1 Chronicles 27:34: “After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, then Abiathar. And the general of the king’s army was Joab.”

September 15th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Notice that the famous general Joab was given a prominent place at the end of this chapter. Joab was a very loyal general to David, but he was also a man who wasn’t afraid to disagree with David. On occasion, he even went against direct orders when he thought it was in David’s and the country’s best interest. We see in both David and Joab that men of God can also be men of war.

American General Douglas Macarthur’s prayer for his son gives us insight into the heart of a military man who loves God. Macarthur prayed:

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak; and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee—and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain!”

God uses real men, imperfect as they are, to change the world. We need to be world changers for the Lord today.

“LORD, please use us to change the world for You this day.”

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1 Chronicles 27 KJV

¹ Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit , the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course weretwenty and four thousand. ² Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ³ Of the children of Perez was the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month. ⁴ And over the course of the second month wasDodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand. ⁵ The third captain of the host for the third month wasBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.  ⁶ This is that Benaiah, who was mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course was Ammizabad his son. ⁷ The fourth captainfor the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ⁸ The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ⁹ The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his course weretwenty and four thousand. ¹⁰ The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹¹ The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹² The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abi-ezer the Anetothite, of the Benjamites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹³ The tenth captainfor the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹⁴The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹⁵ The twelfth captainfor the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹⁶ Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah: ¹⁷ Of the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, Zadok: ¹⁸ Of Judah, Elihu, one of the brethren of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:  ¹⁹ Of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel: ²⁰ Of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah: ²¹ Of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner: ²² Of Dan, Azareel the son of Jeroham. These were the princes of the tribes of Israel. ²³ But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens. ²⁴ Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David. ²⁵ And over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah: ²⁶ And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub: ²⁷And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:  ²⁸ And over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains was Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash: ²⁹ And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai: ³⁰ Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: ³¹ And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David’s. ³² Also Jonathan David’s uncle was a counsellor, a wise man, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons:   ³³ And Ahithophel was the king’s counsellor: and Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion: ³⁴ And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the general of the king’s army was Joab.