Made to Fight
God would have you mighty and making war. If you don't believe me, consider the fast-hitting numeration of the Israelite tribes in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles:
1 Chronicles 7:1–2 (ESV) The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600.
1 Chronicles 7:6–7 (ESV) The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers’ houses, mighty warriors. And their enrollment by genealogies was 22,034.
1 Chronicles 7:9 (ESV) And their enrollment by genealogies, according to their generations, as heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty warriors, was 20,200.
1 Chronicles 7:11 (ESV) All these were the sons of Jediael according to the heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty warriors, 17,200, able to go to war.
1 Chronicles 7:40 (ESV) All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers’ houses, approved, mighty warriors, chiefs of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies, for service in war, was 26,000 men.
There is one tribe mentioned in this chapter without the "mighty warriors moniker. It is the tribe of Ephraim. Sadly, there is this account:
1 Chronicles 7:20–21 (ESV) The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to raid their livestock.
The text then summarizes the fallout for Ephraim concerning this event:
1 Chronicles 7:22–23 (ESV) And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23 And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Beriah, because disaster had befallen his house.
Imagine naming your son after your greatest tragedy. But this is what happens to Ephraim. The point is subtly made. God's people are made for war. We are made to be strong and mighty. The world we live in is under the control of a spiritual dictator bent on making us miserable. If we do not fight, we will be.
God commands us to "fight the good fight" (1 Timothy 6:12), to take up the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), and to wage the battle for our own souls and those of others (1 Peter 2:11; Jude 23).
Incredibly, despite the sad lack of warriors in Ephraim, there is a man from descended from this tribe whose name is synonymous with not only fighting but winning. Look:
1 Chronicles 7:26–27 (ESV) Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son, Joshua his son.
Joshua is perhaps Israel's greatest military captain. A man whom God repeatedly commanded to be strong and courageous. A man God promised to give victory wherever he went.
Joshua 1:7 (ESV) Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
What this chapter teaches us then is this. We are made to fight. But when we lack a fight in us, disaster comes upon us. Yet God can raise up a fighter for us who will change the legacy of our lives. You see, our true and better Joshua is King Jesus who will return with a sword in his mouth. He is our victory and soon coming triumph over the very real powers of this age. So maybe you don't have fight in you today, take heart, the King will come and fight for you and the rest will be history.
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