The Courageous Calculus of Faith Text: 1 Chronicles 19:6-15
Introduction: Doubling Down on Folly
There is a kind of foolishness that, once embarked upon, seems to gather a dreadful momentum. It is one thing to make a mistake, to misjudge a situation. It is another thing entirely to realize your error and, instead of repenting, to reach for a bigger shovel to dig yourself deeper. This is what we find with the sons of Ammon. Having grievously insulted David's ambassadors, and by extension David himself, they see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. They know they have made themselves odious to David, which is the Bible's way of saying they stink in his nostrils.
A wise man, at this point, would send a delegation with sackcloth, ashes, and a very large apology. But Hanun and the sons of Ammon are not wise. They are proud. And the counsel of proud fools is always to double down. Their solution to provoking a righteous king is not to seek peace, but to hire an even bigger army. They see the consequences of their sin coming for them, and they decide to throw a thousand talents of silver at the problem, hoping that 32,000 chariots can make a bad decision into a good one. This is the logic of the ungodly. When caught in a lie, tell a bigger one. When your sin is found out, commit a greater one to cover it up. When you provoke God's anointed, don't repent; hire mercenaries.
This sets the stage for a masterful lesson in godly leadership, tactical wisdom, and theological clarity, all embodied in the person of Joab, David's tough, complicated, but effective general. We are about to see what happens when the foolishness of the world, with all its hired might, comes up against the calculated courage of God's people. The world thinks in terms of numbers, chariots, and silver. God's people must think differently. They must act with courage, plan with wisdom, and ultimately, rest in the sovereign decree of Almighty God.
The Text
Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David. So Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. Then David heard of it, and he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the city. But the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abshai his brother; and they arranged themselves to meet the sons of Ammon. And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will save you. Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.” So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Arameans for the battle, and they fled before him. Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they themselves also fled before Abshai his brother and came into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
(1 Chronicles 19:6-15 LSB)
The World's Solution: More Chariots (vv. 6-9)
We begin with the Ammonites' response to their own stupidity.
"Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David. So Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen..." (1 Chronicles 19:6)
Their self-awareness extends only to the fact that they have a political problem, not a moral one. They don't see that they have sinned; they see that they have made a powerful enemy. Their solution is entirely horizontal. They turn to silver and to foreign armies. They trust in the arm of the flesh, the horsepower of Mesopotamia, and the sharp edges of Aramean steel. They are buying a solution. They believe that if they can just assemble an overwhelming force, the rightness or wrongness of their cause will be irrelevant. Might, for them, makes right.
They hire a massive force, 32,000 chariots, and various kings and their armies. The Ammonites muster their own men and arrange for battle at the gate of their city, Medeba, while their hired help, the Aramean mercenaries, are camped out in the open field. This is their strategy: a massive, two-pronged force. It is a formidable sight. On paper, it looks like a guaranteed victory. But David does not respond in fear. He responds with faith and force. He sends Joab and "all the army, the mighty men." He doesn't send a portion; he sends the whole host of his tested, hardened veterans. David understands that when the enemies of God assemble, you meet them with the full strength God has provided.
Joab's Dilemma and Strategy (vv. 10-12)
Joab arrives on the scene and immediately assesses the tactical situation. It is not good.
"Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear." (1 Chronicles 19:10)
He is caught in a classic pincer movement. The Ammonites are before him at the city gate, and the hired Arameans are behind him in the field. He is surrounded. For many commanders, this would be the moment to panic or to sue for terms. But Joab is a man of action and a brilliant tactician. He does not see an impossible situation; he sees a complex problem that requires a wise solution. He doesn't wring his hands; he divides his forces.
He takes the elite, the "choice men of Israel," and arrays them against the more dangerous threat: the Aramean mercenaries in the open field. Chariots are most effective in the open, so he takes his best men to neutralize the greatest danger. The rest of the army he places under the command of his brother, Abshai, to hold the Ammonites in check at the city gate. The plan is sound. It is wise. It is a calculated risk based on a clear-eyed assessment of the situation.
And then he lays out the terms of engagement for his brother. "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will save you." This is a pact of mutual support. It is a recognition of brotherhood and dependence. Joab is not a lone hero. He knows he needs his brother, and his brother needs him. This is how the church is to function in its spiritual warfare. We are not isolated commandos. We are an army, and we must be ready to reinforce one another when the battle gets too hot.
