1 Chronicles 12: The Dream Team

Prepare to be captivated as we draw an inspiring parallel between David's mighty warriors of 1 Chronicles chapter 12 and the iconic 1992 US Olympic Basketball "Dream Team." Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with Biblical legends and modern sports heroes as we uncover the exceptional traits that unite them across millennia. Marvel at the prowess of these ancient soldiers, akin to the skills of basketball greats such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, and see how their collective strength and dedication paved the way for King David's reign. As we navigate these storied waters together, you're invited to contribute your insights and join the conversation in our Bible Breakdown Discussion Group on Facebook, where the past comes alive and informs our present.

Venture into a world where unity and diversity converge, reflecting the multifaceted brilliance of the Body of Christ. We'll explore how the varied tribes of Israel, each bringing unique gifts and talents, rallied to David's side and forged a bond that teaches us about our own places within God's master plan. Then, let's embrace the liberating power of forgiveness as we dissect its true meaning and importance within the Christian community. Discover the courage to reconnect with a church fellowship, heal from the past, and embrace the future God has in store for you, inspired by the wisdom found in 1 Chronicles 29. Listen, be refreshed, and find your footing in the spiritual family that awaits your arrival.

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The More You Dig. The More You Find.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. 1 Chronicles, chapter 12, and today's title is the Dream Team. Alright, the Dream Team. We're going to get into what that is all about, but first of all, I don't know if you remember this, but once upon a time there was a group of people that assembled together to create one of the greatest teams, especially basketball teams, in history, and it was a group of American professional basketball players who were watching the college people who were the only people eligible to be part of the Olympic Games back then just get beat over and over again as Americans, and they were like we are better than this. So finally, they had the rules changed to where professional athletes in basketball and over again as Americans, and they were like we are better than this. And so, finally, they had the rules changed to where professional athletes in basketball could become part of the Olympic team, and they assembled one of the best teams ever. You had Michael Jordan, you had Larry Bird, magic Johnson all these just legends on the same team, and you could tell they were legends because when they went and played in the Olympic Games, they were absolutely unstoppable.

Speaker 1: 1:32

Well, what does that have to do with 1 Chronicles, chapter 12? Well, we're going to get into that in just a moment, but, of course, as always, before we get started, make sure you like, share, subscribe to the YouTube channel and to the podcast. Thank you so much for participating with us, and I would love for you to go to the comment section on the YouTube channel and let me know how you are engaging with God's word. Leave me comments, leave me things. I get a chance to read most of them and would love to just get back with you and all these kinds of things. And so, if you're a podcast listener, go to the YouTube channel and let me know how you were engaging with God's word. And then, of course, as always, another level of engaging with God's Word is when we go to the Bible Breakdown Discussion Group on Facebook. They do an amazing job there every day and, man, the more we dig, the more we find. So make sure you're going there as well.

Speaker 1: 2:20

Well, if you have your Bibles, want to open up with me to 1 Chronicles, 12. Remember, what's been going on for the past several chapters is we made it through all of those names and we've got more names to come, but we're going through all those names because they're so very important. They help establish the lineage of what's going on and, if you remember, this is being written most likely by a guy named Ezra, who was a priest. So the overall idea of 1 and 2 Chronicles is going to be from the scope of worship and honoring God, but also as the nation of Israel is slowly making their way back out of this exile they've been in for over 70 years. He's reestablishing their identity, their right to be in the land, and now he is going to start chronicling the greatest king in Israel's history, king David, a man that was known to be a man after God's own heart. As we're going to continue reading in 1 Chronicles, chapter 12, and we're going to watch how all these different men, these warriors, started joining with David to create a dream team, probably like we've never seen before or since in military history. So let's read this together and let's see what God's word has to say and then, maybe, what our takeaway could be at the end. You ready? Here we go. 1 Chronicles 12, and a whole lot more fun names, to say Verse 1.

