Peruse Bible teachings and church happenings
“Striving Together Side-by-Side”
Categories: Northside COC, Sunday Family Report articles“When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. And he said, ‘If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.’” (2 Sam. 10:9-11)
Joab was David’s top-ranking general—a man with ample knowledge of both politics and battle tactics. He was a man who had fought for his king against impossible odds, who had seen the king fight his way out of his enemies’ traps, and who had seen YHWH defeat great hordes before the army of Israel. And he was also a man who knew when he needed help.
When the general was pinned between two armies, he turned to his brother for help. Each had their own battle to fight, but each knew that the other would come to help immediately if he saw a brother losing a battle. And by God’s grace, both of them stood victorious that day (see vv. 13-14).
The willingness of those brothers to fight side-by-side—to drop everything when needed and run to a brother’s aid—is a powerful model for us to follow today. It’s the calling that we will be exploring in this week’s lessons by our brother Jim: the call to strive side-by-side with others in the work and the fight of discipleship. Even great warriors need help sometimes to win their battles, and the same is true for great spiritual warriors. Let’s keep our eyes up and face our great enemy together, for the glory of God!
- Dan Lankford, minister