The Theological Center (v. 13)
What Joab says next is one of the most magnificent statements in all the historical books. It is the theological core of the entire passage, and it perfectly balances human responsibility and divine sovereignty.
"Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight." (1 Chronicles 19:13)
Break this down. There are two distinct parts here. First, the command to human action: "Be strong, and let us show strength." This is our duty. God does not call his people to passivity. He does not want us to sit in a prayer circle on the hillside while the enemy overruns our cities. Faith is not a synonym for inaction. Faith acts. Faith fights. We are commanded to be strong, to be courageous, to put on the whole armor of God, to stand, to wrestle, to fight the good fight. Joab is calling his men to do their absolute utmost, to fight with every ounce of their strength and skill.
And notice the motivation he provides: "for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God." They are not fighting for personal glory, or for plunder, or for the sheer love of a good scrap. They are fighting for their families, their children, their homes. They are fighting to protect the covenant community. And even more, they are fighting for the cities of their God. They recognize that the land, the cities, the inheritance, all belong to Yahweh. They are stewards of God's property, and they are called to defend it. This is a righteous cause.
But after calling for maximum human effort, Joab pivots to absolute divine sovereignty. "And may Yahweh do what is good in His sight." This is the essential confession of faith. Joab has done everything a good general can do. He has assessed the threat, devised a wise strategy, divided his troops, and exhorted them to courage. He has left nothing to chance. And yet, at the end of it all, he places the outcome entirely in God's hands. He knows that the victory does not ultimately depend on his strategy or the strength of his men. The battle belongs to the Lord.
This is the paradox of the Christian life. We are to work as if it all depends on us, and we are to trust as if it all depends on God. We are to pray like Calvinists and evangelize like Arminians. We are to plan, and work, and strive, and fight, and then, with open hands, say, "Thy will be done." Joab's theology is perfectly balanced. He is not a fatalist who says, "Well, if God wants us to win, we'll win, so let's just sit here." Nor is he a humanist who says, "It's all up to us and our sharp swords." He says, "Let us fight like men, and let God be God."
The Rout and the Result (vv. 14-15)
The result of this courageous, faithful action is immediate and decisive.
"So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Arameans for the battle, and they fled before him." (1 Chronicles 19:14)
The mercenaries, the ones hired for silver, have no real stake in this fight. They are here for a paycheck. When they see the elite forces of Israel advancing with grim determination, their hearts melt. They have no "people" or "cities of our God" to fight for. They are fighting for money, and money is a poor substitute for conviction. They break and run without a real fight.
And what happens next is predictable. "Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they themselves also fled before Abshai his brother and came into the city." Courage is contagious, but so is cowardice. The Ammonites were banking on their hired help. When their confidence in the arm of the flesh evaporated, so did their own courage. They turn tail and run back behind the safety of their walls. The great, expensive, overwhelming force dissolves into a panicked mob. Joab's wise strategy, courageous action, and faithful trust are completely vindicated by God.
Conclusion: Fighting for the City of God
This historical account is not just a thrilling military story. It is a paradigm for all of our spiritual battles. We too are often faced with situations where the enemy seems to have us surrounded, front and rear. The world, the flesh, and the devil form a confederacy against us, and on paper, their forces look overwhelming.
We are tempted to respond in one of two wrong ways. We can respond like the Ammonites, trusting in worldly solutions. We can throw money at our problems, or seek political power, or hire our own philosophical mercenaries to fight for us, hoping that a big enough show of force will make our spiritual problems go away. This never works. Or, we can be tempted to despair, to look at the pincer movement against us and conclude that the battle is already lost.
But Joab shows us the third way, the way of faith. We must be clear-eyed about the threat. We must be wise and strategic in our planning. We must be willing to act with courage and strength, using all the gifts and resources God has given us. We must exhort one another to be strong, reminding each other of what is at stake: our people, our families, and the cities of our God, the Church.
And having done all that, we must, at the end of the day, entrust the outcome to God. We fight for the victory, but the victory itself is His to give. Our job is faithfulness in the battle. God's job is the result. "Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight." This is the calculus of courageous faith. May God grant us grace to live by it.