Rally to your king, Jesus Christ

Text 1 Chronicles 12 Time 11 11 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We come this week to 1 Chronicles 12. All this material is found only in Chronicles. Here we have more about David's men. We go back to the time when Saul was still on the throne but about to die and more and more men were coming to David and to the point where he himself will take the throne. Whereas he had say 600 in the toughest years now many more came to him. They were a varied group but all were devoted to David.

As I have said to you, when we read about David we should think about Messiah. Messiah is the Son of David. Now just as there was a time when David was about to be made king and a variety of men rallied to him so now Messiah is about to reign and all sorts of people are rallying to him. We can learn from this chapter then something about how we should be living in these days when our King is not yet on his throne but when people are rallying to him from all quarters. Five things then

1. Learn to rally to your King like the ambidextrous Benjaminites

The heading is in verse 1. These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish This is the time then when David had fled to Philistine country. We then learn about them that (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; perhaps surprisingly they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin). We then have their names in verses 3-7. There are 23 altogether. Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

So, regardless of the fact that Saul was from their tribe, these men knew that David was the rightful king not Saul, who had failed so miserably, and so they came to David. They enlisted in his army. It is said that these men were armed with bows and slings and could carry out the task ambidextrously. They could shoot arrows or sling stones with either hand. It reminds us of the phrase Paul uses in speaking of himself in 1 Corinthians 6:7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left. We ought to be wielding spiritual weapons with the same ambidextrous skill that these Benjaminites showed in David's day. No doubt it took long hours of practice to be able to do what they did. How much time do we give to prayer and to meditation on God's Word? Perhaps we would be more skilful in these areas if more time was spent on it.

2. Learn to rally to your King like the brave, battle ready Gadites

We read secondly (8) that Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. Probably Adullam. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.

The list comes in verses 9-13. Eleven men are listed - Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh.

Then in verses 14 and 15 it says These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, daring men they were and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

Here is another group of brave warriors to inspire us then, this time from the tribe of Gad. We are told of them that They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. They were not just brave then, valiant fighters, but like lions for fierceness towards the enemy and gazelles for speed. They were good at attacking with spears and at defending with shields. They put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

Once again what they were then to David in physical terms, we want to be, I trust, today to Christ in spiritual terms. Are we learning to attack by the Spirit and to defend by faith? Spurgeon says

The grace of God can make us like them. The grace of God can make us brave as lions, so that, wherever we are, we can hold our own, or rather can hold our Lord’s truth, and never blush nor be ashamed to speak a good word for him at all times. He can make us quick and active too, so that we shall be like the roes (or gazelles) upon the mountains.

3. Learn to rally to your king as these loyal soldiers came to David

Then in verses 16-18 there is a reference to Other Benjamites and some men from Judah who also came to David in his stronghold. We are told (17) how David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."

And then that reply in verse 18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: "We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you." So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

Isn't it something like that today? We come to Christ and Christ says to us something like

"If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."

Can we reply something like Amasai in the Spirit?

We are yours, Lord Jesus! We are with you, son of God! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.

That is how Christ will receive us and how we should come to Christ.

4. Learn to rally to your king like the brave Manassehites

19-21 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, "It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.") When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him:

And again there is a list. Seven this time. Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army.

Again it is their bravery that is highlighted and the fact that it is such people that David chose as leaders or chiefs in his army.

5. Let's pray for greater numbers of fighters and wiser people willing to serve in the ranks

The final section in verses 22-40 describes how David's army kept growing, as does Christ's army today. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God. We then have a rundown of the numbers from the different tribes in order

These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said:

from Judah, carrying shield and spear - 6,800 armed for battle;

from Simeon, warriors ready for battle - 7,100; even more

from Levi - 4,600, including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family; The priests fought as well as others or at least went out to battle.

from Benjamin, Saul's tribe - 3,000, most of whom understandably had remained loyal to Saul's house until then;

from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans - 20,800; marked for their bravery

from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king - 18,000;

from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do - 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; Verse 32 has become a famous verse. We should all seek to be like the men of Issachar. There were not many of them but they were wise. They understood the times they were living in and what should be done - Saul was on his way out and now everyone ought to rally around David. So today Satan is doomed and we must be devoted to Christ.

from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty - 50,000; massive numbers, experience and all sorts of weapons. How we need such things today. It would seem that the closer the tribe the less men the further away the most. No doubt the circumstances dictated this to some extent.

from Naphtali - 1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

from Dan, ready for battle - 28,600;

from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle - 40,000;

and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon - 120,000.

38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. That is the spirit we need today.

Finally (39, 40) The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. Also, their neighbours from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. A big party to begin then . here are good times to be had but fighting will be necessary at some point so be ready.