1 Chronicles 12:33
“Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all
instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not
of double heart.”
Not much is said about Zebulun in the Scriptures, but the verse above speaks volumes about this little-known tribe. One thing we do know about the tribe of Zebulun is that they were with Barak when he fought against Sisera, they were with Gideon when he fought the Midianites, and they stood with David when he was made king of Israel.
Every church could use people like Zebulun who are not known but are an integral part of helping the work of the LORD go forward behind the scenes. We have to realize that everyone doesn’t have to be a well-known tribe, but there must always be the unknown people working behind the scenes who are strong contributors to the LORD’s work. The verse above shows us what made this tribe so strong.
First, they were not afraid of the battle. Zebulun was a tribe who “went forth to battle.” You can’t be afraid of the battle in the Christian life because the Christian life is a battle. Satan always goes after the Christian who is serving the LORD; therefore, you must not be afraid to fight battles. The Christian must always remember that we are in a spiritual battle, and sometimes those battles are unpleasant, but we must not be afraid of fighting the battles so truth can be proclaimed.
Second, they excelled in what they did. The verse above says that Zebulun was “expert in war.” Christians need to be good at serving the LORD. It is sad when Christians are more of an expert in the things of the world than they are in the LORD’s work. You may not be good at what you do for the LORD right now, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work at becoming an expert in the things of the LORD.
Third, they were throughly furnished. Zebulun didn’t just use one weapon, but they went forth to battle “with all instruments of war.” The best Christian is the Christian who is well-balanced in the Christian life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 shows that you will only be able to fight with all the instruments of war by being a student of the Word of God. You will never have the strength of Zebulun until you learn how to use all the weapons of Christian warfare found in Ephesians 6.
Fourth, they were disciplined people who stayed in their area of responsibility. The verse above shows us that Zebulun “could keep rank.” The church doesn’t need Christians who are busybodies, but the church needs Christians who can keep rank. You need to stay disciplined in your life and not get yourself involved in areas that are not your responsibility. Don’t be the Christian who always has to give their opinion about another’s area. Have the strength of Zebulun who kept rank and took care of their responsibility.
Fifth, they wholeheartedly served the LORD. The verse above says that Zebulun was not of a “double heart.” You will never have the strength of Zebulun if you are trying to please the world and the LORD. The strength of Zebulun only comes to those who give their whole heart to serving the LORD. The strength of Zebulun is only found by staying focused solely on the LORD and His work.
The LORD’s work needs Christians who have the strength of Zebulun. If you lack in one of these areas, let me encourage you to strengthen yourself in that area so that you can be a great contributor to the LORD’s work.