The Heaton File

Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. (2 Chronicles 12:1)

Why Many Forsake The Lord

After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam inherited a nation rich in splendor, wealth, and prosperity unmeasured by any kingdom of the world. Rehoboam mistakenly listened to younger counselors who set the nation on a course of civil war that would divide the people of God north and south. During the early years of his reign, Rehoboam walked in the way of David and Solomon. But after the king was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord. This led the remaining two tribes of Judah and Benjamin to turn away from the word of God. In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, came against Jerusalem. This invasion came by the hand of the Lord to punish Rehoboam.

God sent Shemaiah the prophet to tell Rehoboam why the Egyptians were conquering the fortified cities of Judah and why the innumerable hosts of Egyptian warriors stood outside the gates of Jerusalem. This invasion was God’s punishment of Rehoboam and the people for turning away from the Lord. The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and God lessened His wrath but allowed Shishak to sack Jerusalem. Judah would become a vassal state of Egypt for the rest of Rehoboam’s reign. Rehoboam humbled himself, but he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

The root of Rehoboam’s problem was that when he established the kingdom and strengthened himself, he no longer needed God. He inherited a kingdom bathed in riches brought about by his father, Solomon. Rehoboam did not learn his father’s lessons about wives and concubines. The king took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, bearing him eighty-eight children. His heart was lifted up to believe his power resided within himself. Everything he had came from God, and when he turned away from the Lord, he refused to acknowledge where his blessings came from.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon and grandson of David, forsook the law of the Lord. Pride is the terrible malady of sin that destroys more souls than anything else. Rehoboam did not need God. He looked at his kingdom and, like Nebuchadnezzar, exalted himself as the ruler of the world and the architect of his great power and domain. As he filled himself with his own self-worth, he turned away from the Lord. The word of the Lord no longer guided his life because he no longer needed God’s word. His heart was lifted up, unlike his grandfather’s, whose heart trusted in the Lord.

Rehoboam’s failure is why children of God leave the faith. When life is secure and jobs are established, who needs God? As financial blessings begin to flow, the word of the Lord is neglected. So often, Christians become inactive and apathetic regarding worship and the work of the church because they are too busy making a good living, hoarding up their goods to put in bigger barns, and preparing for a fruitful retirement. Jobs become the gods of the people. Like Rehoboam, when life is established and the heart is strengthened with the mammon of prosperity, the heart forsakes the law of the Lord. What is most tragic in the story is that when parents follow Rehoboam’s path, they influence their children to do the same.

What the church needs is a few invasions from the Egyptians to rekindle the soul and remind it what is truly important in life. Rehoboam found out the hard way that life does not consist in the abundance of things gained in this life. The church could use a few Shishak’s knocking on the door to wake some up from the spiritual stupor they find themselves in. Forsaking the law of the Lord has eternal consequences. Do not follow in the footsteps of Rehoboam.

I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)

The Hobo, The Tramp, And The Bum

Following the American Civil War, many men were displaced, with few jobs and no prospects for a steady workplace. At the same time, the surge of railroads filled the landscape of America with 35,000 miles of new track. With the ease of travel through hopping trains, many men set out to do migrant work. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, the number of men traveling swelled. The men became known as “hobos,” traveling across the country and catching trains, seeking a livelihood anywhere they could find it. Hundreds of thousands of people, families, and young people were riding freight trains, hoping not to get caught by railroad security – the “bulls.”

There is a distinction between a hobo, a tramp, and a bum. A hobo is considered a migrant worker in modern idioms. He (or she) travels and is willing to work. The mode of transportation is optional, depending on what is available. A tramp is someone who travels but avoids work if possible. The bum neither travels nor works. Common to the tramp is the refusal to work, with the bum being so lazy he will not make the effort to travel for any reason.

The first thing God gave Adam and Eve was a job. He expected them to tend the garden. After the fall of man, the Lord told Adam that by the sweat of his brow he would labor to bring forth the herb of the field. It would not be easy to bring bread home to the table. Work has always been how man glorifies God and fulfills his role to care for the family. Lazy and slothful people have been around since the beginning of time. Solomon wrote much about the honor of labor and exposed the character of the tramp and the bum.

As Solomon was walking by a field, he noticed it was overgrown with thorns and its surface covered with nettles. The stone wall was broken down. Thorns and weeds were everywhere. No work had been done to keep the field, and no activity to maintain what was needed. It was the field belonging to a lazy man. The wise man noted this field was in such disarray because a lazy fool lived there. Solomon perceived the field was a story about the danger of indolence. A man will think what harm there is in a little more sleep. Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow? Take the easy path, relax, and fiddle the thumbs. Working the ground takes so much energy, and why bother?

Poverty comes upon those who are lazy and unwilling to work. Solomon likens the suddenness of poverty to a thief in the night or an armed robber. The lazy man will never see it coming until it is too late. Because he refuses to work, he finds himself in poverty. The apostle Paul would chide the saints at Thessalonica for those who refused to work but were busybodies. God says this is a disorderly and sinful life. Loafing around and refusing to work disgraces Christ’s name. Everyone has a responsibility to show the glory of God through their industry.

One thing can be said about the hobo: he was willing to work. God refuses to bless the tramp and the bum. There are spiritual tramps and bums who refuse to do anything for the Lord. Whether physical or spiritual, God expects His people to be industrious. Work is honorable and expected by the Lord. Did I hear a train whistle?

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Implications Of One Body

Paul’s letter to the saints who were in Ephesus is a powerful thesis on the nature and character of the church. The Ephesian church was an early example of congregational strength and love. They enjoyed Paul’s preaching for three years as he labored among them. Receiving a letter from Paul was especially important because the apostle was in prison in Rome, waiting for his appeal to Caesar. The letter to the saints in Ephesus strongly argues that the church is the body, and Christ is its head.

When the Ephesian brethren received the letter, they were encouraged by the apostles’ positive notes sprinkled throughout the letter. As part of the early church, the saints helped to establish the character of the church Jesus promised to build. Jesus is the head and savior of the church. All spiritual blessings are to be found in Christ Jesus. Jesus’ authority is firmly established as the Son of God sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus was the chief cornerstone the church was built upon. Everything about the church is built on the authority of Jesus Christ. The church was in God’s eternal plan before time began, showing the manifold wisdom of God. Paul described the church as a family, knitted together in the bond of love.

One key element of the church known by the saints in Ephesus is that there was only one church. In the First Century, there were no other churches. Jesus promised to build His church, and He accomplished that. Paul affirms the church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of one church, as the one head does not have many bodies, nor does the one body have many heads. When God created man, he formed him with one head and one body. In that imagery, the church possesses one body with one head. Anything different is abnormal and unnatural. No other bodies can represent the church.

If there is one God, there must be one church. Paul said there was one faith. There must be one body. The only baptism (one baptism) is water baptism. There is one church. The Holy Spirit is not a multiple being but one, like the body of Christ. There can be only one hope as promised by God, meaning there is only one church. One Lordship demands one head for one body, and the one body is the one church. When men say it does not matter which church one belongs to, they deny the teachings of the Holy Spirit. There is only one body, the church.

One church implies that Jesus did not promise all other churches. If there is one church as Paul said two thousand years ago, why are there so many churches today? Christ is not the head of many bodies, as that would be a disfigurement. Jesus cannot be the head of this church, that church, and other churches, when He can be the head of only one body. One head goes with one body. The Bible teaches the one church that was built by Jesus Christ. In the First Century, there was only one body of Christ, the church. Jesus is the savior of only one body. On the day of Pentecost, God added to the (one) church daily those who were being saved. Saul persecuted the (one) church. The implications of one church are evident when one accepts the teaching of the New Testament church. One body. One church.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

Small Things Matter To God

The world can seem a small place when faced with how insignificant a person can be compared to the eight billion souls that inhabit the planet. One person, one life, is limited in time and sphere by the small footprints left in the sands of time. The wind comes and blows the prints away in a short time. When a man dies, his life is represented by a small dash between two dates. Fame is fleeting. A man makes a name for himself and is remembered for a few generations. In time, his name is worn away from the marble monuments, and dusty history books mention his great achievement as a passing note.

Everyone seeks some measure of recognition. Each child born into the world needs the security of knowing someone cares for them. God created man, realizing he could not be alone. There is an emptiness if someone has no one to care for them. The world can be a cruel place where lost souls wander without a friend. There is a need for recognition, identification, and someone to care. For many, that communion never comes. They live lonely, unfilled, and sad lives. In a world of so many people, who would care about the one?

Jesus teaches that man’s fundamental need is met in a relationship with His Father. Untold billions of people have lived and died since the beginning of time. Everyone has been spread throughout the world in different languages, cultures, races, and personalities, with a common need: to be recognized. Jesus comforts the hearts of the heavy-laden by reminding them that, in a world filled with billions of souls, God knows and cares for each one individually. 

