The church like God’s army
“For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.” (1 Chronicles 12:22)
The church of God is the Triumphant Church and the Militant Church. If the heavenly church is called the triumphant church, this world church is the militant church. We are God's people called to fight holy battles. Therefore, while living on earth as soldiers of the cross of Jesus Christ, we must fight the spiritual battle with assurance of victory. May the Lord, the Captain, establish our church as the church of God's army.
The Bible 1 Chronicles 12:22 says, “For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.” Here the phrase “was a great army like the army of God” means that not only is the number of soldiers is many, but also that the army is superior in quality, uniting and obeying as if it were a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel (Park). When we consider David's great army that was like the army of God, we receive five application lessons:
First, the David's great army, like God's army, was trustworthy people.
Look at 1 Chronicles 12:16-18: “Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. David went out to meet them, and said to them, ‘If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.’ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said, ‘We are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!’ Then David received them and made them captains of the band.” Among those who came to help David, there were thirty warriors who were from the tribes of Benjamin and of Judah (v. 18). However, the sons of Benjamin were kinsmen of King Saul who tried to kill David (vv. 2, 29). So David had to be cautious. So David went to meet the thirty warriors who came to him, the sons of Benjamin and Judah (v. 16) and said to them, “If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide” (v. 17). At that time, the Holy Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, as if he was clothed with the Holy Spirit (Park) and said, “We are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!” (v. 18) Why did Amasai and the other 29 warriors from Benjamin and Judah tribes dedicate themselves to David? This was because they knew that the God of David was with David to help him (v. 18). So David received them and made them captains of the band (v. 18).
I hope and pray that our church leaders who battle with the assurance of victory can be trustworthy warriors. Also, I hope and pray that they can trust each other by trusting God. I pray that they are the people of faith who trust in the Lord who is the Captain and are confident that the Lord will be with us and help us.
Second, the David's great army, like God's army, was soldiers who were equipped for war.
Look at 1 Chronicles 12:23-24: “Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.” The people who came back to help David were those who were equipped for war. In other words, they were qualified soldiers (Park). Who are qualified soldiers? They are trained soldiers (Park). The David's great army was trained soldiers.
I hope and pray that our church, battling with the assurance of victory, can be filled with trained soldiers of the cross of Christ. I pray that we are well trained by the Lord, the Captain, and become the soldiers of the cross who are victorious by faith in spiritual warfare.
Third, the David's great army, like God's army, was trained for war.
Look at 1 Chronicles 12:8 – “From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.” There was the Gadites among those who came back to help David. When David fled from the pursuit of King Saul, many warriors came to seek David from King Saul's wicked policies, which at one time reached 600 (1 Sam.22:2, 23:13) (Park). The warriors were trained for war who could handle shield and spear (1 Chron. 12:8).
I hope and pray that our church, battling with the assurance of victory, can be filled with warriors who are trained for spiritual war. I pray that we will be victorious churches who are victorious in the power of the Lord as warriors who are trained for spiritual war by relying only on the Lord.
Fourth, the David's great army, like God's army, helped David with an undivided heart.
Look at 1 Chronicles 12:33 – “Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David with an undivided heart.” Among the people who came back to help David were 50,000 people from the tribe of Zebulun. The Bible says that they were “with an undivided heart” (v. 33). In other words, they were sincerely loyal to David who followed only David.
I hope and pray that our church, battling with the assurance of victory, can be filled with the loyal people with the undivided heart. I pray that we look only at the Lord who is the Captain, and be victorious church in the spiritual war by faith alone.
Firth, and last, the David's great army, like God's army, was David's supporter with a perfect heart and one mind.
Look at 1 Chronicles 12:38 – “All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.” All the men of war who came back to help David were 344,022 people (Park) and they tried to make David king over all Israel with “a perfect heart” and “one mind” (v. 38). In other words, all of them were in one heart fully determined and supportive of David.
I hope and pray that our church, battling with the assurance of victory, can be filled with people who are fully determined in one mind. I pray that we will be fully determined to follow only the Lord who is the Captain and be loyal to the Lord with one mind.
We, the church of God, are church that fights against ourselves, sin, the world, and Satan and death. And the Lord who has promised to build His church, is building our church as victorious church (cf. Mt. 16:18). May the Lord raise us all up to become warriors who put our full trust in God and are trained to fight the spiritual battle. May the Lord work in our hearts and build us as soldiers of the cross, loyal to the Lord who is the Captain, with undivided heart and with all our perfect heart and one mind.
- Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss: From victory unto victory His army He shall lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, And Christ is Lord indeed.
- Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day: Ye that are men now serve Him Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, And strength to strength oppose.
- Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you,
Ye dare not trust your own: Put on the gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there.
- Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor's song: To Him that wins the battle A crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory Shall reign eternally.
Amen.
[Hymn “Stand Up for Jesus”]