1 Chronicles 11:10-14: a reflection

10Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the LORD’s word concerning Israel. 11This is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time. 12After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14They stood in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great victory.

Among the accounts of David's chief warriors is a small, memorable story about a man named Eleazar. The Philistines had gathered for battle in a field of barley, and when the rest of the people fled, Eleazar stood his ground. He took his stand in the middle of that plot of land, defended it, and struck down the enemy, and the Lord brought about a great victory. One man refused to run, and God worked through his stand.

What stands out is that Eleazar held a single plot of ground, an ordinary field of barley, when everyone else had given it up as lost. He did not wait for grand circumstances; he simply defended the piece of ground in front of him with courage. And Scripture is careful to say where the victory came from: the Lord saved them by a great victory. Eleazar stood firm, and God gave the triumph. The courage was his; the victory was God's.

There is encouragement here for anyone tempted to give up the ground in front of them. You may not be called to some grand battle, but to hold your own small plot faithfully, a commitment, a duty, a stand for what is right, when others around you are giving way. Do not flee the field just because others do. Take your stand on the ground God has given you, hold it with courage, and trust him to bring the victory. Faithfulness in one small field can be where God works.

Lord, when others fled, Eleazar stood his ground in one small field, and you gave a great victory through his stand. Give me that courage to hold the ground you have entrusted to me, the commitment or duty or stand for what is right, even when others give way. I will hold my place; you bring the victory. Make me faithful where you have set me. Amen.