A sparrow is a small bird suitable for eating. Sold in the markets, ready to eat, plucked and trussed in rows of about a dozen on slender wooden skewers, and cooked and eaten like kabobs. The lesson Jesus is teaching is that as small and insignificant as the small birds were, nothing happens to them that God is unaware of. If a small bird falls to the ground, God knows it. God has His eyes upon all the small birds in the whole world. The omniscience of God declares His glory to know if a sparrow falls on one side of the earth or the other side. Jesus drives the point home, suggesting His Father knows the exact number of hairs on the head of all eight billion souls on earth.

Life can be hard, and living can be a struggle. The world can be a cold and cruel place where the comfort of others is lost or denied. One singular promise made by Jesus is that every soul is known and seen by His Father. A small child in the mountains of Tibet is known by God, and a proud man living in New York City has the eye of the Lord God. No one escapes the gaze of the Lord God – whether for good or evil. God knows all. The darkness does not hide the acts of man. Small birds fall when it turns dark, and God knows that.

Jesus reminds us that God knows when a small bird falls to the ground to encourage the downtrodden, but it should also warn the wicked: God knows what they do and what they think. God knows the small things of life. He sees the heart filled with grief. God knows the tears of the brokenhearted. Jesus shows the care of God for every person on the face of the earth – without exception. God cares about the sparrow, but He cares more about you. Jesus did not die for the sparrow, but He did die for you. The sacrifice of Jesus shows how much God cares for the ‘sparrows’ of the world. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:33-37)

The Most Expensive Watch

Warnings of danger tell the traveler to take care because unseen and sudden hazards may present themselves without warning. Signs will warn of fallen rocks, flash floods, avalanches, rip currents, sinkholes, etc. Anything can happen, and usually there is no warning. These warnings provide information that, if heeded, could save a life. The warning is given, but when an event may happen is unknown. Care and watchfulness are needed to ensure that, if danger presents itself, the proper actions have been taken to keep one safe from harm.

Jesus taught His disciples one of the basic elements of the human story. Many things come suddenly in life, without warning, and with great consequences. Death is the silent killer of millions who are not prepared for the end of life. The reality of death is ignored more than anything in life because few people live in such a manner as to consider the possibilities that would happen to them. Life is filled with gusto, recreation, pleasure, and years of busy work that satisfy the soul. And then, without warning, death comes.

Unexpected events in life change lives forever because they come suddenly and so often without warning. Jesus warned the Jews of the coming desolation that would culminate in the complete destruction of Jerusalem. He reminds them that when the day comes, they should remember that He told them what was coming beforehand. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. They were unprepared for destruction because few believed it would happen. It came. Jesus’ words came true. Few heeded the warnings.

Another day is coming that very few take notice of. As in all generations, life continues on the hectic pace of seeking after the trappings of a material world. Pleasure is the main goal. Wealth and riches are hoarded vainly. Everyone is busy being busy with life and the pursuit of happiness, unaware of the lurking danger that will reveal itself one day to everyone’s surprise. No one knows when this day will come. Jesus does not know, but He talked about it. It will be the final and complete day of destruction and judgment. Its coming will be cataclysmic in its size, speed, and destructive power. The day God sends His Son to destroy the world.

A day of judgment is coming. There can be no doubt because it is a promise of God. Jesus warned His disciples of the coming judgment, which has not come in two thousand years. For the faithful, knowing such a day is coming helps prepare the heart for the inevitable but unknown day. Three things reside in the heart of those prepared. They have heeded the word of God, watch with diligent faith in their lives, and pray to the Lord God for courage to face the day when Jesus returns.

The people of God will not be caught unaware because they know there will be no warnings, but they will be ready. Like servants whose master has gone away to a far country promising to return, they are watchful and ready. When the master returns is unknown. It could be in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning. Faithful servants will not be found sleeping but awake and ready and watching. Why is this the most expensive watch? Because if a man fails to be awake at the watch when the Lord returns, he will forfeit his soul to eternal darkness and punishment. It will cost him eternal life. Jesus said: Watch!

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Cleansed By The Blood Of Jesus

The ancients understood the process of dyeing clothes and the attempts made to whiten garments after the dye had changed them. Scarlet dye was especially impossible to remove once introduced to a garment. Isaiah uses this striking example to show how fixed and permanent sin is on the soul of man. There is nothing that man can do to wash away the stain of sin. No effort of man, no religious act with tears and sacrifice, can remove the stain of sin that permeates the soul. Sin is firmly fixed in the heart as the scarlet dye has permeated every fiber of the cloth.

