Home Page: www.ProphecyWatch.biz

Sabbath, April 9, 2005 Newark Seventh-Day Adventist Church
2 Samuel 23:10 Pastor Tom Hughes

“THE MAN WHOSE HAND CLAVE TO HIS SWORD”

“He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary,
and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day;
and the people returned after him only to spoil.”


“He (Eleazar) arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary…The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.”

One lady told me, she said, “Pastor, there are some things in that Bible that just aren’t meant for us to understand.”

Do you believe that? I don’t.

There was another lady who said she didn’t like all the things written in the Bible so whenever she read something she didn’t like she ripped that page out. It’s kind of funny after about twenty years she had a very small Bible, a very closed mind, and a very narrow outlook on life.

Human wisdom changes every day. The “Top 40” – They’ve gotta change that junk every week just to get people to listen to it. But The Old Rugged Cross is still great, isn’t it?

Novels, Soap Operas, physiology…twenty- five years ago if you took a physiology book and read it today it would be hopelessly outdated. I’ve got an Adventist book that I used to sell when I was a colporteur twenty-five years ago – beautiful, three-volume set on Health. Much of it is still okay but a lot of it is outdated.

This book’s been around for thousands of years. It’s still relevant. It’s still current. “God’s word” the Bible says “abideth forever.” You can build your life on this.

Now some people say, “Oh those stories in the Old Testament, they’re kind of useless and worthless, and why do you even bother with them?”

Well, I believe the Old Testament and the New Testament are God’s word. And I think you can find heroes of the faith that you can get an example from and apply it to your own life whether it’s Old Testament or New Testament.

Eleazar’s personal exploits for King David were unbelievable! I mean, in verse ten it talks about how he fought the Philistine Army and the whole army (that was with him) ran off and left him – he was the only one there – and he just stood there and said, “Uh! Uh! I ain’t runnin’. (gestures pulling out a sword) Bring it on!”

I don’t know, if the whole army ran and I was standing there and they all left me I might have been tempted to say, “Woah! Maybe I’ll just live to fight another day! (gestures like he’s leaving) See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!”

But not Eleazar! The deeds of Eleazar reveal the power on individual effort and energy. He didn’t join the crowd, young people! He didn’t listen to the peer pressure of his day – his friends who were telling him to do things that weren’t right. No! Eleazar thought for himself. He acted for himself. He didn’t make the conduct of others a standard or a measure of his service. Individual personal effort has greatly influenced history, nations, and our church. God honored and used mightily the consecrated efforts of individuals throughout the Bible.

You have Moses who not only saved himself, he saved millions of slaves and led them out of Egypt.

Joseph who saved his father and his brothers. And the Messiah came through his lineage.

You have a man like Martin Luther who stood up before Cardinals and the Pope and said, “I stand on the word of God and I can do no other.” And even when they threatened to burn him and torture him he stood up for God and reformed the world!

Then you have a man like Paul. One man, the apostle Paul, wrote 70% of the New Testament! Paul, the Bible talks about, was not very impressive. He was a short fellow, he was bald, he had a typical Jewish demeanor, he wasn’t a good speaker, he was, I believe, pretty much almost blind. He could barely read. He could probably barely get around. He was a tentmaker! Can you imagine trying to make tents when you have bad eyes?

I mean, Paul had a rough life! Paul was one tough cookie! Paul was beaten, he was stoned; he was left for dead three or four times! He’s by a fire and a viper grabs him! A snake! (Crunch!) There it is hanging there (gasp)! Everybody’s watching and he just flicks it off into the fire. “Okay, let me tell you about Jesus now.”

And they’re all sitting there (gasp), “Are you a god?”

“No, I’m a Christian. Let me tell you about Jesus.”

And, boy, Paul was a man’s man! But he wasn’t a big, strong, strapping, handsome, good-lookin’ guy that everybody looked at. No. He was meek, mild, unassuming in one way but inside he had a fire that burned and he had a brilliant mind and God used him greatly. One man turned the whole church around! If it wasn’t for Paul, where would the Christian Church be?

