Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Weekly Review
Tree of Life
082717
Dispensation of the Mosaic Law. The Doctrine of Warfare. The conclusion of the military and divine establishment.
We have noted some very important passages concerning the importance of the military and preparation for war, both in the natural realm and in the spiritual.
LUK 14:31 teaches that every nation should have a core of professional military officers and non-commissioned officers who plan and prepare for war.
LUK 14:31, “What king or ruler of a nation, when he advances to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with 10,000 men to attack the one coming against him with 20,000 men?”
We also noted the importance of the word of God being the number #1 priority for the believer who is establishment oriented in PSA 138:2, I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.
Then we looked at the difference between the believer who stands in the gap and is ready to fight the good fight of faith whether it is in the natural realm or the spiritual realm in JAM 1:22, But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Doctrine creates that wall of fire that surrounds us and protects us from the storms of life, from the unseen and the visible dangers of life.
ZEC 2:5 describes that wall of fire when the Lord said, “For I, declares the Lord, will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
We also noted some of the winner soldiers from the Old testament as in HEB 11:7, Noah was an individual who operated as a believer for the crisis in spite of the mocking and rejection which he had to face.
HEB 11:7, By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the deliverance of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
We are told that Noah was a man who walked with God in the midst of evil surroundings, GEN 6:8-12.
Then we closed by noting in HEB11:31, Rahab, who was a believer for the crisis as stated in HEB 11:31, By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Think of it, the leadership of this woman who is called a harlot illustrates that even in a wicked environment a wicked individual could find grace by turning to the Lord and she also spared her family from the crisis! Her people were hopelessly depraved and yet one whore, who became a believer, brought blessing upon her entire household, JOS 6:25.
Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho and she ended up living among the Jews all the rest of her life.
Rahab was to her generation what Moses was to his!
What Job was to his! What Joseph was to his! And what Gideon was to his! And what everyone of you have the opportunity to be to yours!
The problem is simply one word = unbelief!
MAT 13:58 says concerning our Lord and His acceptance in his home town, And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
So, she was truly a great woman who operated as believer for the crisis and she persevered in spite of the pressure. Now, I want to notice a very important principle concerning what the Lord says about a military that is unprepared, whether in the natural o the spiritual.
NUM 32:20-23, So Moses said to them, “if you will do this, if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies out from before Him, and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the Lord and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours for a possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”
Note that phrase “be sure your sin will find you out.” The sin here is not going to war and being a draft dodger. In 1Ch 5:18‑22. Just warfare is always from the Lord.
1CH 5:18-22, The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half‑tribe of Manasseh, consisting of valiant men, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow, and were skillful in battle, were 44,760, who went to war. And they made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He was entreated for them, because they trusted in Him. And they took away their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men. For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they settled in their place until the exile.
Note the phrase the war was of God! War is a principle from God. In fact, JOS 11:23 teaches that victory in war means the perpetuation of peace for a certain time.
JOS 11:23, So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war.
And, it’s very interesting that it says the land had rest because of a strong military because as 2CH 14:1-7 says, So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days. And Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God, for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the Lord had given him rest. For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
Again we see the principle of freedom and peace through military victory. God has ordained the principle of peace through military victory. In fact PSA 46:7-9 teaches that “He makes wars to cease” through military victory.
PSA 46:7-9, The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
So, peace is maintained by having a military deterrent. The Lord Jesus Christ controls history through warfare. Therefore, God destroys nations who seek to conquer other nations, as in DAN 2:44, “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”
God also scatters the nations who delight in attack and war, PSA 68:30, Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, (in Egypt) the herd of bulls (their leaders) with the calves of the peoples, trampling underfoot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
God delivers from nations who talk peace but mean war, PSA 140:1‑2; JER 6:13‑14, 8:11.
PSA 140:1-2, Rescue me, o lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who devise evil things in {their} hearts; they continually stir up wars.
And by the way, notice that deliverance comes from killing the enemy. And because of lack of common sense among the leaders, the Lord Jesus Christ overrules their stupidity and blunders for the sake of the mature believers in that nation.
Why nations start wars, JER 6:13‑14, “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone manufactures lies. And they have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, saying, ‘peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.”
Lack of integrity in business and lack of truth always bring about warfare, whether it is world-wide or personal.
Therefore, let’s look at the mature believer and warfare. The mature believer is courageous in battle and puts to flight the invading armies, HEB 11:33‑34, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed {acts of} righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
PSA 27:3, Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in {spite of} this I shall be confident.
He is protected in combat, Job 5:20, “In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.”
The believer for the crisis has leadership characteristics;
For example, he understands and uses self and group discipline, has a relaxed mental attitude, common sense, a sense of responsibility, understanding of strategy and tactics.
He has loyalty to those both above and below him, good health, poise, courtesy, good judgment, and the ability to delegate responsibility.
Warfare also demands character, DEU 20:1‑8.
DEU 20:1-8, “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
Now it shall come about that when you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. And who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man begin to use its fruit.
And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her. Then the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.”
Warfare is also a means of discipline, JDG 5:8; 2CH 16:6‑9.
JDG 5:8, “New gods were chosen; then war {was} in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
2CH 16:6-9, Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah. At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. We’re not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”