"The third captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was chief; in his division were twenty-four thousand. This was the Benaiah who was mighty among the thirty, and was over the thirty; in his division, was Ammizabad his son." (1 Chronicles 27:5, 6)
From Cain and Abel onward, the People of God have been at war. Most of the world's inhabitants don't like us, would rather do without us, many would just like us dead. There are many such passages as today's text throughout Scripture, and I don't mean just the Old Testament, e.g., Mt. 2:16, John 33:16, Acts 16:23, Eph. 6:10ff, Revelation 12:11. I can say that there is a real sense in which the so-called "five-fold ministries" are "captain[s] of the army," and, the Church can also be referred to as, "....in his division were...."
We all have a tendency to ask to be free from such a warfare environment; won't happen. Jesus, the Christ, "the carpenter's Son," He Who Is, "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," Jesus Christ, The Very One Who Is, "Before Abraham was, I Am," Who is referred to as, "the Commander of the Lord's Army," is soon to be manifest in His Second Appearing on Planet Earth. The War is won! What you and I are experiencing in daily life is "mopping up" actions, ongoing until, "That Day." Here is a reminder and "thought for the day:"
"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He Who sat on it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war (please notice present tense)....He, having been clothed in a garment having been dipped in blood,...His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven...followed Him on white horses. Now out of His Mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword....And He has on His robe and His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I stand in awe. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
