Useless For War

# 144 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 11:2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel." (1 Sam 11:2) Sounds gruesome, but there is a method to Nahash's madness. First of all having an eye put out was the mark of a subdued slave, and secondly as the Roman historian Josephus commented on this practice. He said, "He who opposes his shield to the enemy with his left hand, thereby hides his left eye, and looks at his enemy with his right eye; he therefore who plucks out that right eye makes men useless in war.” While this is the practical side to Nahash's proposal, his real motivation is to bring reproach, or shame to all of Israel. It's like he's saying, “hey world, look what I did to these brothers of the Israelites,” I have marked them as my slaves! And those wimps couldn't do anything about it!” Now, pay attention. Nahash's name means snake. He is a type of Satan here. He encamps, “brings temptation against” the children of God. (Israelites) When we give in to temptation rather than fight we make a covenant (an alliance of friendship) with the world and its ways. We become slaves of the devil. And the first thing the serpent goes after is our eyes. He seeks to rob us of our spiritual vision thereby making us “useless for war.” As we read in 2Co 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Giving into temptation and the ways of the world is to invite slavery to sin and spiritual blindness. And every backslidden brother or sister brings reproach or shame against the church (Israel) “Hey wimpy church, what are you going to do about it?” No wonder Jesus calls us to exercise church discipline (See Mt 18 and 1 Cor 5) We are called to attempt to rescue and restore members of our erring church family. Jas 5:20 says, “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.