The Army of God

1 Chronicles 12:1-22

   1 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, 2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul's brethren.  3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

    8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9 Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14 These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

    16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment." 18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:

    "We are yours, O David;
    We are on your side, O son of Jesse!
    Peace, peace to you,
    And peace to your helpers!
    For your God helps you."

So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.

    19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads." 20 When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh. 21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. 22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

The mighty men of war who came to David before he became king recognized his call and anointing by God to lead His people, and they kept defecting from Saul and coming from all over until the forces amassed into the great army of God under His anointed one, the forerunner and type of Christ the Messiah to come through David’s lineage.  They had bows handled ambidextrously, and some were trained men of great valor, fast as gazelles and fierce as lions in battle.  Others crossed flooded rivers to defeat the enemy and make them flee as James 4:7 reaches us in resisting the enemy of God’s deliverance of grace through the message and work of the gospel’s word and power (Romans 1:16, 1 Peter 5:8-10).  Some wished peace on king David because God helped him, and were made captains; we have peace in Jesus as God’s Anointed and will rule with Him in eternity (2 Timothy 2:12), for He leads us to victory (1 Corinthians 15:57, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 15:2).  We are the spiritual army of God, called to fight the good fight of the gospel of light for deliverance of the souls of men and women trapped in the darkness of the lies of sin in the adversary’s grasp.  The truth of the Anointed One alone can offer true and lasting freedom.  This is the gospel we preach (Acts 26:18, 1 Peter 2:9-10) as valiant warriors, mighty in His strength and authority alone.  May we be found faithful as 1 Corinthians 4:2 says to us.