Sunday August 21, 2016

Cease The Fire

-2 SAMUEL 2:18-32

Key Verse:

"So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more" (2 Samuel 2:28).

During World War I, on and around Christmas Day 1914, the sounds of rifles firing and shells exploding faded in a number of places along the Western Front in favour of holiday celebrations in the trenches and gestures of goodwill between enemies. The so- called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. It was never repeated. Future attempts at holiday ceasefires were quashed by officers' threats of disciplinary action. But it served as heartening proof, however brief, that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers' essential humanity endured. Our text contains the account of the civil war that raged between the troops loyal to the house of Saul and those loyal to David on both sides of the divided kingdom. Scores of soldiers were killed on both sides before Abner appealed to Joab to stop the war. Joab blew a trumpet and a ceasefire ensued. Like the civil war that raged in our text, so many wars are being fought involving many nations of the world today. One of the ways to end these conflicts is through negotiations and diplomacy either by the warring factions themselves, like it happened in our text or by a respected and influential individual or nation that can stand in the gap to avert further bloodshed. Christ has called us to peace. The servant of the Lord does not strive. Believers are The Bible called peacemakers. War may lead to peace, but at a staggering cost. Stop the war and start reaching out across the table with all perceived enemies.

Thought for the day: Stop waging war, wage peace instead.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 1 - 10