Isaiah proclaims the power of God’s love and grace to the amazement of God’s people that although the heart has been stained with the sin of rebellion, the Lord is willing and able to cleanse the heart and restore the people to His grace. No matter how fixed the stain of sin seems, sin can be pardoned and the soul made pure by the mercy of God. The divine principle of forgiveness can only be found in the mind of God, who is rich in mercy. Forgiveness comes only from God. He can do the impossible. Because of His love, God is willing and able to remove the scarlet stain of sin and restore the garment of the soul to its original whiteness.

Salvation is found for all who are far off from God through the blood of Jesus. Everyone who seeks forgiveness finds hope in being drawn near by the blood of Jesus, which takes away sin. The crimson red of blood washes the stains of sin away, leaving the soul restored to its original whiteness of sinlessness. Nothing man could do washes away the stain. Jesus died on the cross to shed His blood so that all men could find the true way to wash their garments clean from the permanent stain of sin. With Jesus, the impossible stain is removed. Every soul becomes white, the emblem of purity and innocence. The wool of the soul of man is restored to its original whiteness.

White symbolizes purity from the stain of sin. The garments of the saved are not gray, light blue, or light pink. They are white, washed in the blood of Jesus, who cleanses all those who come to Him from all sin. The robes of the righteous are washed in the blood of the Lamb and made white. There can be no cleansing outside the blood of Jesus. The demons believe Jesus is the Christ and tremble, but they have not been washed in the blood of Jesus. Those who accept the teachings of men that salvation comes from faith alone are denied the blood of Jesus. The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit takes place in the waters of baptism.

Jesus taught His disciples that baptism was necessary for salvation. The blood of Jesus can only be found in the waters of baptism. Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Everyone who comes in faith to be baptized for the remission of sins is cleansed through the blood of Jesus. Blood makes the soul white. The blood of Jesus accomplishes redemption. The blood of Jesus justifies, sanctifies, and cleanses the soul from the impenetrable stain of sin. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me. (Galatians 1:23-24)

Saul’s Story

Everyone brings baggage to the conversion story. Some stories are more profound than others, and few can match the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. As the early church began, the gospel claimed Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah; He died and rose from the dead. Multitudes of people saw Jesus after His resurrection. The disciples went everywhere preaching the risen Christ, which did not sit well with the Jewish leadership. As the word of God spread in Jerusalem, the converts to the message of Jesus Christ multiplied greatly, including many Jewish priests becoming disciples of Jesus.

One of the disciples in the church of Jerusalem was Stephen, a man full of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Stephen did great wonders and signs among the people. There arose some from the Synagogue of the Freedmen that disputed with Stephen but to no avail. Stirring up the people, elders, and scribes, they seized Stephen and brought him to the council. False witnesses accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against the Law of Moses. The high priest asked Stephen to defend himself. Stephen stood courageously and defended the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

One man in the council heard Stephen’s defense and would become a pivotal figure in the early church. Saul of Tarsus was a man of power and influence. He listened to Stephen speak and grew angry. Saul joined with the crowd to drag Stephen out of the city of Jerusalem, where they stoned him to death. As the men stoned Stephen, they laid down their clothes at the feet of Saul. Saul consented to the killing of Stephen, and then he took more drastic measures against those of the Way by dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

The church faced a great persecution from Saul. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, Saul wanted to eradicate everyone who claimed to follow Jesus of Nazareth. He went into every synagogue and imprisoned and beat those who believed Jesus was the Christ. Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Saul’s persecution did much harm to the church. He imprisoned many of the saints. When they were put to death, he cast his vote against them. Saul punished the disciples of Christ in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. The persecution of Saul against the church came from Saul’s exceedingly enraged heart against any who professed Jesus as Christ. He was willing to persecute them to foreign cities. The zeal of Saul had no bounds. He would later confess that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.

Saul’s story was well known among the saints of God. They knew Saul of Tarsus as a man who persecuted the church and tried to destroy the disciples’ faith. Saul likely succeeded in causing some to give up their faith in Christ rather than face imprisonment or death. The churches of Judea that were in Christ feared Saul of Tarsus. It was a remarkable turn of events when the churches began to hear of Saul’s conversion. How could that be? The point of the spear against the church was Saul of Tarsus. How is it possible the man who once tried to destroy the faith of those in Christ was now preaching that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God? To their amazement, it was true.

