The Warrior King
Daily Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 1-3
Daily Focus Passage: Deuteronomy 3
The Lord is a Warrior King who calls his people to battle and obtains victory for the people. In the first portion of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses reflects on the previous 40 years of wandering and the battles they faced. Each of these battles revealed the goodness of the Lord and his faithfulness to his promises and covenant. At the same time, this reflection reveals the importance of trusting the Lord as our Warrior King.
THE LORD CALLS HIS OWN TO BATTLE
The Lord expects obedience from his children. This obedience includes entering the battles the Lord calls us to participate in. The battle exists as an opportunity to display our faith in the Lord as we fight well for the kingdom of God. The Lord calls us to battles because when we engage in the battle for truth in obedience, we give the Lord honor and praise for his great glory. We recognize that we may not understand the reasoning for the battle but that the Lord calls, and we respond to his glory in obedience and faith. The children of Israel modeled this in the open part of Deuteronomy.
THE LORD FIGHTS THE BATTLE
Though the children of Israel were commanded to engage in the battles, the Lord also promised victory. This promise came to the people as the Lord guaranteed that he would fight the battle on their behalf. So likewise, when the Lord calls us to the fight, we do not engage in our strength or ability, but we trust in the fighting of the Lord. The Lord wages war on behalf of his children because he desires to protect and bless us. Thus, the Lord becomes the Warrior King who fights for us and guarantees victory.
WE MUST CELEBRATE THE WARRIOR KING
As the Warrior King who always gains the victory, his children must respond in celebration. So the children of Israel celebrated the Lord through offerings and festivals, and we must praise the Lord in obedience and praise. We rejoice and celebrate the Lord because of his great nature of blessing his own. We rejoice by resting in the strength that comes only from him and, as a result, praise his glorious name. We must celebrate the victory gained for us and never neglect the opportunity to worship our victorious Warrior King.
THE LORD STILL FIGHTS OUR BATTLES
The Israelites experienced the presence of the Lord as the Great Warrior King. Similarly, the Lord continues to fight the battles for his children. When we trust the Lord, we gain the strength needed for endurance to battle well. We have access to the perfect strategy that guarantees victory. We battle with the Lord's presence and never journey alone when the Lord calls us to fight. As a result, we must celebrate the mysterious and miraculous nature of the Lord. May we remember that the Lord is our Warrior King.