Speaker 1: 3:41

The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul's son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. All of them were expert archers and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were also all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Their leader was Ahazir, son of Shemaiah from Gibeah. His brother was Joash and was second in command. These were the other warriors Jezail of Pelet, sons of Azamath, barak, jehu Alathoth, azamiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the 30. Jeremiah, jehazel, johanan, josabad from Gadira, elusia, jeremoth, beliah, zeramiah, shephaoth from Haruf, elkanah, eshurah, azarel, josiah, joshabim Huah, who were Karahites, jeolah Zerbiah and sons of Jehoram and Gador. Those were so hard. Some of the brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were experts in both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and swift as deer on the mountains. Ezer was their leader, Obadiah was second, eliab was third, mishmaniah was fourth, jeremiah was fifth, atiah was sixth, elal was seventh, johanan was eighth, elzabad was ninth, jeremiah was tenth and Jechebinah was eleventh.

Speaker 1: 5:36

Now pause. Now here's the thing. When I had friends growing up, we always teased each other with our names. My last name was Cannon, so that was easy enough, right. But then we had all these other friends. What I think about when I read these is nobody made fun of these guys' names. I mean, you think about it. These guys could shoot from their left hand or their right hand. They could fight like crazy. So everyone just called them Mr. These guys were no jokes the best warriors in all the land. Verse 14.

Speaker 1: 6:06

These soldiers from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops and the strongest could take on a thousand. These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all of the people living in the lowlands, on both the east and the south, and the West Banks. Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. David went out to meet them and said if you have come in peace to help me, we are friends, but if you've come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you. Then the spirit came upon Amasa, the leader of the 30, and said we are yours, david. We are on your side. Son of Jesse, peace and prosperity be with you and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you. So, david, let them join him. I mean, what do you say at that point? Right, david, let him join them. And he made them officers over his troops.

Speaker 1: 7:11

Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David as well when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But, as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent him back, for, he said, for, they said, it will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us. Now pause for just a moment. What we just read is something that's going to start coming up over and over and over again, and you're going to think you're having deja vu if you don't notice this, if you've been reading the Bible with us for a little while. Then, when I just said hey, there was a moment when he was going to go fight with the Israelites or against the Israelites, but at the last minute they said no, you stay home, you're probably going wait a minute.

Speaker 1: 7:57

That sounds familiar, and the reason why is because it is familiar. If you remember, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings were written about the history of the nation, about the time the nation of Israel went into captivity, and it was to explain what had gotten them into that mess. First and Second Chronicles that we're reading right now is also talking about the same time frame, but it's talking about the people that are coming back from that exile and it's helping them understand hey, god is still with you. These are the things that happen, but notice how God is moving in the process. So Ezra is inspired of the Holy Spirit and writing about the same things, but from a different point of view. So we're going to see a lot of these same themes. That's going to come up, especially over the next few chapters, but from the lens of God was moving the whole time. That's why the overall theme of 1 and 2 Chronicles, in my opinion, is when God is with you, there's always hope. All right, so let's keep moving on here. Verse 20.

Speaker 1: 9:00

Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag Adonai, jehozabad, jadiel, machel, jehozabad, elihu and Zalithiah Each commanded 1,000 troops from the tribe of Manasseh. They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders of his army. Day after day, more men joined David until he had a great army like the army of God. These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. Here we go with some more names you ready. From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears. From the tribe of Simeon, there was 7,100 brave warriors. From the tribe of Levi, there was 4,600 warriors. This included Jehoiada, the leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command. This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior with 22 members of his family, who were all officers. From the tribe of Benjamin, saul's relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men of Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time. From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan.

Speaker 1: 10:28

From the tribe of the half-tribe of Manasseh, west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king. From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the time and knew the best course for Israel to take. The tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors and they were faithfully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David. From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears. From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle. From the tribe of Asher, there was 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle. And from the east side of the Jordan River, there were tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh and that's where they lived and there was 120,000 armed troops with every kind of weapon.

Speaker 1: 11:33

These men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival and the people from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali brought food on. Donkeys, camels, mules and oxen, vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.

Speaker 1: 12:14

So, as you can see, at the end of Saul's reign, god collected the best of the best to be his rulers, his leaders, and to lead the nation toward freedom, because they were going to fight against the Philistines and all this kind of stuff. And so all these different people that were all good at different things, and when they put them all together, they created an amazing dream team or an amazing army and they went forward to do the Lord's work. And what does that have to do with us at all? Well, first of all, remember this is our great, great, great, great, great, great great grandparents, our aunts and our uncles by spiritual birth. The Bible says in Galatians that there is now a Jew nor Greek. We are all the same body, so, spiritually, these are our long, long, long long ago relatives. So it's awesome hearing about Uncle David and all the things that he did, but more close to home, if I could say, this reminds me of exactly what the body of Christ is supposed to look like.

