Sermon Central
-
"Holding On To The Sword”
Contributed by Tim Byrd on Nov 10, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: Stopping our study on the life of David to look at an unknown man and his great accomplishment.
“Holding On To the Sword”
Date: November 9, 2003 A.M. Service
Place: Allendale Baptist
Text: 2 Samuel 23:9-10
Introduction
• One of the realities of life is war. History has many stories of nations at war; nation against nation; and even during the Civil War, we are told of stories of families against families and even brother against brother.
• War and battles are a reality. Our nation is at war at this present time against an enemy we cannot see; one that is a great threat that hides. I am speaking of the war against terrorism.
• There are many things that come from war and the battles over the centuries. For example songs have emerged from wars such as WWI and WWII.
• For example: “Don’t sit under the apple tree”; “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, and “The Boogie Woogy Bugle Boy From Company C.”
• Also we learn and here great stories of those that are made heroes during war. For example: WWI gave us the American war hero of SGT. York; a country boy from Tennessee. WWII gave us the heroic efforts of Audy Murphy. We have also in the past two wars on terrorism; have heard of men and also women that have risked their lives and some paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
This morning, as we are about to turn a new page in the life of this church, and bring a recommendation from the Deacon Body to consider ordination of three men the church voted 6 months ago to serve us here at Allendale as Deacons, I want us to look at a little known man that was one of King David’s Mighty Men of Valor.
In last weeks message we saw David hiding in cave in the town of Adullam. Here David seems to make his headquarters. We also noticed that some 400 men came to join forces with the soon to be king.
We noticed that these men that came to David were:
1. Distressed
2. In Debt
3. Discontented
In 2 Samuel 23:9-10 and 1 Chronicles 11:12-14 we are given this wonderful event in the life of one of these Mighty Men by the name of Eleazar.
I want you to see with me five things of the Battle of Eleazar. First notice…
I. Eleazar’s Area of Battle
• The Bible tells us that David and his men were gathered together against the Philistines at a place called Pasdammim, “the dell of bloodshed”.
• Pasdammim is believed to be in the same general area where David had defeated the giant Goliath. This place seems to have been a recurring place of battle for Israel.
• Remember the two armies of the Israelites and the Philistines were held up for some 40 days before David took action and went out to face the Giant and killed him with a stone from his slingshot.
• Here is a lesson for us to learn here; the enemy will often take us back to old battlegrounds; places where he’s held us up in the past!
• This place was a familiar place of battle, and there are times even in the Christian life the enemy takes us to those familiar places of battle. It might be a place where he has defeated us.
• Maybe the enemy takes you to the place of temptation that has defeated you and caused you not to live a victorious life.
• There are times when the enemy the devil that’s me to that place of doubt, that place of fear, that place of lack of faith.
• But I can take him back to the “Valley of Elam”; back to Pasdammim where he was defeated.
• My dear friend, when Satan tries to steal your joy; when he tries to bring you to the place of telling you your old sins, just take him back to Calvary. The place where he was defeated by the shed blood of Jesus.
• Take him to the empty tomb, where Jesus rose from the dead to give victory over death and the grave.
Next notice…
II. Eleazar’s Account of Battle
• We are told in 1 Chronicles 11:13; “Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley.”
• This is the reason for Eleazar’s fighting the battle.
• Barley was a precious commodity during this time.
• But more than that this piece of property was a promise to God’s people.
• For you and me there are things that we must be willing to fight for… as Baptists for the past several decades we have been fighting over God’s Word and the inerrancy of God’s Word, the truthfulness of God’s Word.
• We must be willing to stand and fight the enemy for these things.
