These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised—this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:
Jashobeam, a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

• 1 Chronicles 11:10-14

So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the Lord. “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

• 1 Chronicles 11:18-19

On this Memorial Day, I am thinking about the soldiers that I served with.  It was peacetime, and for those years, they made it home to their families.

At the church where I attend, one man took it upon himself to chronicle all the people who were members of the church who died while in military service. He is a friend, and he meant well. He worked very hard on the research.

The distinction in his search is not what is meant by the reason for Memorial Day.  Someone who died of the pandemic (Spanish Flu) during World War I was indeed fighting for their lives, but they did not perish in combat.  Dying of a motorcycle accident while on leave is tragic, but not in the line of duty.

But this list was expanded to relatives of members.  My wife had an uncle who was conscripted into the German army during World War II, and he died at Stalingrad.  Somehow, he was not added to the list.  He was not American.

But the tombs of the unknown soldiers are a sermon in itself.  Remains from the designated wars are entombed there.  They are truly unknown.  They could be American.  They could be our allies.  The remains could be of enemy soldiers.  We honor the dead.  That last sentence ends with a period.  We honor the dead. (period!)

None of the dead returned home to hug their spouses or bounce their children on their knee.

I dislike the kind of war that William Tecumseh Sherman waged, but his strategy of burning all the crops so that everyone starved contributed to his famous statement.

“War is Hell.”

• William Tecumseh Sherman

War should be avoided, but not at all costs.

War will always be with us until the End Times.

People read the End Times prophecies and they are frightened, but we are living in troubled times already.  And the soldiers that we send from our communities might not come home because there are evil forces in this world that will not negotiate or worse, lie during negotiation and then attack when our backs are turned.

But while the world tries to burn the world to the ground, let us take comfort that Jesus has the last word.  He wins the final battle.

And when Jesus wins the final battle, it will be final.  No more war, death, sin, pain, crying.  Only love and joy and praise for our Savior.

But in the meantime, we need to honor those who have fallen.  They deserve more than just one day each year.

Memorial Day

Remember

We give honor and we glorify God.  We remember the brave souls who gave their lives in defending us.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.