Eleazar’s attitude reveals two great truths that I want to talk to you about when it comes to our individual relationship to duty. Even when we are in great danger and even when we have to do so at the risk of our very lives our personal responsibility in a certain sense begins and ends with ourselves. Our relationship to God and His cause is at all times personal. It is between us and God. Yet how often to we point to others in the church and say, “Because they’re not doing their part, I’m not doing my part.”?

“Because I’m the only deacon that shows up, I’m going home, too.”

“Because nobody attended the meeting, I’m not gonna have any more meetings.”

“Because these people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, I’m not gonna do what I’m supposed to do.”

Remember Peter when he repented and Jesus rebuked him publicly and kind of put it on him a little bit in front of the other apostles? Remember Peter was the one that said, “Even if these other yellow-bellied sapsuckers desert You, God, I’ll never desert You. I’m the man! I’ll be right there!” and of course, he was the first one out the door running, crying, acting like a coward!

And you have John, who is very brave, and John stood there he didn’t lie, he didn’t say that he wasn’t a disciple. They all knew he was a disciple and he didn’t care and if they killed him, they killed him, but he was gonna stand by Jesus! Now he ran away like everybody else but John repented and came back and made it right and stood with Jesus right to the very end. Peter didn’t do that.

So Peter’s sitting around the fire and Jesus says, “Peter, do you really love me more than all these others?”

And they’re all lookin’ at him like, “Yeah, right!”

And Peter said, “No, Lord, but I do love You; but not more than they do.”

And after all that they’re getting ready to go and Peter says to Jesus, “Uh, Lord, what about this man, John though? What about him? What’s he gonna do?”

Now Christ had just told Peter, “You’re going to be crucified for me.”
And he says, “Yeah, well, what about him? What happens to this guy?” (John 21:21, 22)

And Jesus says to Peter, “What is that to you? Follow thou me. What do you care what John does? I’m talkin’ to you, Peter. I’m not talkin’ to John.”

And I’d like to say to you Elders if another Elder doesn’t do his job that in no way diminishes your responsibility! If another deacon doesn’t do what they’re supposed to do that doesn’t diminish your responsibility. If another deaconess doesn’t do what she’s supposed to do that doesn’t diminish your responsibility.

It is so human; so human, to excuse ourselves and measure ourselves and use as a shield for our own cowardice the actions of others.

But Eleazar went to battle all by himself. We’re saved as individuals and we have individual responsibility.

Now the second point I want to make about that is our responsibility is not diminished by the ill conduct of others.

As a matter of fact I’d like to suggest this morning that when people don’t do what they’re supposed to do it actually increases our responsibility. When the other people ran away it actually made Eleazar’s responsibility even greater. And because he stood his ground God won and the devil lost. Others could have fought by his side but they didn’t so Eleazar stepped into the breach. The need is greater when there are fewer people. The enemy must not be allowed to triumph. The failure of others in no way diminishes our personal responsibility.

According to Ezekiel 3:17, 18 it is our responsibility to serve the Lord.

17"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.
18"When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

In other words, God has no grandchildren He has only children. He doesn’t. There’s no such thing as a grandchild in God’s family. J

Daniel has to be converted; Daniel’s son has to be converted. Okay? So what are we going to do? We have to be converted. We have to have a personal relationship with God ourselves. God has no grandchildren, he only has children and the failure of others in no way diminishes our personal responsibility.

This is our church and there may be some who are tired, too tired to do certain things because the road is long and they have done what they can do and that’s okay. We step up to the plate. We pick up the load and we carry it forward until we can’t carry it any further. Until Christ comes nobody is able to say, “I’ve done my part. I’m outta here.”

And I’ll give you an example of that.

I went to visit a lady from the Reynoldsburg Church; her name is Violet Overturf. Violet is probably 90 years old. Violet has a burning passion to see her children saved, and her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren. She mails ‘em stuff all the time! J

When I went to see her she said, “Pastor, I just can’t be sick in this hospital! There are people who need to know Jesus and I need to tell them about Him!” J

I was standing there, “You go, Violet! You go girl!” I said, “Violet, you let the fire burn! Let it burn! Now, I know you’re stuck here for a little while but,”

I said, “Violet, would you do me a favor? I’m out there ministering every day and I’m doing all this stuff,”

And I said, “the burden is heavy. And I need the angels to prepare my way as I go from place to place.”

