The Lutheran Hour
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"The Hall of Heroes"
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Text: 2 Samuel 23:8
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This week, the United States of America observes Memorial Day in honor of the men and women who died while in military service. In observance of Memorial Day, I invite you to accompany me on a tour of the Hall of Heroes inside the Pentagon, which is located in Arlington County, Virginia. Considered to be the largest office building in the world, with a floor area of 6.5 million square feet and situated on 34 acres, the Pentagon serves as the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense. As we proceed into the Hall of Heroes, you will observe that the front wall is adorned with large replicas of the Medals of Honor representing each branch of Service. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government to members of the U. S. Armed Forces, who distinguish themselves for conspicuous acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States. On the other walls, plaques engraved with the names of those honored with the Medal of Honor remind the visitor of extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary people.
The names on the plaques in the Hall of Heroes remind me of those whom David called his mighty men. 2 Samuel 23:8-39 lists thirty-seven mighty men in all. Three of the 37 mighty men distinguished themselves for conspicuous bravery, skill, and loyalty. The three were Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazer, and Shammah. The list recounts their exploits and acts of heroism. Yet, the careful reader of this list will observe that someone is conspicuous by his absence. Strangely enough, while he is mentioned three times in the list to establish the identity of other men on the list, he himself is not numbered among David’s mighty men. I am referring to none other than one of David’s top generals, Joab.
Why was Joab, an elite military leader, excluded from the list of David’s mighty men? We find the answer to that question in 1 Kings 2:5-6, where David instructs Solomon, his son and successor, with these ominous words about Joab, “Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.”
Why would David advise Solomon to make certain that Joab would not be permitted to die a natural death? Why indeed? Joab was a brave warrior and brilliant strategist. He figured prominently in David’s victories. Nevertheless, something disqualified Joab and overshadowed his military prowess and accomplishments. David recounted to Solomon how Joab shed the blood of two of Israel’s commanders, Abner and Amasa, “avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, . . .” Oh, and there was one more thing. Joab was responsible for death of David’s son, Absalom.
Wait a moment. How could David render this judgment concerning Joab, when David himself was no stranger to shedding innocent blood? We remember the account in 2 Samuel 11 how David had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle to cover up David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. What was the difference, then, between David and Joab? Both were guilty of shedding innocent blood. Was there a double standard at work here? Did David think that because he was king he could invoke some sort of royal privilege? No, there was a difference between Joab and David.
The difference was that David repented of his sin and Joab did not. While Joab could be considered one of David’s most capable, competent and courageous generals, he departed from the ranks of those who served honorably and heroically when he succumbed to his craving for vengeance. Rather than recognizing the evil he committed, he felt completely justified in his actions.
In contrast to Joab, David recognized the horror of what he had done. David acknowledged that what he had done gave “great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, . . .” As a result of his sin, the first child born to David and Bathsheba died. The sincerity of David’s sorrow over his sin is reflected in Psalm 51: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.”
Recognizing our sin is something that we are not inclined to do. In fact, on our own we cannot. The ugly truth is that we have something in common with Joab. You might say, “Wait a minute! I have never killed anyone! How dare you accuse me of being like Joab!” While it might be true that you never have killed anyone physically, have you ever hurt someone physically? Have you ever battered someone with your words? Have you ever attacked someone with your thoughts? Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” With these verses our Savior makes it abundantly clear that God’s holy Law accuses us for our thoughts and words as well as for our actions.
No matter how much energy we expend in constructing sophisticated and elaborate arguments to justify our sinful actions, God’s Law accuses us. No matter how we camouflage our sins by pointing to how we were wronged and therefore justified in retribution, God’s Law finds us. Now matter how much we rationalize our sins away by claiming that God’s Law is no longer relevant-that God’s Law is culturally conditioned-God’s Law sentences us to death.
Earlier I mentioned that David advised Solomon to ensure that Joab did not die a natural death. When Joab discovered that he was going to be killed for his actions, instead of repenting of his sin and believing in the Lord, Joab ran into the tent of the LORD and held onto the horns of the altar. He was struck down where he stood. Joab died the way he lived-attempting to justify himself and his actions. He lived by taking matters, including the matters of life and death into his own hands, and he died likewise presumptuously by taking the horns of God’s altar into his own hands. The more we engage in justifying our sinful actions the more our hearts become hardened and impregnable.