Speaker 1: 13:16

The Bible says that God has given each one of us a different gift according to how he has made us. Do you know that your design can help reveal your destiny? Like God has made you the way you are for a reason. Now, I'm not talking about your bad temper, you know nothing like that. I'm talking about. There's a reason why you're passionate and naturally good at certain things. Do you know? You're good at things I'm not good at. I'm probably excited about things that you're not excited about. I'm a Bible nerd, I'm just a geek when it comes to things like this. You might not be, that's okay, because I love sitting here and doing this. Those are the things that you sit and you love to do, but we all need each other. We all come from different places, from different environments, from different backgrounds, but when we all come together, we all form the body of Christ.

Speaker 1: 14:06

God's word talks about how you know, one person is the hand, one person is the foot, one person is the nose, one person is the ear. I don't know who the armpit is, but we need you too. Thank you, armpit. Thank you, pinky toe. You know we all need to be something right and none of us can make it without the other. I don't know if you've ever done this before. Have you ever hit your little toe up against something? It is your little toe, one of the smallest parts of your body, but in that moment, everything from the top of your head down to that toe hurts, and you know that's the way the body of Christ is supposed to be. We all win together. If you run a marathon and you win, that little toe is just as much a winner as the rest of you, but if your little toe is hurting, your whole body is hurting.

Speaker 1: 14:48

What am I trying to say? And that is that we're supposed to be part of God's dream team and in the earth right now, his dream team is the big C church, and we all have a role to play and we all have a place. And the thing is is there's no such thing as a little, as a big I and a little you. We all have a a role to play, which is why it's so important for all of us to be connected to a local body of believers, because we need you. We need your gifts, talents, abilities, opportunities to then become a part of the body of Christ. Just like you need us, we need one another. There are so many verses in the New Testament that don't even apply to you unless you're part of the body of believers.

Speaker 1: 15:36

The 13 letters that Paul wrote, most of those inspired by the Holy Spirit, he wrote to local churches, not to individuals. He wrote a few to individuals, but most of them. He wrote to a local body of believers which then goes to people would say well, you know what, pastor, I don't want to go to a church, I just want to visit around. Well, that's called being a spiritual orphan. If you don't have a family, if you don't have someone that knows you by first name, a spiritual family, and we don't want to be spiritual orphans. On the other side you may say but you know what, pastor, I've been hurt before and can I tell you Me too. We've all been hurt by different things. Can I tell you that many of us.

Speaker 1: 16:14

When you become part of a local body of believers, there's going to be people in that local church that's going to hurt you. But does that mean that you're going to be a loner forever? No, don't let it be that. Don't blame God for what someone else did. Instead, forgiveness has got everything to do between you and God, not you and that person.

Speaker 1: 16:34

Forgiveness is not saying what they did was okay. It's not saying that you're ever going to let them do that to you again. Forgiveness is saying I'm not going to let what they did to me define my future. I'm not going to give them power over me anymore. And so if the reason why you're not connected to a local body in Christ is because of what someone has done to you, then don't give them a moment more of your future, but instead forgive them and turn them over to the Lord, because God wants you to be part of his dream team. Whatever that is, be part of the body of Christ, because we need you and you need us. So find a local place and plant yourself there and refuse to be moved, but instead stay there and grow and watch what God does. He wants you to be part of the team. Let's pray together, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, for what you're doing in our lives. Thank you, god, that you love us and you've given us the dignity and the honor of being part of the team. I pray Lord.

Speaker 1: 17:33

If there's anybody who is listening or watching this right now and that hit them in a different way. It hurt them a little bit because they had been hurt before and they had said to themselves I'm never going to be hurt like that again. Lord, I get that and I hear that, but I also don't want the enemy to rob them from the joy of having a spiritual family. I pray God for your wisdom, I pray for your healing and I pray you will put people in their life that will help them to walk forward. We're thankful for that. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen. Amen, but don't forget. God's word says in 1 Chronicles 29,. I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. I love you. God's got a plan for your life.