I said, “While you’re stuck here in this hospital bed would you be a prayer warrior for me? Would you pray for your pastor and just, even though you can’t do anything but lay here, could you pray?”

“Oh, yes, Pastor! I will; I’ll pray for you like you’ve never been prayed for! I will pray for you!”

And I’m like, “I love this lady!”

Just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean you can’t be a fire in the furnace!

When the people were walking on the road to Emmaus they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke to us?”

Can Jesus speak to us every morning?

Can we be baptized afresh by the Holy Spirit and be filled with enthusiasm even when we go through trial, even when we have to fight a heavy battle?

Will God help us to pull that sword out and swing it even when we’re old or even when we’re tired, even when the road is long? Amen!

Why get discouraged if our step gets a little slow and it takes a little longer to feed the chickens? I’ll tell you what, that man’s an Eleazar!

They didn’t care whether they lost their life for God!

Eleazar by his deeds has shown the way. We need to follow his example and be willing to stand up for God when nobody else is! If we’re the only one we need to stand for God.

Now there are human frailties you have to reckon with. Eleazar, it says, “his hand was weary,” but he held that sword and he had reached the limit of his power and he had to stop. But notice is says he didn’t quit until after the enemy was defeated.

Why did he become so weary? Well, perhaps, he became weary because of the enormous number of his enemies! He cut down dozens, and dozens, and dozens and yet they kept coming in ever greater numbers (and it) seemed as if there was no end to it. It might have been like with Samson who slew heap upon heap that the enemy finally became exhausted and ran away from him!

So with the servants of God. They, too, become weary because of the large number of temptations and trials and the length of the battle. And I’m sure after about ten minutes Eleazar was tired and he was exhausted and he was tempted to say “What are they against so many? There’s only a few of us, how are we ever going to get the job done?”

Will not those who are tempted to give up the battle against the enemy recall this sermon and not faint until the battle is won?

“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3)

Jesus endured such a horrible trial; can we become weary and faint in our minds when we consider all that He has done for us?

Is our work done yet? Are our children and grandchildren in the faith, safe, and sound, in the ark, ready to go home?

Some of you have told me that you’ve come back to the Lord – that you sense an acceptance and a willingness to accept you just as you are, without one plea, but that Christ’s blood was shed for you – and that you find this a comfortable place to come and serve your God. If you are, are you willing to go to your friends and go to those who maybe used to attend there your own age and say, “Hey, come on back, come on home.”
Do we have a work to do here in Licking County to reach people for Christ?

Does the Sabbath message need to be upheld?

Do we need to have evangelistic meetings and a radio station ministry and a television ministry and an internet ministry and get the word out? I believe we do. Every generation has the responsibility to swing the sword until they can swing it no more.

Perhaps Eleazar became tired because nobody was helping him out. Do you ever feel that way? I know some of the deacons maybe they come up here and work hard all day and there are only a couple of them and they might get discouraged or feel bad. It’s heartening to know you’re not alone and to receive a word of cheer. It’s tough to stand there alone with no encouragement from your professed friends.

I think during the Reformation of Adolf of Sweden, Gustav Adolf, who became weary. His whole army became tired, and they were about to give up, and the Reformation was about to go down in smoke. And Gustav looked around and he said, “We can’t allow this! We can’t allow the forces of God to be defeated.” And he rode bravely into battle and met his death. But when his men saw his love for the Lord and the cause of the Reformation and saw the sacrifice he made, they rose up and went forward and won a great victory that day. No one knows what would have become of the Reformation if Adolf of Sweden had given up on that day. What’s important is that weariness must not come before our work is done!

Third, the intensity of Eleazar’s zeal. It says, “his hand clave unto his sword.” John Bunyan thought that blood ran down his (Eleazar’s) arm from his wounds and fastened it to his hand. I believe the muscles could not relax in a natural way because he had been gripping that sword for so many hours. Had he been half-hearted he may have dropped his sword; he may have died in battle. What Eleazar did, he did with all his might. God longs for workers like Eleazar who will take a firm hold of their duty for God, and so firmly that it seems impossible to ever give up the armor in which they fight!

