If I Am Unfaithful, My Courage Does Not Count, Therefore, I Will Always Be Faithful

From: November 24 -30, 2009

TOPIC: “If I Am Unfaithful, My Courage Does Not Count, Therefore, I Will Always Be Faithful” 2 Samuel 23:8-23 There is nothing greater in a man than fidelity. It is too bad that nowadays fidelity is not proper for most people. Fidelity is a perfect quality, it is beautiful. Nevertheless, what is found behind many people is ambition. It is difficult to do anything out of love. Then, we can be brave about many things, but lack fidelity. In Abishai there was a kind of personal ambition. Personal ambitions drive us to destroy whatever is in front of us in order to get what we want. So, because of the ambitions many do not understand fidelity. We have to struggle against our personal ambitions all our life, because every temptation is human and there isn’t anything we can’t defeat. (1 Corinthians 10:13) We are part of an army that fights for the same cause. When we struggle for our own personal ambitions, we seek to make others look bad when we should be struggling for the same cause. The brave who are faithful do not betray. But sometimes the desire to excel by being brave is what fills the eye and the heart. One who is brave should be courageous and struggling in a time where there is more necessities. And as a good courageous man we should be doing what is proper in the good time and in the bad times. One who is brave acts without restraints, no strings attached. Sometimes we want to do well to others, but we take too many measures, then we are not giving in completely. One who is brave surrenders completely. Those who intend to be brave, but have 100 rules to measure before acting, are not brave at all. We cannot conquer in a war with so many security measures. Sometimes, we have our personal war and that hinders our performance in the war where God has placed us to fight. No one who leaves to battle in this path should drag their own personal war. This undermines, interrupts and detains the advances in the war of God’s path. It is not for the faithful to mix one thing with the other. Abishai and Benaiah were from the second group of David’s courageous men. Let us watch how we walk and not act according to our personal opinion, let us be faithful and follow the Holy Spirit and God’s will. 1 Samuel 26:6-11 David knew it was not up to him to kill Saul. 2 Samuel 3:30 Abishai, together with his brother Joab, killed Abner, King Saul’s general. For that reason they were disqualified, even if they were brave, but they were not faithful. We can have the courage, but if we lack fidelity it is because we have acted as we wished. We have to be into God, know His thoughts and then we can act. In David’s kingdom these brave men had the army undermined due to their infidelity, giving orders that did not come from David. Joab had the authority when he was with David and even though he seemed to be the bravest, he was

unfaithful. He became so familiar with David that he believed to be wiser than the king and then taught his brother, Abishai, infidelity. 2 Samuel 16:9,10 Abisai was a burden to David because he was always coercing him. Abishai was audacious. 2 Samuel 19:21 There are things that correspond to God and not to us. David always knew to wait in the justice of God. 2 Samuel 21:17 Abishai loved David and his cause, but there was another cause that was greater concerning his brother and that qualified him as an unfaithful gallant. Many times we do not act correctly because we have two causes. We should walk according to God’s principles. One can love and even so not be faithful. This happens because the other cause, which is not God’s cause, pulls us with strength. We should settle our lives to be brave and faithful. One can love the church and not be faithful to it. One can be a sheep and not love. Let us not fall in similar mistake and condition which ends in a fall. 2 Samuel 8:18 Benaiah was over the Kerethites and Pelethites. An army was given to him. 2 Samuel 23:23 He was put in charge of David’s personal bodyguards. Everytime David saw this man he felt peace, his fidelity produced in him rest. That is why he placed his life in his hands. You can smell or percieve fidelity and also courage. Benaiah was placed in that group of the mighty men because he had the quality of being a faithful man. 2 Samuel 23:20. I Kings 1:36 Adonijah took the throne that did not belong to him and David thought about someone more faithful for the service of the kingdom. It was very clear to Benaiah that God had always supported David and was always with him. He had seen it and did not lose sight of God’s treatment with David. He knew that his army existed for the service and care of David’s children. What killed Joab was his excess of confidence in his proximity to the holy. Adonijah had conquered Joab’s heart. Joab demonstrated that he had been fighting for his own cause and not for the cause of Israel. Even though Joab had a higher position and was braver than Benaiah, something was missing: he never proved fidelity. Every believer and servant of God must acknowledge fidelity. In all that courage he had an interest in a position he wanted to enjoy. If we are not faithful, we will never have whatever it is we are struggling for. I Kings 2:29 Through Benaiah Joab’s life came to an end. Solomon knew he could trust a great servant like Benaiah who always said “yes” and “Amen” to God. Joab fled to the Lord’s altar because of his boldness. Anyone can be brave but not necessarily be faithful. Benaiah sought the well-being of the town, and not his own as Joab did. Courage can exist for many reasons, but the only reason for fidelity is that God is in our lives. Let us place ourselves where God wants us, this is the only way we can be faithful. Amen.