Saul’s story, while tragic because he tried to destroy the church, is a powerful testimony to God’s grace. Saul became known as Paul, the apostle and great missionary preacher who spread the story of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. His life story became a witness to God’s love and mercy. He remembered when Stephen was stoned. There were many faces he remembered who were persecuted by his hand. Saul’s story became a story of God’s longsuffering, a pattern for those who believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. His story became a powerful sermon. My story can be a powerful sermon. Your story can be a powerful story. Let the light of Christ shine in the character of our stories to show the world the grace of God. Saul of Tarsus had a story that changed lives.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Brought Near

The greatest tragedy of the human story is how sin separated God from man and the distance of that separation. Satan deceived Eve to take of the forbidden fruit, knowing it would destroy the relationship of God to His creation. The Lord did not abandon man. At the moment of the destruction of communion with humanity, God made a promise that would bring Him back to being near the creature made for His glory. God promised a Seed that would bruise the head of Satan and restore the nearness of God and man. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

God could not dwell with men because of sin. The Lord gave instructions to the world on how to assuage the rift between Himself and the world. Cain and Abel brought sacrifices. Abraham built altars. Jacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending. Moses was given a law bearing his name that would guide the people of Israel to God. Through the Law of Moses, the Jews could seek redemption through the blood of bulls and goats and offerings. And yet, for all the sacrifices brought to God, the thousands of offerings on altars spread across the land, the world remained apart from God. Humanity, Jew and Gentile, struggled to be brought near to the Father.

The Jews were given the Law of Moses. They were unable to keep the law and broke the covenant made with the Lord at Mt. Sinai. As the Jews struggled with the Law, the Gentiles became a law to themselves. They showed the work of the law written in their hearts, but they failed also. The world stood apart from God as the Jews failed to keep the written law and the Gentiles proved no man can live as a law to themselves. Humanity was helpless to be reconciled to God. There was no hope, no promise, and no way for the human heart to find God. As a creation, the world was light-years away from having a relationship with God, and there was no answer. Then a baby was born in Bethlehem who would change the world.

Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem man and bring him back to His Father. It would not be an easy task because the world would reject the gift of God and kill His Son. Jesus showed the world His power through signs, wonders, and miracles. They did not believe Him. Jesus taught as no man taught before. The enemies of Jesus attacked Him repeatedly to discredit His teaching and failed on every attempt. No man could bring a charge against Jesus. Through envy, hatred, jealousy, and an evil heart, the Jews demanded that Pilate kill Jesus. False witnesses were the only testimony that could be brought to bear against Jesus. The Gentiles (Romans) along with the Jews sent Jesus to Golgotha to die on a cross. Both Jews and Gentiles were guilty of killing God’s Son.

The divine irony of the act of killing Jesus was that it was the divine will of God to kill His Son. Jesus knew He would die on a cross to bring His Father and man back together. It would take the death of Jesus to bring man near to God. Everyone who is far from God can be brought near by the blood of Jesus. They can be brought near to God. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, those who are willing, through faith and obedience, can have their sins washed away. All those who have been washed of their sins can stand near to God. There is no longer a chasm wide that separates man and God. The blood of Jesus brings us near. There is no greater joy than to be near God. He has allowed His Son to bring man into His presence to dwell with Him and abide with Him. Near to the heart of God. What a blessed joy.

The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael—three in all. The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri—five in all. They were heads of their fathers’ houses, and they were listed by their genealogies, twenty-two thousand and thirty-four mighty men of valor. (1 Chronicles 7:6-7)

Men Of Valor Needed

The Davidic dynasty is outlined in the opening chapters of Chronicles, with thousands of men known as men of valor. These were specially trained men who were powerful soldiers and fitted for the warlike enterprise of protecting the nation. The sons of Tola were mighty men of valor in their generation, numbering as high as 22,600 soldiers. From the family of Issachar 87,000 were men of valor. In the house of Bela were 22,034 mighty men of valor. Twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of valor were found in the people of Becher. All the sons of Jediael were heads of their fathers’ houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valor fit to go out for war and battle.

The children of Asher numbered 26,000 mighty men of valor. Jediael counted 17,200 men of war and men of valor. Mighty men of valor were found in the sons of Ulam who were archers, 150 in all. David’s army grew while he was at Ziklag, while still a fugitive from Saul. Mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

David had some great warriors in his camp who were his mighty men. Jashobeam killed three hundred one at a time with a spear. Eleazor defended a field of barley against the Philistines. Jashobeam and Eleazor were two of the three mighty men that broke through the camp of the Philistines to get some water for David (who refused to drink the water because of the risk they took to get the water).

