The Conditions of Holy War Text: 1 Chronicles 5:18-22
Introduction: History With a Point
The book of Chronicles is often treated by modern readers as the dusty attic of the Old Testament. We walk past it quickly, perhaps tripping over a few unpronounceable names on our way to the more exciting narratives in Samuel and Kings. But this is a grave mistake. The Chronicler is not simply repeating history; he is interpreting it. He is preaching a sermon from the historical records, reminding the post-exilic community of who they are, whose they are, and how they are to live now that they are back in the land. And a central part of that sermon is about the nature of true spiritual warfare.
Our text today is a brief, almost-overlooked account of a successful military campaign by the trans-Jordanian tribes. It reads like a dry military report, full of numbers and names. But embedded in this report are the fundamental principles of all righteous conflict. It is a case study in what it means to fight in a way that pleases God and secures His blessing. We live in a time that is deeply confused about conflict. On the one hand, we have a sentimental, effeminate Christianity that is allergic to the very idea of warfare, that wants to edit out all the uncomfortable, bloody parts of the Old Testament. On the other hand, we have a carnal, jingoistic spirit that is quick to wrap the flag around the cross and baptize any and every earthly conflict with the name of God.
This passage cuts through both errors with sharp clarity. It shows us a people who were skilled in the ordinary means of warfare, but whose ultimate reliance was not in their skill. It shows us a conflict that was not undertaken for personal glory or plunder, but one that was "of God." And it shows us the outcome of such a conflict: decisive victory, overwhelming blessing, and secure possession of the land. This is not just a lesson for ancient Israel. This is a paradigm for the church militant in every age. We are called to be men of valor, skilled in the use of our spiritual weapons, but our victory is never found in the weapons themselves. It is found in crying out to God in the midst of the battle, trusting wholly in Him. For the war, our war, is of God.
The Text
The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of men of valor, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and were learned in the ways of battle, were 44,760, who went out for military duty. They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He was moved by their entreaty because they trusted in Him. They took captive their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys; and 100,000 men. For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the exile.
(1 Chronicles 5:18-22 LSB)
Competence and Valor (v. 18)
We begin with the description of the army.
"The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of men of valor, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and were learned in the ways of battle, were 44,760, who went out for military duty." (1 Chronicles 5:18)
The Chronicler is careful to note that these were not helpless pietists waiting for a miracle to drop out of the sky. They were "men of valor." They were competent. They were equipped with shield and sword. They were skilled archers. They were "learned in the ways of battle." This is the foundational principle of godly action in the world: faith is not a substitute for competence. Crying out to God is not an excuse for laziness or ineptitude. God ordinarily works through means, and He expects His people to be skilled in the use of those means.
A farmer who prays for a harvest but never plows his field or sows his seed is not exercising faith; he is tempting God. A student who prays for a good grade but never studies is engaging in magical thinking, not biblical faith. In the same way, these tribes did not sit back and say, "Well, God will fight for us, so we don't need to practice with the bow." No, they honored God by stewarding the gifts and abilities He had given them. They were prepared for war. The New Testament makes the same application to our spiritual conflict. We are to "put on the full armor of God" (Eph. 6:11). We are to take up the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit. We are to be skilled in the use of our spiritual weaponry. A Christian who does not know his Bible, who does not know how to pray, who is not discipled in the faith, is like a soldier sent to the front lines without a rifle. Valor and learning go together. Piety and preparation are not at odds.
The Divine Assistance (v. 19-20)
Having established their competence, the text immediately moves to the true source of their victory.
"They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He was moved by their entreaty because they trusted in Him." (1 Chronicles 5:19-20)
Here is the heart of the passage. They were skilled, yes, but they were "helped against them." Their victory was not the result of their skill alone. The enemy was "given into their hand." This was a divine gift, a sovereign act of God. And the text gives us the precise reason why God acted on their behalf. It gives us two conditions, which are really two sides of the same coin: "they cried out to God in the battle" and "they trusted in Him."
Notice the timing. They cried out "in the battle." This was not a prayer offered comfortably in the barracks the night before. This was a desperate cry for help in the heat of the conflict, with swords swinging and arrows flying. It is easy to trust God when the sun is shining and the enemy is far away. True faith shows its colors in the thick of the fight. When the odds are against you, when you are tempted to rely on your own strength or to despair, that is the moment to cry out to God. This is the prayer of Jehoshaphat when faced with a vast army: "we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you" (2 Chron. 20:12).
