These were "...men ready for military service---able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle." 1 Chronicles 5:18. These men had incredible attributes. They almost sound like Marvel superheroes, the way they are portrayed in this verse. But, verses 19-22 make it crystal clear where their victory came from. "They waged war against against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. They were helped in fighting them and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to Him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in Him. They seized the livestock of the Hagrites...They also took one hundred thousand people captive, and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile."
We should be all that we can be for God---developing ourselves, disciplining ourselves, taking advantage of training---but always with the consciousness that what gives us the edge is not what we do for God, but what He does for us. We cry out to Him, we trust, and He answers.
Verse 24 recounts some of the attributes they possessed. "...They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families..." Verses 25-26 are a disappointing blow. "But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria...who took the Reubenites, the Gadgets and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile..." Didn't we just read how they cried out to God and trusted Him, how He helped them and answered their prayers? What's going on here? What caused the turn around between verses 22 and 25? I believe the answer lies in verse 23, in this short phrase: "...they settled in the land..." Different versions use different words for settled. Some say dwelt, some...occupied, others say lived in. Settled in probably gives us the most accurate picture. When we hear the words settled in, we associate them with becoming comfortable. They became comfortable enough that they forgot they needed God, and they settled for lesser gods. When we settle in too much in a physical sense, we settle for less in a spiritual sense.
Verses 25-26 are such a sad commentary on these men's lives. They bring to mind the story of Sampson, a man with awesome potential who didn't take his relationship with God seriously enough, and ended up living a life of blindness and going around in circles.
What can we learn from this? How can we avoid prostituting ourselves to false gods? We must not settle in! We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Jesus referred to this as being the state of his disciples. We are to infiltrate our environment with light, not be overcome by its darkness. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood...{God's} own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." We can't display the virtues and perfections of God by living the same way as the unsaved around us.
What were the actions of these trained men before they settled in and prostituted themselves to other gods? Their secrets to success are not secrets. The Bible reveals them to us in verses 19 and 20. They waged war. They cried out to God. They trusted in Him. How can we implement their formula? We must wage war (engage in battle). "...we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12. We can wage war daily in prayer! We can seek God, cry out to Him and intercede for our world. We can fill our hearts, minds, and spirits with His word, enabling our trust to grow. "...those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." Psalm 9:10. These are measures we must take to guard against settling in, and eventually going into exile.
I have heard it preached that David the King committed his most grievous sins when he neglected to be where he was supposed to be. Where was he supposed to be...waging war. "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army...David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace..." 2 Samuel 11:1-2.
On the other hand, Jesus the King, who had just been coronated by the Jews during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, won the battle through His prayers in the garden, and secured my salvation. He waged war against His desires. He cried out to God. He trusted in God, and God helped Him!
We should be all that we can be for God---developing ourselves, disciplining ourselves, taking advantage of training---but always with the consciousness that what gives us the edge is not what we do for God, but what He does for us. We cry out to Him, we trust, and He answers.
Verse 24 recounts some of the attributes they possessed. "...They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families..." Verses 25-26 are a disappointing blow. "But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria...who took the Reubenites, the Gadgets and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile..." Didn't we just read how they cried out to God and trusted Him, how He helped them and answered their prayers? What's going on here? What caused the turn around between verses 22 and 25? I believe the answer lies in verse 23, in this short phrase: "...they settled in the land..." Different versions use different words for settled. Some say dwelt, some...occupied, others say lived in. Settled in probably gives us the most accurate picture. When we hear the words settled in, we associate them with becoming comfortable. They became comfortable enough that they forgot they needed God, and they settled for lesser gods. When we settle in too much in a physical sense, we settle for less in a spiritual sense.
Verses 25-26 are such a sad commentary on these men's lives. They bring to mind the story of Sampson, a man with awesome potential who didn't take his relationship with God seriously enough, and ended up living a life of blindness and going around in circles.
What can we learn from this? How can we avoid prostituting ourselves to false gods? We must not settle in! We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Jesus referred to this as being the state of his disciples. We are to infiltrate our environment with light, not be overcome by its darkness. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood...{God's} own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." We can't display the virtues and perfections of God by living the same way as the unsaved around us.
What were the actions of these trained men before they settled in and prostituted themselves to other gods? Their secrets to success are not secrets. The Bible reveals them to us in verses 19 and 20. They waged war. They cried out to God. They trusted in Him. How can we implement their formula? We must wage war (engage in battle). "...we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12. We can wage war daily in prayer! We can seek God, cry out to Him and intercede for our world. We can fill our hearts, minds, and spirits with His word, enabling our trust to grow. "...those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." Psalm 9:10. These are measures we must take to guard against settling in, and eventually going into exile.
I have heard it preached that David the King committed his most grievous sins when he neglected to be where he was supposed to be. Where was he supposed to be...waging war. "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army...David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace..." 2 Samuel 11:1-2.
On the other hand, Jesus the King, who had just been coronated by the Jews during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, won the battle through His prayers in the garden, and secured my salvation. He waged war against His desires. He cried out to God. He trusted in God, and God helped Him!
