2 Samuel 23:10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword… In the roll of honour of King David's army, there was one, Eleazor by name, who was counted worthy to stand with the first three mighty men of David, because "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." In this account we see that his heroic sword-grasp was looked upon as a proof of his valour, and was made the mark of his honour and of his reward. I. WE OBSERVE THAT ELEAZAR'S GRASP SHOWS HIS APPRECIATION OF THE SWORD AS A WEAPON BOTH FOR DEFENCE AND FOR AGGRESSION. 1. We cannot do much with a weapon in which we have little or no confidence. 2. The sword of the Spirit is the only weapon by which we can gain a great victory. 3. The efficiency of God's Word does not consist in the mere letter, but in the doctrines and duties which it teaches, and in the virtues which it commends such as truthfulness, justice, purity, benevolence, holiness. Our grasp of these shows cur appreciation of them. II. ELEAZAR GRASPED HIS SWORD FIRMLY, AND DID NOT RELAX HIS HOLD. 1. The enemy, knowing the power of the sword, will seek to wrest it from one's grasp. If the grasp be weak, a sly thrust at the "Mistakes of Moses," or a bold, materialistic blow at the "Miracles of Jesus," may break the grasp, and then we are helpless. 2. Worldliness, or avarice, or appetite, or lust, or malice, may so loosen our grasp upon the principles of the Word that we shall be compelled to surrender. 3. It requires true heroism to hold on to principle when "the men of Israel are gone away," and "the Philistines are arrayed against" us. 4. A true soldier will die rather than lose his sword. III. ELEAZAR'S GRASP WAS MADE FIRMER BY THE CONFLICT. 1. Heroic conflict requires and produces an heroic sword-grasp. 2. A true hero does not stop to count the enemy nor to consider a compromise, nor to hide himself through fear of ridicule or other evil weapons; but putting his strength into his sword he rushes on to victory. 3. Christian conflict is not controversy, but an heroic Christian life which requires and produces a firm grasp on the words and the principles of the Gospel. 4. Jesus With this sword met and repulsed Satan. (Matthew 4:10.) 5. When we are alone, as Jesus was and as Eleazar was, we can gain our greatest victories. IV. ELEAZAR'S FIRMNESS OF GRASP, AND FIERCENESS OF CONFLICT, MADE HIS SWORD CLEAVE UNTO HIS HAND. 1. Whatever we cling to, shapes the grasp, and will, in proportion to the strength of the grasp, cleave unto the hand. 2. The more firmly we grasp, and the more efficiently we use, the words and the principles of the Word, the more deeply will they be impressed into our nature and cleave unto us. 3. When the sword cleaves unto the hand, and the hand grows weary, we can still fight on. 4. The sword of the Spirit has adhered so firmly to the hand of many a hero in God's army that even death could not break the grasp. V. ELEAZAR'S HEROIC SWORD-GRASP WAS MADE THE MARK OF HIS HEROISM AND OF HIS REWARD. 1. The true marks of honour are obtained through conflict and suffering. 2. The cleaving of the sword unto the hand is the mark of God's greatest heroes: the prophets, apostles, martyrs, reformers, missionaries, and others. 3. Clinging to the true and the right until the true and the right cleave unto us, is as heroic in the peculiar temptations of our day as was Eleazar's conflict. 4. The marks of our sword-grasp will be our badge of honour in eternity. Let us, then, be assured that if we rightly appreciate the sword of the Spirit, grasp it firmly, and use it efficiently until it cleave unto the hand, we also shall gain a great victory in the conflicts of life, and in the kingdom of heaven a glorious reward. (J. Saxtell.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
    |