"THE WAR WAS OF GOD"
The early chapters of the book of First Chronicles is a listing of so many names and families. When one comes to the fifth chapter, we are reading about the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh (I Chronicles 5:18). Their land allotment was on the east side of the Jordan River. Even though God promised this land as well as the land for the other tribes, the land had to be taken. The point of the sword was applied to the enemy and he was killed or driven out. These 2 ˝ tribes warred with Hagarites, Jetur, Nephish, and Nodab (verse 19).
The writer of Chronicles gives us the keys to their military success. It was because they cried unto God who heard them because they put their trust in Him (verse 20). That does not sound much like the thinking coming out of the religious world today, does it? The denominational preachers starting discovering their view of “grace” and this was followed by false brethren connected to the church making the same error. What was the error? Man cannot do anything to bring about his own salvation. It is by grace and by grace alone. Does it not make you wonder why God could not have used that language so that there would be no confusion?
Instead, what God has done has seen to it that certain events in the Scriptures were recorded for our benefit (Romans 15:4). Those events recorded for all time were geared to our developing patience through the Scriptures that which is revealed by God. What is the danger if we forget those lessons? Paul warned us to be careful about thinking that we are standing without God. If we do reach that conclusion we are bound to fall (I Corinthians 10:12). The Christian does not believe that he stands without God. He knows that without what Christ did none of us could be saved. There then is a major difference between one believing that God does everything and man has nothing to do and those who continue to serve the Lord through obedience.
What did these two and a half tribes do? They took the land. How did they take the land? Does anyone seriously believe it was done through sitting down and talking with these people and asking them to leave the land? It was done at the point of the sword. Have our minds been so diverted by the theme of “tolerance” that we now accept all religious ideas because we are compassionate? How many churches are there? The Bible shows that there is one body (Ephesians 4:4). Give that principle up and you might as well lay down the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). We are to press the enemy in order to bring him into submission to Jesus the Christ.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (II Corinthians 10:4). Those today who are called “radical” among the Moslem people are killing their enemies in a very real sense. The call of Jesus Christ is to apply the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to the heart of every man in hopes that he will change his life. The Islamic faith seeks to change man as well by making him submit or killing him. When we, therefore, press the enemy we do so my teaching him the truth. The Max Lacado”s of this world preaching their “sinner’s prayer” are nothing more than soldiers who have thrown down their weapons to show the enemy how loving they are. It is because of love that we do indeed press the enemy with the truth.
Back to the case in the Chronicles, the two and half tribes were successful because “…the war was of God.” (I Chronicles 5:22). When individuals obey God, then God can use that obedience to bring about His will in the lives of people. From the very outset God placed a tree in the midst of the garden which Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat of. Why did God place such a tree in the midst of the garden? God had also told the man to dress and keep the garden. What is that? It was the potential of obedience which man needed. God knew the heart of man, He created him. It was man who needed to understand the value of blessing of obeying God. God provided the garden home and gave them each other with work to do.
Since the events of Genesis 3 when sin entered the world, God has made war with the forces of Satan to save mankind. We are either soldiers in that army or we become the enemies of God (James 4:4). The war is of God, where will we stand?