Napoleon’s last words were, “Head of the army.” And I will tell you this I really believe that you are going to have to say of Brother Ralph probably his last dying breath will be, “What can I do to help you?” He will not give up his armor until he absolutely has to. He’s gonna fight the fight. I’ll say one thing, Ralph is committed to Christ. When it comes time to be there, to do anything, or to help out, the man is committed!

Eleazar was committed. And what I’m talking about today is not just having faith but being committed – showing up for the meetings, putting your tithes in the offering envelope, being faithful with your time, your talents, and your money to see God’s work go forward.

Some of those, like Ralph, and others have given all that they have to give and continue to give all that they have to give need to be encouraged. They need the help of those of us who are younger and stronger. We need to rise up and make a commitment, and show up and work hard, and get the job done, and get in the battle, people!

I read a statement like this about Jesus: “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

Jesus was on fire! The zeal of God’s house was eating Him up. When we become so attached to the assignment given us by the Lord that it becomes part of our very lives –
so much so that we can’t put it down even if we wanted to – then we’ll be an Eleazar and our hands will cleave to our duty and we will accomplish great things for God!

These men were willing to die for Christ. Can we start by just getting out of bed in the morning and going to Sabbath School,

and going to church,

and stopping off at Bible Study on Tuesday nights,

and maybe calling a person who hasn’t been here?

or visiting the sick

or the aged

or the discouraged?

Can we make a firm commitment to do God’s work and to do it with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our soul? Is it really important to us? Is it?

And then when the divine glory breaks forth, it says, “The Lord wrought a great victory that day.”

Who’s the one that gives us the victory? Eleazar had a part in it. A great victory was won and it is well that God has recorded these noble and mighty deeds for our inspiration. They deserve the honor they receive but let’s not forget the true perspective on the greatness that they accomplished. They accomplished great things not because they just “happened” but because they came through the grace and power of the living God!

Victory was not won without Eleazar and yet it was not won by him. The Bible says the Lord who used him won the victory. Let those tempted to credit themselves with outstanding accomplishments keep in mind that God must be credited with the victory. Every one of us would be a failure without the help of the Lord. God has used individuals in the past and He still uses individuals today to gain great victory for his cause.

Eleazar single-handedly defeated the whole Philistine Army
David destroyed Goliath

Moses led Israel out of Egypt

Deborah won the battle over Sisera and his army

Stephen defeated the wisdom of the Jews

Paul defeated and confounded the wisdom of the Greeks

Mordecai and Esther saved the nation from certain death

In our own national history we have:

George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin

These men brought greatness to this country of ours!

In our own Church, we have Ellen White, a little seventeen year old teenage girl whom God used to shake the world - to change this whole worldview of religion and of faith – and raised up a movement of destiny through one young woman!

Individuals can accomplish much and the most important thing we must never forget is the fact that it is God who gives true greatness and notable results!

Peter said, “I’m a sinful man, O Lord. Depart from me.” Ministers and laymen alike need to understand that it is God who uses them; that they have nothing to be proud of in an of themselves. Let God have the credit and anything that goes wrong let us take the blame! J

David said in Psalm 115:1, “Not unto us, O LORD. Not unto us but to Thy name give we the glory.”
God is the One that put this church here. This is God’s place. God built it. God raised it up. He gets the glory! Glory unto Him forever and always. God gets the glory. He built it, He’ll maintain it, and He’ll fill it. This is His church. His movement. It’s the Seventh-Day Adventist movement! J We’re moving! There are more people coming into it all the time.

Now the right attitude toward others needs to be remembered in the hour of victory, too. It says “the people returned after him only to spoil” and oftentimes in the Christian faith it’s like that, too. The people who do all the work rarely get the credit and everybody else benefits from it.

There are a few women maybe who are behind the scene and they’re making it happen, or maybe a few men and everybody else benefits and oftentimes they’re not recognized and no one acknowledges it. And I understand how hard it can be to work without being acknowledged or recognized. But who are we working for?

This house that God has built: If it benefits sinners and those who haven’t contributed to it, and new people, and young people (who maybe don’t have the means, or who are just coming to know God and need to have time to develop before they begin to pick up the load and carry it with you) are they not just as welcome with nothing? Don’t we want everyone to come regardless of how wealthy they are, how poor they are; whether they’re black or white, or young or old? Isn’t this a place where all are welcome and encouraged to come?

