PROTECTING THE BLACKSMITHS

“There were no blacksmiths to be found throughout all the land of Israel” (1 Samuel 13:19).

My grandfather was a blacksmith in the coal mines near New Castle, England. Early in the last century, Granddad packed up his wife and three boys and moved to Canada. Eventually, after trying his hand at wheat farming in eastern Alberta, he returned to blacksmithing in a tiny town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Blacksmiths were artisans in the truest sense of the word. When a piece of machinery broke, the blacksmith would be called on to do one of two things: either put it back together by welding or make a new part from a rough piece of metal. That’s exactly what Granddad was extremely good at. He worked with all kinds of metals: iron, steel, aluminum, silver, nickel, bronze and brass. Unfortunately, it was not known at that time that the fumes of heated aluminum were hazardous, and Granddad died of lung cancer from breathing the poisonous fumes.

What is the significance of the statement in 1 Samuel 13:19? The Philistines had essentially taken over the rule of Israel. To keep the Jews from rising up in warfare against them and to make them dependent, the Philistines dealt them a crippling blow; they either killed or imprisoned all the blacksmiths. There was no one to make weapons, no one to sharpen the swords, spears and tools of the land. Metallurgy was not nearly as advanced at that time as it would be at the time of Christ and so swords, spears and tools required a lot more attention to keep them useful. The blacksmiths even provided new tools or weapons when the old ones were broken beyond repair. By taking away all the blacksmiths, the Philistines could keep the Jews somewhat under control, all the while continuing to tax and plunder the nation.

The blacksmiths of today are the men and women who have been called of God into pastoral/teaching ministries. They are the artisans who labor at the forges of the local church throughout our land. They are busy laboring, taking rough pieces of iron and patiently crafting them into weapons and tools that are suitable for use. They repair the broken weapons and tools. Theirs is not glamorous work; it is often hot and dirty, the hours are long, and the pay is usually modest. However, these are men and women who are called of God and have been prepared by Him for their work. They have been endued with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and so they faithfully toil.

Without their tools, the Jews couldn’t plant their crops, work in their shops, make repairs or feed their families. When the blacksmiths were removed, the Jews were forced to pay the Philistines to put a sharp edge on their axe or their plow and repair their tools.

Frankly, who cares if there were no blacksmiths in Israel and why is this statement important?
In fact, this is a very chilling statement! It is important to us because we need the gifts of God in those men and women to help us find our full stature in Him. Under the anointing of the Spirit, the blacksmiths teach us how to walk and war in the spirit. Without the blacksmiths of God, there will be no weapons—without the weapons there will be no war—and without the war there is no possibility of victory.

There has never been a moment in church history when more pastors are under attack, becoming discouraged and considering leaving the ministry. The enemy, the Philistine, knows that if he can defeat pastors and cause a wholesale defection, he can finish off the church in the U.S. and Canada. Pastors today are being attacked on multiple fronts; many are so discouraged that they have begun to go to the Philistines for help. In their frustration and discouragement, they try things like bringing in secular consultants and using secular business models in hopes of giving them success according to secular standards. This is nothing more or less than going to the Philistines to get their tools sharpened.

I am extremely burdened for the church. I have deep concerns about many of the things going on in the “successful” church of today. While I have concerns, I have no intention of leaving the church, although that’s tempting; however, in my view that’s the cowards way out. I want to be a part of the solution not a compounding of the problem. It’s just so easy and so democratic to “cut and run.”

So, how do we help? First and foremost, we need to pray for our pastors—I mean really pray for them and for their families and for the staff that works with them. They are the blacksmiths and, as such, are prime targets of the enemy. Second, we need to let our pastors know that we love and support them and want to help them any way we can. If we are willing to put legs to our prayers, we will see the church continue to move ahead; otherwise, we will continue to pay the Philistine to tell us what to do!