Numbers 1:20-46

Those that were numbered.

The first army of Israel, an illustration of the Church militant

I. The necessity of this army. The Church must be militant.

1. Internal foes have to be conquered. Carnal appetites, evil passions, &c.

2. External foes have to be conquered. Ignorance and superstition, immorality and irreligion, dirt and disease, vice and crime.

II. The authority for organising this army. God’s command.

III. The composition of this army.

1. Israelites only. Thoroughly decided Christians are needed now.

2. Able men only. Christ gives strength even to the weak and timid.

3. All the able men. None exempt. We must either vanquish our spiritual enemies, or they will vanquish us. Neutrality is out of the question here. Neither can we do our fighting by proxy.

IV. The conquering spirit of this army. When our faith in God is strong, we are invincible. When it fails, we are overthrown by the first assault of the enemy. True faith gives glorious visions to the spirit, inspires us with heroic courage, girds us with all-sufficient strength. Conclusion--

1. A call to decision. “Who is on the Lord’s side?”

2. A call to courage. Our arms are tried and true; our great Leader is invincible; let us then “be strong and of a good courage.”

3. A call to confidence. Our courage, to be true, must spring from faith, By trust we triumph. (W. Jones.)

The necessity of war:

I believe in war. I believe there are times when it must be taken. I believe in it as a medicine. Medicine is not good to eat, but when you are sick it is good to take. War is not a part of the gospel; but while men and the world are travelling on a plain where they are not capable of comprehending the gospel, a rude form of justice is indispensable, though it is very low down. If you go to a plain still higher, war seems to be a very poor instrumentality. And if you go yet higher and higher till you reach that sphere where the crowned Sufferer stands, how hideous war seems!]n the earlier periods of society it is recognised as having a certain value; but its value is the very lowest, and at every step upward, till you come to this central Divine exhibition, it loses in value. Always it is a rude and uncertain police of nations. It is never good. It is simply better than something worse. Physical force is the alternative of moral influence; if you have not one, you must have the other. (H. W. Beecher.)