Men of Valor: Shammah
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadiwck Did you know that in Ezekiel 48:35, God encourages Ezekiel, as Jerusalem is in ruins and God’s people await the rebuilding of the temple, that the name of the city would be Jehovah Shammah? It means “the Lord is there.” Shammah. It is a powerful name! A name that is mentioned several times in the Bible. In the face of desolation, this name should remind each of us of God’s ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). But it also reminds us of friends who are always there for us, as Shammah was for David. In Shammah’s story, he is also called “a man of...
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Men of Valor: Eleazar
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Eleazar, the son of Dodo, is our next man of valor. As a side note, Dodo is not a name I would recommend naming your next child! 2 Samuel 23 gives the account of his story. Also called “a man of valor,” Eleazar was another one of the three mighty men in King David’s inner circle. He, too, was a Benjamite, from the tribe of King Saul. Like Jashobeam, I wonder if he had to decide where his loyalties would lie, either with David or Saul and take a stand. Eleazar was most known for fighting against the Philistines, along with Jashobeam and Shammah, the other two of...
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Men of Valor: Jashobeam
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Jashobeam. Also known in 2 Samuel 23 as Josheb-Basshebeth, his name means “the people return” or “dweller among the people.” He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 27. He is today’s man of valor. Jashobeam was one of King David’s three mighty men. A close friend and bodyguard to the king, he truly was one of the friends David could trust and return to again and again during times of joy and sorrow. He was also in charge of the first division of 24,000 men. As Jesus had an inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John), so did King David. Could it be that this is a model...
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Men of Valor: Jephthah
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick The book of Judges is a story of the rise and fall of Israel. Over and over again, they would disobey God, worship false idols, then fall into the hands of a foreign, oppressive enemy. They would then cry out to God for help and he would raise up a judge to deliver them and establish order once again. People like Gideon, Samson and Deborah took their place in God’s story to recalibrate the nation after chaos, delivering God’s people from evil. Judges 11 tells the story of Jephthah, another judge over Israel and our next man of valor. In this chapter, the Israelites...
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Men of Valor: King David
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick King David was described as “a man of valor and a man of war” in 1 Samuel 16:18. Take note that David is referred to as a man of valor even when was still a young boy, much like we saw yesterday with Zadok. It’s no wonder he went on to take on a bear and a lion when he was a mere shepherd boy. He developed valor as a young man in the pastures so he could lead in valor in the palace. Think for just a moment. Where is God developing you right now? What are the “pastures” in your life where you are training and developing yourself for future battles? Places...
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Men of Valor: Zadok
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Zadok is today’s man of valor. 1 Chronicles 12:28 describes him as “a young man mighty in valor,” who had 22 commanders under him that were from his father’s house. Just from this verse alone, we can see that Zadok was esteemed within his family and given leadership on a greater scale because of his faithfulness. He clearly must have been a very well respected and highly skilled warrior. Two particular things strike me about the story of Zadok. First, he was a man of great courage, but also skilled. You can have all the courage in the world, but lack discipline and...
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Men of Valor: Joshua’s Mighty Men
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick In a culture where men are being emasculated and torn down, God desires to raise up a generation of men who reflect his heart of strength, love and courage. Joshua’s mighty men of valor are today’s men of valor. You will find their story in Joshua 10. They were a whole team of courageous men! The Gibeonites, a tough group of grizzled soldiers, stood in the way of God’s people acquiring the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Joshua 10:7, Joshua went up from Gilgal with “all the mighty men of valor.” These were some of Israel’s most...
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Men of Valor: Gideon, A Mighty Man
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Some years ago, my wife, Marilynn, wrote a book called “Woman of Valor.” The concept of becoming women of valor has become a theme very near and dear to her heart. Her book has recently been revised and she and I both feel it has very much been written for these days in which we are living! Valor is a character trait that God’s people must develop. I want to continue to build on last week’s women of valor theme and look at several men of valor. We are going to start by looking at the story of Gideon, a man who God called a mighty man of valor. You will find...
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Women of Valor: Love Makes us Brave
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick I agree with Indiana Jones: “I hate snakes!” Maybe some of you share my distaste for these slithery reptiles. A while back, when cleaning our garage, our son found a small copperhead hiding behind a box. My first response was, “Yikes! Go hide!” My next thought was, “Go get ‘em!” I grabbed the nearest gardening tool and went after that snake with a warrior-like vengeance, sending him into the grave! Why? Because he was in my garage…near my kitchen door…a threat to my home and family! Though I’m scared of snakes, my love...
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Women of Valor: A Warrior Mom
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick I still marvel when I remember the beautiful young mother I once met in a tiny country in a forgotten corner of the world. She was a survivor of the horrific genocide in Burundi that had exploded alongside Rwanda’s frenzy of killings. I’d been invited to teach on the subject of prayer to a group of church leaders and pastors' wives. All were survivors of the war and no strangers to prayer. So I asked if any had personal stories to tell. One by one, the women stood and shared stirring accounts of God’s miraculous power during times of great danger. Finally, this young...
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First mentioned in Exodus 6:20, Jochebed is our next woman of valor.
Jochebed was the mom of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. As the story unfolds in Exodus 2:1-10, she gave birth to Moses knowing the Pharaoh had issued an edict for all Hebrew male babies to be killed.
With a heart of wisdom, she decided to hide Moses in the bulrush. One day, Pharaoh's daughter, who we will learn more about in a couple of days, discovers Moses while bathing in the Nile River.
Miriam, Moses’s sister, watched as everything unfolded. The daughter approached the Pharaoh's daughter and asked if she would like for her to find a Hebrew nursemaid to nurse the baby. Amazingly, by God’s providence, the Pharaoh’s daughter agreed to the proposition. Miriam fetched her mother, Jochebed, to nurse baby Moses in safety!
Have you noticed how shortsighted we can be in believing in the greatness of God? In spite of the fact that Moses had to be hidden in the face of possible death, God figured out a way to return him back into the hands of his mother for nourishment and comfort. What a mighty God we serve! His overarching providence of his world is perfect.
I have to believe Jochebed knew that the baby Moses was special. Hebrews 11:23 says that Moses was a “beautiful child,” meaning urbane, gifted, and most likely already carrying characteristics of a leader. Like many moms do, I would imagine Jochebed discerned these qualities in her son even as a baby!
God has a sovereign, providential plan for his world. Moses was a part of that plan and so God protected him, using people like Jochebed to carry out his story. Jochebed was an essential part of that plan!
God is not looking for ability, but availability. May we all remain available to whatever God asks of us in whatever way he wants to use us in accomplishing his plan for the earth!