Abishai, Joab’s brother, killed three hundred with a spear. Benaiah killed two lion-like heroes of Moab and also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. This great warrior killed an Egyptian more than seven feet tall. Benaiah fought the giant with a staff, wrested the spear like a weaver’s beam away from the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear. Many more mighty men were numbered among David, including the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite, whom David had killed to cover up his adulterous relationship.

Israel had a lot of men of valor, mighty warriors who did incredible things. Their job was to defeat all enemies that came against the people of God. In the physical war against those who opposed Israel, the mighty men of valor changed the course of battles and history. Those wars have ceased, but the war against the forces of evil has not. The church is in desperate need of men who are willing to stand in the gap to be mighty men of valor.

In every army, there are the regular troops trained to fight battles and secure victories. Their work in defeating an enemy is crucial. There is also a need for specially trained soldiers who are the mighty men of valor. In the kingdom of God, the church needs men willing to take up leadership and, with the word of God as the sword of the Spirit, become mighty men of valor in the army of Christ. King Jesus needs men who will go beyond the normal, excel beyond the standard, stand taller in the face of the enemy, and lead the people of God to victory.

Not everyone can be a leader in the church, but everyone can do their best to become men of valor in the church. Unmarried men have an important role to play in fighting the good fight. The church must train and equip young men to learn the skills of valor to defeat sin, defend the truth, and destroy the bastions of sin. Mighty men of valor are needed among the husbands who have taken on the divine responsibility to lead a family. It takes great courage to wear the mantle of being a husband. The church needs men who will stand with courage as mighty men of God. When children come into the home, the work of the man of God increases tenfold (more like a thousand). As the leader of the home to guide the wife and children, it will take the resources of the Divine to instill courage and faith in the heart of each man to be a mighty man of God.

David had his mighty men. Jesus needs His mighty men. The church needs men who will step up and be counted as a mighty man for the Lord. Much work remains. Leadership is needed to shore up the crumbling world the church lives in to fight against the wiles of the devil. Congregations are closing doors because of a lack of leadership. There is a divine call for mighty men to take up the armor of God and, like the prophet Isaiah, declare, “Here am I. Send me.” Are you ready to become a man of valor – a mighty man for the Lord?

My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; if you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 24:13-14)

The Value Of Eating Honey

The world could not survive without bees. In the natural order of nature, bees serve an essential part in pollinating plants, trees, and vegetables. Early man found the benefits of robbing hives and harvesting the thick substance. The Lord called the promised land a place that flowed with milk and honey. Samson famously came upon the carcass of a lion where a swarm of bees had formed a hive of honey. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. He gave some to his father and mother without telling them where he got it. Later, Samson used the lion and bees as a riddle to trick his enemies. Delilah pressured Samson to tell her the meaning of the riddle, which she gave to the enemies of Samson.

King Saul placed a curse on anyone who ate any food until evening, before he could take vengeance on his enemies. This rash oath hindered the army from pursuing the Philistines to destroy them. Saul’s son, Jonathan, had not heard of the oath and ate some of the honey found in a forest. When Saul found out what Jonathan had done, he was going to have his son killed. The people intervened and saved Jonathan, and he did not die.

The Lord told Ezekiel to eat a scroll, and it tasted like honey in his mouth. The apostle John would eat a little book during the Revelation of Christ. It tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth, but after he had eaten it, it made his belly bitter. This depicted that understanding God’s word is sweet, but afterward comes the bitterness of knowing the consequences of sin. John the Baptist’s diet was locusts and wild honey. The imagery of honey is clear in Scripture, as found throughout the Bible.

Honey was an emblem showing the purest and simplest wisdom of the word of God. As the honey refreshes the spirit, so the word of God refreshes the soul. Solomon exhorts the reader to eat honey because it is good to eat and brings great nourishment. So shall the knowledge of God refresh the soul with the knowledge of God’s will. Finding honey brought great excitement. Opening the word of God is the eternal spirit of God filling the soul with the unsearchable riches of Christ. The knowledge of wisdom to the soul is eternal. Hope springs from taking the spiritual honey.

Through the divine will of God, He has given the world the perfect revelation for man to know how to gain eternal life. The study of God’s word should be as desirable as finding honey to soothe the body. Honey refreshes. God’s word refreshes. The value of eating honey is to find the joy of God’s word. Honey will not last, but God’s word will last forever.