And their cry was effective because it was rooted in trust. "He was moved by their entreaty because they trusted in Him." God is not a cosmic vending machine where prayer is the coin we insert to get what we want. He looks at the heart. Their prayer was not a foxhole superstition; it was the audible expression of a deep, settled confidence in the power and faithfulness of their covenant God. They knew that their swords and bows were useless apart from His blessing. They were competent, but not self-reliant. And because they honored God by trusting Him, God honored them by giving them the victory.
The Spoils of a Godly War (v. 21)
The result of this God-given victory was overwhelming blessing.
"They took captive their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys; and 100,000 men." (1 Chronicles 5:21)
The numbers here are staggering, and we should not get bogged down in debates about hyperbole. The point the Chronicler is making is theological, not just mathematical. The spoil was immense. When God gives a victory, it is not a narrow, squeaked-out affair. His blessing is lavish, abundant, overflowing. These spoils were not just a reward; they were the tangible evidence of God's favor. They were the means by which these tribes would be established and prosper in the land God had given them.
This is a physical picture of a spiritual reality. When we engage in spiritual warfare God's way, trusting in Him, the result is not just survival but plunder. We take ground from the enemy. We see captives of sin set free. We see the wealth of the nations, their gifts and abilities, brought into the service of Christ's kingdom. The victory of the gospel is not a retreat into a holy huddle; it is an advance that results in the disarming of the enemy and the joyful plundering of his goods for the glory of our King (Col. 2:15).
The Ultimate Cause (v. 22)
The passage concludes with the ultimate theological explanation for this entire event.
"For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the exile." (1 Chronicles 5:22)
This is the capstone. Why did they win so decisively? Why were they helped? Why was the plunder so great? "Because the war was of God." This was not a private feud. This was not a war of aggression for personal enrichment. This was a conflict that God Himself had authorized and initiated. The Israelites were acting as His agents of judgment against the Hagrites. This is the principle of holy war. It is not a license for God's people to do whatever they want, but a solemn responsibility to act as God's instrument when He commands it.
In the Old Covenant, this sometimes took the form of physical warfare against the enemies of Israel. In the New Covenant, our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12). But the principle remains the same. Our mission, the Great Commission, is a war that is "of God." We go forth not in our own authority, but in the authority of the risen Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth. We fight not with carnal weapons, but with the divine power of the gospel to demolish strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4). Because this war is of God, the outcome is not in doubt.
The final phrase is both a comfort and a warning: "And they lived in their place until the exile." Their obedience and faith secured their place in the land for generations. They enjoyed the fruits of their God-given victory. But the mention of the exile is ominous. It reminds the Chronicler's readers, and us, that God's blessing is covenantal. The same God who gives victory to the faithful and trusting will bring judgment and removal upon the faithless and disobedient. The exile happened because later generations forsook the very principles that had given their ancestors victory. They stopped crying out to God. They began trusting in their own strength, or worse, in the idols of the nations around them. They forgot that the war was of God, and began to fight for themselves. And the result was disaster.
Conclusion: Fighting the Lord's Battles
This short historical account is a manual for Christian living. We are all soldiers. We are all in a battle. The question is not whether you will fight, but how you will fight, and for whom.
First, we are to be competent. We are to be men and women of valor, learned in the ways of our spiritual battle. We must know the Word, be constant in prayer, and be skilled in wielding the sword of the Spirit.
Second, our competence must be saturated with dependence. Our skill is the instrument, but God is the swordsman. In the heat of the battle, when temptation presses in, when the world, the flesh, and the devil seem overwhelming, we must cry out to God. Our trust must be in Him alone, for He is the one who gives the victory.
And third, we must remember that this war is of God. We are not fighting for our own little kingdom, our own reputation, or our own comfort. We are fighting for the honor of King Jesus. The Great Commission is His battle plan. The gospel is His weapon. And because the war belongs to the Lord, the victory is assured. He will build His church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Let us therefore fight with valor, cry out with faith, and trust in the God whose war can never be lost.