And sometimes God gives us financial blessings so we can help others! Amen? Let’s never become weary of well-doing and think, “Well, I’m doing all the work.” or “I’m giving, and I’m covering, and I’m paying – and what’s in it for me?” Guess what’s in it for us: The joy of serving Christ. That’s it!

And can you ever give to Him financially anywhere near what He’s given to you? All of us have to fall down at the foot of the Cross, put all our money, our time, and our talents on the altar and say, “God, all that I have is Thine. To Thee be the glory.” Amen.

Let us all look at life that way.

Many Christians in this life tend to look at it that way. They go out and fight the battle and here comes all these people and they just take advantage of it. Well, so what? Eleazar was a gentleman. It’s much to his credit that he let those people share in the blessings that God gave him, and he didn’t stop them. I like that about him. He was unselfish. They were afraid to risk their lives in battle but they sure weren’t too ashamed to come back and grab all the stuff!

That didn’t matter to Eleazar. He said, “Okay, you do-nothings, you can come back even though you’re just coming to share the wealth.”

Christians should be willing to share with others even if they are unworthy of the blessings that God gives them. Christians ought to be willing even if they have to do the lion’s share of the work to spend themselves for those that don’t even realize the sacrifice.

Isn’t that what Jesus does for all of us?

Would you dare to be a “Daniel” today and stand alone in the lion’s den? Would you dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known? Would you dare to be an “Eleazar” and go forth to fight the foe and smite him even though you stand alone? And would you gladly share the spoils with them who come for the spoils alone?

This text from God’s word is a wonderful inspiration to us. Can you see how you and I ought to imitate that mighty man of valor named Eleazar and go forth and fight the battle of our God against the “Philistines” of this world even if we have to do it all by ourselves? Even if we have to lose our lives? Even if we work so hard the sword claves to our hand? Thank God for the life of mighty Eleazar and the lesson that he teaches us! He was a man’s man! He stood for God when nobody else would. And because of him standing there all by himself, God won a great victory.

I remember, like many churches, sometimes preachers have problems. When I was first baptized into the church the poor minister had a problem and he ended up having to leave the faith. I’d only been baptized for three weeks and all the people thought “Boy, Tom’s going to really get discouraged and he’s just going to go out of the church.” And they talked about it. They actually said in a meeting “We hope this doesn’t discourage you.”

And the Holy Spirit came upon me and I’ll never forget it. I just stood up and I said, “I don’t care if I’m the only person sitting in this pew this Sabbath. I’m coming to church and I’m going to serve the Lord! I don’t care who goes out, who falters, who fails. By God’s grace, as long as I’m standing, I’m going to be in this church!” That was some thirty years ago and I’m still here!

The next pastor also had a problem. He went out. They were looking at me again, “Sure you’re okay?”

And I’m like, “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

God bless us poor preachers! You know, we’re just human, too.

You look at a guy like Billy Graham. You could use him as an example; nobody ever does. You know they prefer to talk about the Jim Bakker’s of the world. I prefer to talk about the Billy Graham’s of the world. There are far more of them who are standing there for God than the poor fellows that have problems.

But I’ll tell you what, every pastor puts his pants on one leg at a time. Every pastor has to get on his knees and ask forgiveness every morning, and every Elder, the same.

We are just human beings.

We’re saved by grace just like you.

We’re all fighting with the devil and temptation and hell wants to claim us all but he’s not getting us!

We’ve been delivered.

We’ve been redeemed and Christ has saved our soul and called us to fight the fight of faith here in the Newark Church.

We’ve gotta lot of work to do, people! Are we going to do it? Amen!

How many of you will stand with me and say, “Pastor, whatever it takes to get the job done I’m here for the duration. I’m not quitting until the battle is over. Like Eleazar, I want to stand up for my church and for my God.”

Would you stand this morning if you agree with me?

Let’s sing this last hymn and ask God to baptize us (Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me) right now for our ministry.

Closing Hymn: No. 672 “Spirit Of The Living God”
(Seventh-Day Adventist Hymnal, Review and Herald Publishing Association, ©1985)

All Scriptural References: King James Version

Ellen G. White References: www.whiteestate.org

Transcription: Wendy J. Riebel

This sermon is also available on cassette tape.

Visit our church website: www.ProphecyWatch.biz