Quote from Forum Archives on April 19, 2013, 9:28 am

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E-pistle

FreeWay Foundation            April 19, 2013

 

"Unknown soldiers"

                                II Samuel 23

            After World War I                                   the Allies (Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, and

the United States) chose                                    unidentified soldiers, buried the remains near national

capitals, and built                                              monuments to these Unknown Soldiers.  Monuments

were erected, for example,                                 under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, in Westminster

Abbey in London, and at                                    Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

            On November 11,                                   1921, a white marble                                   sarcophagus

was dedicated and a 24-                                     hour-a-day sentry                                       was posted

as an honor guard.  The                                     inscription reads                                        "Here rests

in honored glory an                                            American soldier                                        known but

to God."

            Unknown soldiers .                                 . . unsung heroes.  The Bible contains accounts of many

Such men and women.  In our text (II Samuel 23), look at three such unsung heroes.

                        1.  ELEAZER (9,10)  "He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and

                            his hand stuck to the sword."

                        2.  SHAMMAH (11,12)  "He stationed himself in the midst of a bean field, defended it, and

                             killed the Philistines."

                        3.  BENAIAH (20-22) "He had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day."

            Eleazer, Shammah, and Benaiah were good soldiers, and each of these warriors teaches us a valuable

lesson.

            FIRST, GOOD SOLDIERS ARE FAITHFUL IN SPITE OF FATIGUE.  Eleazer . . . like you and like me . . .

got physically and spiritually weary.  Exhausted!  But he fought on and on until his hand stuck (froze)_ to his

weapon. Real heroes keep swinging . . . "fighting the good fight" . . . long after others have gotten tired and quit.

I have my father-in-laws old Bible in my study.  He was such a soldier.  That old book cover has the prints of his

fingers where he gripped the Word while he preached.  He left his fingerprints there, and the Bible left it imprints

on his hands, and on his heart.

            SECOND, GOOD SOLDIERS ARE FAITHFUL IN PLACES OF OBSCURITY.  Shammah . . . like you and like

me . . . had been assigned an obscure pea patch to defend.  His was not the glamorous charge into a smashing

victory astride a white stallion.  Rather, his was an insignificant holding skirmish in a bean field way out in the

country, ten miles from the county seat town of Podunk Holler.  Real heroes keep on fighting Philistines in

unheralded battles far away from the cheers of the crowd.

            Such obscure, un sung heroes remind me of Edward Kimball, a humble Sunday School teacher in Chicago

more than a century ago.  Kimball led a shoe salesman (Dwight L. Moody) to faith in Christ.  His influence continued

through a half-dozen generations of men to Billy Graham, who has preached literally to millions of people around

this world.  The unknown soldier, Kimball, will share in the heavenly rewards of the most highly regarded Christian

of this century, Billy Graham. 

            THIRD, GOOD SOLDIERS ARE FAITHFUL IN TIMES OF DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.  Benaiah . . . like you

and like me . . . was called on to fight in a less-than-ideal situation.  He did not use the flimsy excuses which too

often come to our minds.  That lion wasn't going anywhere or harming anyone, or even threatening anyone!  Besides,

it was a snowy day!  But he attacked a killed a lion in a pit.  Real heroes don't wait until a better day, when the weather

is favorable.  They attack the "roaring lion" enemy anytime, anywhere!

            The standing orders are, in the words of Paul to Timothy, "Preach the word!  Be ready in season and our of

Season."  (II Timothy 4:2).

            To my fellow ministers, I issue these challenges:

                        1.  Hang on to your sword!  In spiritual battle, the Bible needs to be "frozen to our hands."

                        2.  Defend your own pea patch!  Don't look over the fence, wishing you were in another guys

                             bean field.  Take care of your own pea patch, which the commander has assigned to you.

                        3.  Don't be a "fair weather" soldier!  During the Revolutionary Way, Thomas Paine wrote a

                             pamphlet warning the colonists not to be "summer soldiers . . . sunshine patriots."  He

                             referred to cowardly soldiers who, when the shooting started, went AWOL and ran for the

                             hills.  How much more important it is for Christian soldiers to be faithful in battle regardless

                             of spiritual inclement weather!

            Most of us . . . pastors, associates, denominational execs . . . are, in the eyes of the general public, unknown

Soldiers.  Yet, let me remind all of us that . . . unlike the inscription to the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National

Cemetery . . . our Commander-in-Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, stands ready now to say these words:  'WELL DONE,

GOOD AND FAITHFUL SOLDIER."

            And we're NOT UNKNOWN, BUT WELL-KNOWN SOLDIERS to Him!

 

"Success is not a measure of what I do, but of who I am.  Success is not accomplishment; but it's character."

Spiritual vision . . . to see more than other think is visible, II Corinthians 4:18

Unselfish courage . . . to risk more than others think is safe, Mark 8:35

Compassionate love . . . to care more than others think is wise, Matthew 9:36

Confident hope . . . to expect more than others think is possible, Ephesians 3:20

Energetic faith . . . to attempt more than others think is practical, Philippians 3:13, 14; 4:13

Sacrificial generosity . . . to give more than others think is necessary, II Corinthians 8:24

Sanctified creativity . . . to dream more than others think is realistic, Acts 2:17

                                                (Dr. Curt Scarborough)  1996

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