1 Samuel 13:19-22 (ESV)
19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all
the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves
swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the
Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, 21
and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks,
and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the
hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son
had them.
As we look at this passage we see that it speaks of a
time when Israel had no blacksmiths to make weapons and was without any
armament to defend themselves. The enemy had succeeded to disarm Israel by
removing their weapons, and those who forged them! He's attempting the same
tactic today.
A blacksmith is someone who works with raw material and
fire, and who knows how to form and shape liquid metal into powerful weapons.
Anyone who works skillfully and accurately with the word of God is a spiritual
"blacksmith". The enemy, who is constantly attacking the word of God,
the sword of the Spirit, also seeks to silence or remove the spiritual
blacksmiths of this world. If he can get rid of them – the battle is over.
We need to pray for God’s blacksmiths because the enemy
is after them. Together with the fire of the Holy Spirit they forge the raw
material of His word into powerful weapons which shape and mold God's people
into His image and equip them for spiritual warfare and fruitfulness. But we
are all called to be strong in the word, and to take it up as our primary
weapon. Every spiritual blacksmith, himself started out as raw material which
was shaped and formed by the fire of God to fight in this battle with Satan.
So, as the battle rages, pray for the protection of God's
"blacksmiths", even as you submit to His process of shaping you into
one, yourself.
Dear Lord, we pray for the blacksmiths in our life. We
pray for Your protection over them as the work to mold others into the people You
would have them to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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