It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word that our hardened hearts are shattered by God’s holy, uncompromising Law. The LORD showed David, through the first born child-a son-born to David and Bathsheba, that the consequences of sin is death. David repented of his sins. David was not just sorry because he got caught but because he realized that his sin gave the LORD’s enemies a splendid opportunity to blaspheme God. He was sorry because his sin violated the marriage covenant between Uriah and Bathsheba, led to the violent death of Uriah, and resulted in the death of his own son.
After the Holy Spirit has pierced through the steel reinforced armor of our hearts and taken us captive, then He calls, gathers, and enlightens us through the Gospel, the good news that we are saved through the death and Resurrection of Christ Jesus. In contrast to Joab, David looked to the LORD as the only source of forgiveness and salvation. David cried out in Psalm 51: “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your
Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”Through the eyes of faith in the God of grace and compassion, David looked beyond this world of woe to the Hall of Heroes in Heaven. The book of Hebrews, chapter eleven, celebrates those who believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior. The list in this Hall of Heroes starts out with these words: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This list of the heroes of faith contains men and women, young and old. This list of heroes starts out by naming Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham,
and Sarah.All of the heroes of faith had something in common. They were all sinners and they knew it. By the power of the Holy Spirit, they saw how lost and broken they were. They recognized how they were sucked into a death spiral and could not get out on their own. They repented of their sin and trusted in the promises of God.
The LORD God looked with grace and compassion upon this broken world and sent His only begotten Son to take upon himself our sins. The sentence we deserved for our sins was placed upon our Savior. The Holy God, Who hates sin, released the full fury of His wrath on His own Son. When Christ burst forth from death, sinners were both redeemed and reconciled. Formerly, we faced the certain prospect of trembling in terror before a Holy God on Judgment Day. Now, the Holy God looks at us through the blood of His Son and invites us to call Him Father.
As we continue on our tour of the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon, it is important for us to consider the names of heroes who were not included on the plaques. Perhaps no one saw their act of bravery. Perhaps no one had the time or took the time to record what they did. Perhaps no one of influence took up the cause to nominate them for this honor. Their names are lost, never to be recorded in history.
In contrast, the names of all who believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior from sin are recorded in the book of life in the Hall of Heroes in Heaven. The names of the redeemed are signed with the blood of Christ. Not one name is lost due to an administrative oversight or lack of influence. When Christ rose again from the dead, He opened the doors so that all who believe might enter the Hall of Heroes in Heaven. Through faith in Christ, you and I will be among those who enter the glorious halls.
Until we enter the Hall of Heroes in Heaven, we engage in warfare on the spiritual
battlefield. The warrior that David was, he knew the Importance of being well-equipped on the battlefield but he knew that he dare not enter the battlefield without the LORD of
Hosts. This is a frequent theme in the Psalms of David. Psalm 28:7 declares, “The LORD is my strength and shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”As the mighty men and women of God, it would be unthinkable for us to enter the battlefield under-nourished, unequipped, untrained, and unarmed. We dare not deprive ourselves of time in the Word, time in prayer, and time in worship. Men and women of God, boys and girls of God, follow the instruction of st. Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20 and don the whole armor of God.
After we have donned the whole armor of God, how do the mighty men, women, boys, and girls conduct themselves amidst the fog and friction of warfare on the spiritual battlefield? How do we conduct ourselves in a world committed to lying and cheating, killing and stealing, fornication and profanity? Do we lose our heads? Do we run away and become deserters? Do we have a panic attack? No. We trust in Him who is the head of all, the One Who is the head of the body, namely, Christ. Trusting in Christ, we acquit ourselves in accordance with SI. Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
We know that there will be those days when we falter on the field of battle. Like believers who have gone before us, we will be tempted to succumb to fear, complacency, apathy, indifference, and doubt. All the while we fight our spiritual warfare in this life, we trust in the LORD and keep our hearts and minds focused on the life to come in the Hall of Heroes in Heaven.
As we conclude our tour of the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon, the largest office building in the world, I pray that you and I meet once again for eternity. I pray that you and I, through faith in Christ, join the ranks of believing men, women, boys, and girls, who have gone before us. March with me in repentance and faith following Him, Who rose victorious from the grave, into the Hall of Heroes in Heaven. With faith in Christ, you can be certain that your name is recorded for eternity, Amen,
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
May 30,2010
Topic: Civil DisobedienceAnnouncer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners, I’m Mark Eischer.
