2 Samuel 23:8 (RSV) 8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tah-chemonite; he was chief of the three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time.
Hebrews 12:1-2 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
At the end of David’s life he remembers those who fought with him. The Scriptures record their names as a memorial to their courage, loyalty and sacrifice. David praises for those who fought with him and also those who fought against him. He praises King Saul who sought to kill him.
Among the four horses that bring destruction, described in the Book of Revelation, along with famine, death, and plague is war. War is never viewed as good. Yet, war produces good ends and those who participate in it most often do so for noble reasons. The chief reason, I would suppose, is duty to nation and the defense of one’s family. The noblest is the defense of truth.
The exact cause of war is obscure. War is sometimes precipitated by raw aggression, as with the Nazi’s or by a breakdown in those commonly held understandings, which binds a nation together, as in our War Between the States. In the execution of a war, regardless of its cause, there are valiant men and even women who sacrifice their lives for their nation.
We rightly honor those who have made such sacrifices. We remember them and lift them up as examples for us to follow. “As Christ died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.”
Our notion of sacrifice is the wringing out of us something we don’t want to give up, full of pain and agony and distress. The Bible idea of sacrifice is that I give as a love-gift the very best thing I have.
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)
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