Thursday, July 26, 2018

They Shall Share Alike


~But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike. I Samuel 30: 24

Dear Congregation,
      Here we have the words of David after a battle with the Amalekites. The situation is that of six hundred men who went with him to battle, two hundred could not make it all the way and stayed behind to guard the supplies. In natural human meritorial thinking, the soldiers who fought made the statement that the others left behind should not take part in the dividing of the spoils. David, as the verse above states, stops that selfish thinking on the spot.

          How characteristic of God’s grace this episode is. In other cultures, the soldiers would have gotten their way, but because David was a man after God’s own heart, favor was shown to those whose faithfulness was not necessarily the most visible. The Lord makes it very clear that He chose Israel not because of any characteristic that they had. In fact the Bible says they were one of the least of the nations and very stubborn. God displayed his love in covenant with them and desires faith not works. I like to think that David had all that in mind even in an event such as this. We need to keep this in mind when we consider how we view ministries as well. The attitude of the solders was of the Devil’s kingdom, not God’s.

          Another principle worthy of consideration here is that not everyone is called, equipped, or qualified to be a soldier. But soldiers need their supply chain and that work is just as vital to the larger victory as skill with a sword. Likewise in the church today, not everyone is called to be a preacher, evangelist, missionary, or teacher. Some are butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers and if that is their calling then they are completely in the will of God in their faithfulness. Some churches are placed on the front lines for works of mercy and evangelism in busy cosmopolitan centers. Some churches hold up the rear, defend the faith and see little activity. God looks at the heart and desires faithfulness. Mercy and not sacrifice. Do not be discouraged in your context or calling. Know that by God’s grace we all share alike, true Christians are the children of God by grace through faith in Christ and are good and faithful servants by looking to and trusting in Him alone. Do not judge by the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Rest in the Savior.

In Christ,
Pastor Basile