Klaus: Hi, Mark. And what’s the question?
Announcer: A listener writes, “More and more, I fear the government and other
authorities are trying to isolate and put pressure on Christians. It’s not the kind of
persecution endured by the apostles, or experienced by believers in some foreign
countries today, but it seems we are gradually being led into a place where faithful
Christians cannot or should not go.”Klaus: Sounds like somebody has given this a lot of thought.
Announcer: And they continue, “Is there ever a time when Christians can and must disobey civil authorities? And, if the answer is, ‘Yes!’, what form would that disobedience take?”
Klaus: And just how long do I have to answer that question?
Announcer: Not long enough, I suppose.
Klaus: OK, let’s see how we can do.
The first question really is, “Can Christians say, ‘My country, right or wrong?'” Are we to
be blindly loyal and supportive of the government no matter what that government may say or instruct?There can be little doubt that the answer to that question has to be, “No.” As long as we are living in a sinful world that is governed by sinful human beings sitting in positions of power we will not have perfect government. Therefore, there are times when that government might instruct us to proceed down the wrong path.
Announcer: Or, as our listener writes, “to places where faithful Christians cannot and should not go.”
Klaus: Yeah, that really is beautifully put.
Announcer: Are we then free to disobey?
Klaus: I hope nobody heard me say that. The Lord Jesus said we are to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” He did that. Although the Sanhedrin was unfairly trying Him, He didn’t rebel but answered acoordingly. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, had Him whipped, had Him crucified, but Jesus went as a Lamb to the slaughter. Using His almighty power, Jesus could have zapped anyone or all of those folks–but He didn’t. That was, in part, because it was God’s plan of salvation… but also because we are to “be subject to the higher powers … for there is no power but of God.”
Announcer: That’s what St. Paul said in Romans 13.
Klaus: He did. But Paul went further. He said, ‘to resist these powers is to resist the ordinance of God,’ and that is not a right thing to do.
Announcer: So now I’m hearing you say we can’t disobey?
Klaus: Look at how the apostles died. Almost all of them were put to death by unjust rulers or unjust churchmen. I know of no occasion in church tradition where one of those fellows picked up a sword and fought back.
Announcer: Does that mean we are supposed to be passively pushed around? Is there ever a time when enough is enough?
Klaus: Actually, there is. You can see that in Acts 5:39 where Peter and John are told to keep their mouths shut and quit preaching about Jesus. That is where the Apostles were being taken to a place where they couldn’t go. They replied, “Sorry, we have to obey
God rather than men.” And they continued preaching, regardless of the consequences.Announcer: So we can take a stand? Klaus: Most definitely. Announcer: A strong stand?
Klaus: Absolutely? Announcer: A mandatory stand? Klaus: I would think. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus says we should confess Him before men.
In fact, in a time of confession, whoever denies Christ before men, Jesus says He will deny them before His Father in heaven. Announcer: So, back to our listener’s question, ‘what might a stand like this look like?’ Klaus: I think it would be a “here I stand” sort of stand.Announcer: OK, now you’re alluding to a particular moment in history. Klaus: Yeah, I am. I refer to Martin Luther when he was on trial for his writings and his beliefs. He was told to shut up, and like Peter and John, he said, “I can’t. I have to stand on my conscience and my conscience is being ruled by Scripture. This is where I have to stand. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, I can’t move from this place.”
If you look at what Luther said, you will find his answer was powerful, but it was still respectful. He obeyed where he was able, where he could, but when he was being taken to a place he could not go, at that moment he dug in his heels and it was there he took a stand.Announcer: And his survival was not guaranteed. In fact, one hundred years earlier, Jan
Hus took a similar stand and things turned out quite differently for him. Klaus: Yeah, those historical moments are good examples for those who feel they must obey God rather than men.Announcer: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Lo, What a Cloud of Witnesses” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Create in Me a Clean Heart” performed by Dan Suelzle. Used by permission.
“Holy, Holy, Holy” arr. by Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
“Built on the Rock” arr. by Timothy Moke & Georg Masanz. From Magnificent Christian
Hymns, vol. 3 (© 2006 T. Moke Recordings)