Trained Young Men

It was during a recent devotional weekend for some 20 young men that the subject arose. We had just read a letter from West Africa from a beloved fellow worker (W.S.) in which he quoted from another's writings

"The missionary had been visiting the leper camp and was now returning to the village. I gave a last word of greeting and was just about to mount my bicycle when the old leper head man came out of his little hut. He held a spear between the stumps that had once been hands, and went hobbling along the path in front of me.

'Where are you going,' I called, 'I am going to escort you to the village; you cannot go alone with lions about.' They had told me a lion had been about and had showed me the spoor by the little stream. I smiled at him and said, 'But on my bicycle I will be there in a minute.' He would not have it; it was not fitting for me to go alone. I looked at him, a feeble old man, handless, feet half eaten, his whole body covered by marks of the dreadful disease and his face most pitiful. I said to him half banteringly and with a smile, 'Now what could you do if a lion came?' He drew himself up and with a quiet dignity he said, 'Have I not a life to give?"' It was a searching thought-have I not a life to give? One young brother prayed that night, as we sat round the old bothy fire, that there might be resolves of heart that weekend.

The talk came round to trained young men, for in the Old Testament "trained" and "dedicated" are the same Hebrew word. Abraham had 818 of them, born in his own house. And, in Genesis 14., the training of the young men wrought with the faith of the older man for the deliverance of Lot and his company. We do not normally associate Abraham with the training of young men. But he did, and that painstakingly and effectively. They were fortunate young men these, training under Abraham. To them it was doubtless both an honour and a joy to submit to the rigours of his disciplined household.

We talked on together. 1 Chronicles 12. seemed appropriate. Somehow we felt the inspiration of that chapter. Indeed it seemed to some of us as though we ought to read it again and again till we have its lessons by heart and its word-pictures standing out clearly in our minds.

We thought particularly of verses 2 and 8. They concerned David's "helpers in war." We pictured these brethren of Saul who came down from Benjamin, down to David to the hold "to turn the Kingdom of Saul to him." David received them feelingly, for they had left all to advance his cause in a dark hour; dark, yet, to them, lit up with the promises of God.

But David also trained them in the art of the sling and the bow. No room in David's fighting ranks for untrained, undisciplined men. They must learn to shoot with both hands, yes, to a hair-breadth and not miss. What hours of training these men must have put in, learning to shoot contrary to nature! Yet these right handed Benjamites counted it an honour to train to sling left handed for their beloved leader's sake.

Our minds travelled on to those heart-touched Gadites who "separated themselves unto David to the hold." They had cut the last traces behind them. They had embraced David's cause. They had gone out to him and they could never turn back. Here was an overcoming troop such as dying Jacob had foreseen as coming from the tribe, lion-like men as Moses had envisaged before he lay down on the lonely Nebo heights.

What a welcome David must have given them! If he had touched their hearts so they did his. And these men too were trained for war, handling shield and spear with equal grace and effectiveness. It mattered not whether defence or attack were involved, they were ready, armed for the conquest. Long, perhaps weary, hours of training, all laid at David's feet. If David put these men in to attack they had faces like lions. If David saw safety in flight they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains.

Then as we pondered the Spirit coming upon chief captain Amasai whereby he cried out on his men's behalf " Thine are we, David, and on thy side thou son of Jesse." We prayed that night for a like spirit amongst and within us, and amongst all the Lord's young men and young maidens to-day, everywhere.

Trained for war. It seemed to us that young men gladly accepted the rigours of preparation for David's campaigns because they loved and admired him. Loved him because he was a winsome and lovable man to whom they owed their all. Loved him also because the promises of God were centred in him. And the claims of great David's greater Son and Lord came home to our hearts; the claims of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us. In all our minds were still the words of the dear old leper : " Have I not a life to give ?

Would we yield ourselves ? Would we forthwith dedicate ourselves to training in the spiritual conflict for Him? Would we henceforth abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul? Would we get down to daily reading and meditation in the Word, and prayer? Would we study how to go into battle both to attack and to defend with " It is written " as our well-proved weapon? Would we learn to "resist the devil" until our hand cleaves to the sword? And let us "flee youthful lusts " until our feet are like hinds' feet, treading on the high places of God?

Going into training for the spiritual "wars of Canaan "-it was a sobering reflection, and we pass it on, for other young men's sakes and for the Name's sake of Him who is the Captain of the LORD'S host.

unknown | Dec 1953
Trained Young Men