Topical Bible: Armies: Marched with Rapidity

◄ Armies: Marched with Rapidity ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, the rapid movement of armies is often highlighted as a testament to divine intervention, strategic prowess, or the urgency of the mission at hand. The swift mobilization and movement of troops are depicted in various accounts throughout the Scriptures, underscoring the importance of speed in military campaigns.

One of the most notable examples of rapid military movement is found in the account of Joshua and the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan. In Joshua 10:9, it is recorded, "After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise." This verse illustrates the element of surprise achieved through a forced march, allowing the Israelites to gain a tactical advantage over their enemies. The ability to cover significant distances quickly was crucial in achieving victory.

Similarly, the account of Gideon in Judges 7 demonstrates the importance of speed and surprise in military tactics. Gideon, with only 300 men, launched a night attack against the Midianites, causing confusion and panic among the enemy forces. The rapid and unexpected nature of the attack led to a decisive victory, showcasing how God used speed and strategy to deliver His people.

In the New Testament, the Roman military is often alluded to, known for its discipline and rapid deployment capabilities. While not directly described in terms of rapid marches in the biblical text, the presence of Roman soldiers and their ability to quickly respond to uprisings or disturbances is a backdrop to many events, including the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The Psalms also reflect on the swiftness of God's intervention in battles. Psalm 18:29 states, "For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall." This verse metaphorically speaks to the speed and strength provided by divine assistance, enabling the faithful to overcome formidable obstacles.

In the prophetic literature, the rapid movement of armies is often associated with divine judgment. Isaiah 5:26 describes how God will summon nations from afar, and they will come swiftly: "He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!" This imagery conveys the inevitability and urgency of God's purposes being fulfilled through the movements of nations.

The theme of rapid military movement in the Bible serves to highlight the interplay between human agency and divine sovereignty. Whether through the strategic decisions of leaders like Joshua and Gideon or the overarching plans of God as seen in the prophets, the swift march of armies underscores the dynamic and often dramatic unfolding of God's will in history.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 48:40
For thus said the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Habakkuk 1:8
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Reaction against Egypt
... Lycians, Mysians, Dardanians, were the national armies of these ... his way along the
coast, he marched due east ... The Bedawin, disconcerted by the rapidity of this ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
... with righteous deliberation, and yet with terrible rapidity. ... What armies obeyed the
call of that great King ... remembered God's mercies while they marched for the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/sin its spring-head stream and.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... Sargon despatched the Tartan,** and the rapidity with which ... by Sargon himself, and
which would have marched on all ... that there were then two armies, engaged at ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... capable of turning to good account the armies which his ... their resulting in a general
war.** He marched in person ... No doubt the rapidity of his marches and the ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... when the fear alone of the Assyrian armies would no ... revert to the opinion that
Esarhaddon marched from Babylon ... brought to a close with such rapidity that even ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... rule, praising the while the great Cosssean king and his armies, and inciting to ...
Perhaps the rapidity of this succession may have arisen from some internal ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

Justinian.
... like one of Rome's hundred triumphs, except that the conqueror marched on foot. ...
Justinian had accomplished, with singular ease and rapidity, the first half of ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter iv justinian.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... it merely means that Cyaxares converted all the small feudal armies which had ... joined
them in their acts of brigandage,* and together they marched from province ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... The rapidity of the victories which he had just succeeded in ... in 765 and 755, which
brought his armies right up to ... He at once struck his camp and marched out to ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... The Elamite armies were well organized, and under a skilful general became ... a King
of Elam, by name Kudur-nakhunta, triumphantly marched through Chaldaea from ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm