1 Crônicas 19

1 Crônicas 19

Meyer - 2 Samuel 10:12 The Lord do that which seemeth Him good. Israel was arrayed against overwhelming odds. To human sight it must have appeared very improbable that Joab would be able to hold his own. However, he made the best arrangements he could; exhorted his men to be of good courage and do their utmost; and then piously left the issue to the God of battles. There are times in all lives when the case seems desperate. How can we meet with ten thousand him who cometh against us with twenty thousand! Heart and flesh fail. What resource is there, then, save in the flight of the lonely man to the only God? It is for God to act, since the help of man is vain. In your personal straits.— When patience is exhausted; when the last handful is taken from the barrel; when complicated trials meet and hem you in; when the iron gate and the keepers before the door appear to render escape impossible— then look up, God is marching with reinforcements to your aid. In your work and war for God in the world.— We too often act and speak as if success were to be won by the forces that we may be able to bring into the field, whereas God asks us for nothing more than fidelity and the right disposition of such forces as we can command; He will do all the rest. In your outlook on the conflict between good and evil.— It is quite true that there appears to be an infinite disparity between the one and the other. But there are other forces in the field than appear. There is another host of which God Himself is captain. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up the standard. “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven to thy help.” G Campbell Morgan -Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth Him good. -2 Sam. 10.12 This was the language of the highest patriotism. The difficulties had arisen as the result of another action of David which had been prompted by goodwill. He had sent to comfort Hanun, the new king of Ammon, upon the death of his father. The action had been replied to insultingly, with the result that Israel was forced into war with these children of Ammon, and the Syrians. As the battle was prepared for, Joab uttered these words to his brother Abishai. Observe the elements of patriot-ism as revealed in them. The first matter was personal to those called upon to fight. They were to be of good courage, and to play the men. All the arrangements for the conflict, and its issue, show how these men fulfilled this responsibility. But a deeper note is struck in what follows. They were to do all this for their people and for the cities of their God. There was to be nothing of the passion for personal aggrandisement in what they did. They were to act for the high purposes represented in the people of God, and the cities of God. Personal courage was to be inspired by relative considerations. Then came the deepest note of all. When, in view of the interests of the nation they had done all that was possible, then "Jehovah do what seemeth Him good." Men who thus prepare themselves for high enterprise, and then commit themselves wholly to the will of God are invincible. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) F B Meyer - 1 Chronicles 19:13—Let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God Those were days in which rough soldiers, like Joab, did not hesitate to speak freely of God to their companions in arms. It is a sorry thing that it is considered a breach of etiquette to mention God’s name in polite society. “It is not good form!” We are reminded in these words of Joab of Cromwell’s memorable advice to trust in God and keep the powder dry. David’s General felt that the ultimate issue of the battle must be left to God; but that nothing could absolve him and his soldiers from doing their best. They, at least, must make careful dispositions for the fight, and show themselves valiant. This balance of statement and thought between God’s work and ours is an evidence of fine Christian sanity. We must believe that God is the ultimate arbiter, but we must ever speak and act as though the responsibility were entirely on ourselves. To believe that God will do all, and therefore to do nothing, is as bad as to believe that God leaves us to our unaided endeavors. We believe in the strength and sufficiency of God’s purpose; but we know that there is a link in the chain of causation which we must supply. The servant of God who counts most absolutely on the communion and cooperation of the Divine Spirit will be most careful in making all needful disposition for the fight. He will leave no stone unturned to secure the victory, though he knows that the ultimate decision rests with God. The conquests of the cross recorded in the Acts of the Apostles were the result of the united action of the Holy Spirit and the men who were sent forth with the message of the gospel. “We are laborers together with God.” 1 Chronicles 19:14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. they fled: 1Ki 20:13,19-21,28-30 2Ch 13:5-16 Jer 46:15,16 ARAMEANS FLED So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him- Observe the verbs - drew near....they fled! Where is the clashing of swords? This is an amazing passage, for it does not even state that Joab (who surely was outnumbered) even lifted a sword or a spear against the adversary. Once again is this not evidence that God was with David (recall the phrase his help - cf 2Sa 8:6, 14+) and with David's armies, so that the battle was the LORD'S? Note that had all of David's army (verse 7 says "Joab and all the army, the mighty men") been annihilated here, the fate of David's reign (which God had promised by covenant would last) would not have endured! 1 Chronicles 19:15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abshai his brother and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. they likewise: Lev 26:7 Ro 8:31 AMMON ALSO FLED ISRAEL When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abshai his brother and entered the city. Indeed, is not 2 Samuel 10:13-14 not a perfect fulfillment of God's promise in Deuteronomy 28:7+ - “The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways." Then Joab came to Jerusalem - The victors return from the battle. 1 Chronicles 19:16 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. and drew: Ps 2:1 Isa 8:9 Mic 4:11,12 Zec 14:1-3 river: that is, Euphrates Shophach: 2Sa 10:16, Shobach THE ARAMEANS ATTEMPT A SECOND TIME TO DEFEAT DAVID When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. Israel's enemies were defeated but not demolished so they regroup in another attempt to defeat David's forces. In this second campaign, Hadadezer enlisted the support of the Arameans beyond the Euphrates. 1 Chronicles 19:17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him. upon them: Instead of {alaihem,} "upon them," it is in 2 Sa 10:17 {chelamah,} "to Helam:" the one seems evidently to be a mistake for the other. and set: 1Ch 19:9 Isa 22:6,7 Related Passage: 2 Samuel 10:17 Now when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans arrayed themselves to meet David and fought against him. DAVID LEADS THE FORCES IN THE SECOND BATTLE When it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them (and came to Helam -2Sa 10:17) and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him 1 Chronicles 19:18 The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. fled before Israel: 1Ch 19:13,14 Ps 18:32 33:16 46:11 seven thousand: In the parallel passage, "the men of seven hundred chariots;" which difference probably arose from mistaking [Nuwn,] {noon final}, which stands for 700, for [Zayin,] {zayin,} with a dot above, which denotes 7,000, or vice versa: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other. footmen: If these troops were as we have suppose, a kind of dismounted cavalry, the terms footmen and horsemen might be indifferently applied to them. 2Sa 10:18, horsemen DAVID'S VICTORY OVER THE ARAMEANS KILLING THEIR GENERAL The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. - The passage has "David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers" so there is almost certainly a copyist's error because the Hebrew characters for "700" and "7000" are very easy to interchange. The discrepancy of 40,000 horsemen (2Sa 10:18) and 40,000 foot soldiers is explained by the fact that the same men could fight either on horseback or on foot, as needed. Shophach (or Shobach, 2Sa 10:16), Hadadezer’s general, is killed in battle.