Topical Bible: Armies: Employed in Fighting Battles

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, armies play a significant role in the unfolding of God's plan for His people. From the early days of the patriarchs to the establishment of the Israelite monarchy and beyond, armies are depicted as instruments of divine judgment, protection, and fulfillment of God's promises.

Old Testament Context

The concept of organized military forces is evident from the earliest biblical accounts. Abraham, the patriarch, is recorded as having mobilized 318 trained men to rescue his nephew Lot from captivity (Genesis 14:14). This early instance highlights the use of a small, organized force to achieve a specific military objective.

As the Israelites emerged from Egypt, they were organized into a formidable host. The Book of Numbers details the census and organization of the tribes into a military camp, with each tribe assigned specific positions around the Tabernacle (Numbers 1-2). The Israelites, under the leadership of Moses and later Joshua, engaged in numerous battles as they journeyed to the Promised Land. The conquest of Canaan involved a series of divinely sanctioned military campaigns, with the fall of Jericho being one of the most notable victories (Joshua 6).

The period of the Judges saw a more decentralized form of military engagement, with leaders like Gideon and Samson rising to deliver Israel from oppression through divinely inspired acts of warfare (Judges 6-8, 13-16). The establishment of the monarchy under Saul and David marked a transition to a more organized and centralized military structure. David, a warrior king, expanded Israel's territory and secured its borders through numerous military campaigns (1 Samuel 18:5-7; 2 Samuel 8).

Divine Involvement in Battles

Throughout the Old Testament, the success of Israel's armies is often attributed to divine intervention. The Lord is depicted as a warrior who fights on behalf of His people. In Exodus 15:3, following the miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, Moses declares, "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name." This theme is reiterated in various battles where God's direct involvement ensures victory, such as the defeat of the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16) and the miraculous victory over the Midianites with Gideon's small force (Judges 7).

The Ark of the Covenant, representing God's presence, was sometimes carried into battle as a symbol of divine favor and protection (1 Samuel 4:3-4). However, the Israelites learned that mere possession of the Ark did not guarantee victory, as seen in the defeat at the hands of the Philistines when the Ark was captured (1 Samuel 4:10-11).

Prophetic and Eschatological Armies

The prophets often spoke of future battles involving great armies, both as instruments of judgment and as part of eschatological visions. Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied about foreign armies being used by God to discipline Israel and the surrounding nations (Isaiah 10:5-6; Jeremiah 25:9). Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) symbolically portrays the restoration of Israel as a mighty army, brought to life by the Spirit of God.

In the apocalyptic literature of Daniel and Revelation, armies are depicted in cosmic battles between the forces of good and evil. Revelation 19:14 describes the armies of heaven following Christ, the King of kings, in His final victory over the forces of darkness.

New Testament Perspective

While the New Testament does not focus on physical armies in the same way as the Old Testament, the concept of spiritual warfare is prominent. Believers are exhorted to put on the "full armor of God" to stand against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-18). The imagery of warfare is used metaphorically to describe the Christian's struggle against sin and the powers of darkness.

In summary, armies in the Bible are depicted as both physical and spiritual entities, employed in the service of God's purposes. They serve as instruments of divine judgment, protection, and fulfillment of prophecy, reflecting the broader theme of God's sovereignty over the affairs of nations and history.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 17:2,3
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Chronicles 19:17
And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came on them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Mutiny of 1857-58.
... has always been the backbone of our armies; but in ... as a body they were mercenary
troops fighting for strangers ... as to those against whom they have been employed. ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xvi the mutiny of.htm

The Good Man's Life and Death
... And there you see his humbler clerk, employed in some ... What glory will you get by
fighting his battles?" What ... flock," and we ascend and meet the armies of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the good mans life and.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... was not less than two hundred thousand fighting men, might ... the Mohammedan power was
extended by these armies, which till ... and near two months were employed in a ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... of the way in which they employed themselves when ... powers were considerable: they
commanded armies, built or ... and powerful frames, and the same love of fighting. ...
/.../chapter iiithe eighteenth theban dynasty.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire
... materials to bring his army up to fighting strength when ... Bologna Papyrus treats of
a Syrian slave, employed as a ... of the care of commanding their armies; and as ...
/.../chapter iiithe close of the.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... representing a god in Assyrian dress fighting with two ... when we consider that the
Phoenicians who employed them held ... for them to think of raising armies fit to ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... He fell fighting against the Edonians of Thrace, attempting ... against Athens itself,
and he employed the year ... wasted and trampled underfoot by two great armies. ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... was fond of fighting; "he overthrew his adversaries and ... but requisitioned by the
way the armies of his most ... from force of custom still employed the cuneiform ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... the generals and soldiers of Bocchoris, fighting according to ... their league, and had
the Elamite armies, in conjunction ... Rusas had employed the winter in secret ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... caravans employed in this traffic accomplished the greater ... Mysians, Dardanians, were
the national armies of these ... passed on without further fighting into the ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm