Until His Hand Was Weary (Al Sandlin)

“He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil” (2 Samuel 23:10). King David had his mighty, valiant warriors whom he had hand-picked and trained in warfare. This passage is referring to Eleazar who was just one of David's mighty men. There are several important lessons we can learn from this man who was among the elite in David's army.

HE AROSE. When duty called Eleazar was ready to respond. He had been sufficiently trained and exercised in performing at his commander's bidding. There is no indication that Eleazar had to be coerced into meeting the obligations which were his. Beginning with Abraham in Genesis and concluding with John in Revelation, we find people approved by God were always at the “ready.” At God's charge they were at once active doing that which they were instructed to do. We, too, are soldiers in God's army. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4 Paul says to Timothy, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” It is so easy to load ourselves up with the cares and affairs of this world we just don't have time to work the works of our real Commander. Timothy was instructed to “endure hardness.” That sounds like hardship, adversity, tribulation, and difficulty! Paul's instruction is to endure it—not abandon the call.

In the song STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS! the third stanza says, “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.” The latter part of that verse is not saying we should never want to be there but rather, don't be lacking when duty or danger calls. Soldier, be ready!

STRUCK THE PHILISTINES. Eleazar got right to the task at hand. He saw the need immediately and got right to work. Eleazar realized that if he didn't do his part, the battle may very well be lost to the enemy. How about you, soldier? Are all battles won? Is there no room for conquests any more? Has Satan been soundly routed?

The tendency is to say, “Let ________ do it! He's so much better than I am. She knows so much more than I do.” Ah! What an astute observer! You have realized a Bible truth. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” And you can be strong and knowledgeable by exercising your spiritual wares!

“But we're outnumbered!” someone says, When did that ever matter in warfare on God's behalf? Remember how Gideon, with 300 men, routed the Midianite army in Judges 7? “Oh! But that was in the Old Testament,“ the skeptic cries. Yes, it was, but it's there to demonstrate to us that God will not be outdone by the enemy, no matter how strong in number. Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Now, doesn't that make you feel better that the principle is found in the New Testament too? Won't you rise up and strike “the Philistines” from this moment forward? Take ’em out one by one. Another of David's men of valor, Adino, single-handedly, with God's help, slew 800 Philistines at one time (2 Samuel 23:8). Is God any less capable today than He was then? We know He is not. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:6).

UNTIL HIS HAND WAS WEARY. Eleazar did not work until he figured he had done his part. Instead, as long as the enemy was the enemy, he stayed busy with the job at hand. To let up for even a moment would ensure defeat for King David and victory for the Philistines. In warfare, there are tactics for defense and strategies for offense. They must be proactive in pressing the battle. They must gain an upper hand. Soldiers, we must go onward and upward in this battle with Satan.

Do not dwell on past failures NOR successes! Rather, learn from them. Paul said it this way in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” If ever a man tired in serving God, surely the great apostle did. But, he says, “I count not myself to have apprehended” and thus he resolved that he would press on toward the finish line that is unlike any other finish line because of the reward that waits for the finishers. Quitters receive no crown; only those who complete the race.

The third verse of HE KEEPS ME SINGING says, “Tho’ sometimes He leads thru waters deep, trials fall across the way, tho’ sometimes the path seems rough and steep, SEE HIS FOOTPRINTS ALL THE WAY.” Soldier, don't you quit. The reward is worth it. Sure, you get tired; sure you get weary; sure you feel unappreciated by your fellow-soldiers; but you keep wielding that sword as long as there's one more ounce of energy. God will not abandon His way.

CLING TO THE SWORD. Verse 10 says of Eleazar that he “clung to the sword.” He never considered forsaking the weapon which had been his friend in all this warfare against the enemy. And so we must do with our sword. In Hebrews 4:12 we find this statement, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

While Eleazar had a sharp sword, rest assured that our instrument of warfare is sharper than what Eleazar had. His sword could get at the physical heart but could not get into the mind of the enemy and deal with his thoughts and intents as can the sword we have been given. Ours is a different kind of conflict. Ephesians 4:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Soldier, don't let go of your sword; cling to it for eternal life depends upon it. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Colossians 1:21-23).

VICTORY. Eleazar was not in the fight alone. He was victorious because of God's oversight. Let us remember that , “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Jesus, through the power of God, conquered the greatest enemy—death. Paul said to the Romans that through the love of Jesus Christ we are more that conquerors (Romans 8:35-37). “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). A victorious faith is a faith which knows many victories upon the earth but the ultimate victory will be the resurrection to life eternal.

Soldier, there's a crown waiting for your faithful, tireless service. When we come to the end of our tour of duty, may we, like Paul, be able to honestly say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Fight on!

Sent For Nothing But Love (Patricia Houk Sprinkle)

The day I received word that Evelyn had died, God taught me an important lesson through a little thing - a lopsided turkey made from colored construction paper. My little boy came home from nursery school waving it aloft and shouting, "Look, Mama! I made it for you, for nothing except that I love you."

By no stretch of the imagination was his turkey perfect. No respectable turkey mama would have even acknowledged that it was a turkey. Yet I was delighted with it because it was done "for nothing" except love.

I had been trying to write Evelyn a letter while she was ill - a perfect letter - and now she was gone. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I understood too late that Evelyn would have treasured any word from me, sent "for nothing" but love.

A lopsided turkey has made me notice something about God's world. Flowers aren't perfect, nor all trees, nor all turkeys. God concentrates only on perfection in His perfect love.

"A word spoken in due season, how good it is ... A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Proverbs 15:23; 25:11)