Chronicle of mighty men that is mentioned in chapter 11 who were amazing men – no in chapter 12, it was just men with a lot of character, drive, with a willing to work hard and be the best they could be.

Now here in this passage we have a list of men who came to fight for David. There is listed the men that came to him when he was fleeing Saul, vv.8-22, and then a list of groups of men that came to join David when he became king at Hebron, at the time when he was only over 2 of the tribes, not all 12. It would be seven years after that when he became king of them all the tribes of Israel.

From these two lists, I want to pick out some interesting things in chapter 12 and apply them to Christian Soldiering.

I. They were willing to be identified as David’s men vv.1, 8, 14-15

Did you notice here that they were not ashamed to be identified on the right side, on God’s side, on God’s choice of a king.

The Bible says that were even those that came over from Saul’s army, even of Saul’s brethren to join. Christ said, he came not to bring peace, but a sword. They knew what was right, and for these men and their families, it meant taking the risk, but risk is no risk when you are siding with God.

Romans 8:31 AV

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

II. There were those who gave themselves completely to David vv.17-18

“Thine are we”

Matthew 22:37–38 AV

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

Notice their devotion. They did not say, I serve God only, not a man. They served God through serving with and under a man.

III. They were ready for battle – vv.20-21, 24

They came prepared to fight.

They brought the necessary equipment and weapons.

They were always ready, ready to act even when the enemy seemed to appear out of nowhere.

We should be ready to react to the unexpected. Church is full of unexpected stuff, isn’t it? There is always some problem, some heartache, some distraction, some mess, some fit, some grumpiness, some attitude, and we need to be ready for it as mature able believers.

A few weeks ago, a pumpkin exploded; there is alway a limb down in they yard, a bathroom is plugged up; food for lunch does not arrive. You’ve got to be able to be ready for anything.

IV. They understood their culture v.32

They understood the world they lived in. They understood the dangers. They understood the controversy, the politics, the need of the hour.

They understood that the Israel had entered into a new era, a different way of dealing with God in a sense. No longer was their generation dealing with a theocracy, but instead, it was a quasi monarchy while still submitting to God.

We are talking about wisdom here, they were wise, we too must be wise.

Matthew 10:16 AV

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 AV

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Ecclesiastes 9:18 AV

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

V. They were not cowards v.33

One of the great sins and really, setbacks for our lives, is that we are often double hearted.

These men were not double hearted, they were confident in their purpose; full of faith in their belief of what their Commander wanted from them.

James 1:5–8 AV

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

VI. They were experts in warfare vv.35-36

They were able to use their weapons of war, their defense tactics, and their offensive schemes to full affect. It was not just a couple or even a few, but they were all able to do this. It didn’t matter if you took out the general, because right behind him was a Colonel that was just at ready to take his place. It wasn’t that he was not as able, he just didn’t have the position. If you took him out, the Captain could take over.

If the enemy took him out, a Lieutenant would jump it. If the LT was knocked out of the fight, Non-comissioned officers would lead – the Sergeants and Corporals. Then if they didn’t make it, the Enlisted men would take the fight to the enemy.

Do you know that is what has made the United States the most formidable fighting forces in the world, because we train all of our men and women to rise the challenge, to take the initiative; to understand the mission and the plan, and take the fight to the enemy.

When I was a PFC, I went to Naval Gunfire school. In this school, I learned to call barrages from Battleships and Destroyers. This was only a position for a Lieutenant or Captain, but the PFC was ready if needed.

That is what our church should be like. To be a Christian Soldier, if the pastor is out, people ought to be able to step in and do what he does. If a teacher is out, we should have people ready to take the class in an instant. Because we all are experts in Christian Warfare.

VII. They knew how to operate together vv.33, 38

They all could keep rank and were of one heart.

This means they knew how to walk with another. More than march, it means they knew how to march as soldiers together.

That as a unit, they could hear the command of their Commander, Execute the plan in unison, and then go fulfill the plan promptly.

It wasn’t just that they were men that did everything the same, but they were men from differing backgrounds and family situations, and yet they did what came together with the same heart and purpose for the battle.

We too, as Believers, must be able to come together with one heart and serve our God. There is not any of us who can do it alone. The ministry and service of our God is not looking for robots, but for passionate servants who come together for the good of the cause and the good of the master.

VIII. These all came ready to give v.40

They were not paid in any way. They were not out to fight for what they could give out of it, their blessings were found in what they could give.

Giving has to do with several things.

A. Giving your effort and time

All these men traveled to be with David in Hebron, that was no easy feet in these days, it took not only time but energy to do that.

B. Giving of your finances

They went at their own expense and they brought the gifts to share.

C. Giving the bread of life

It says here that they “Brought bread on asses” you and I are to be bringing the bread of life.

In our Veterans today, we find many exemplary soldiers as well. Men and women who have given up their comforts, conveniences and often freedoms and health that we might have all of those things.

Ultimately, that is what we are to be for God. We are to be those exemplary soldiers of the cross of calvary.

Ready to be identified as God’s People.

Having give ourselves completely over to our King

Ready for the battle for souls and for right.

Soldiers that understand our culture - but not of the culture.

Not cowering from the fray.

Experts in our warfare, the battle for the faith.

We know how to cooperate and work together.

We come ready to give, our time, effort, finances and most importantly - the bread of life to others.

THE EXEMPLARY SOLDIER

1 Chronicles 12:1-40

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