SHIELDED WARRIOR

We have seen these archers shoot their flights of arrows of Envy, Temptation, and False Accusation at Joseph ; now we will go up the hill a little, behind the rock, to look at the SHIELDED WARRIOR and see how his courage is while the archers have sorely grieved him. 

What is he doing? "His bow abideth in strength." 

Let us picture God's favorite. The archers are down below. There is a parapet of rock before him; now and then he looks over it to see what the archers are about, but generally he keeps behind. 

In heavenly security he is set upon a rock, careless of all below. Let us follow the track of the wild goat and behold the warrior in his fastness.  

First, we notice that he has a bow himself, for we read that "his bow abode in strength." 

He could have retaliated if he pleased, but he was very quiet and would not combat with them. 

Had he pleased, he might have drawn his bow with all his strength, and sent his weapon to their hearts with far greater precision that they had ever done to him. 

But mark the warrior's quietness. There he rests, stretching his mighty limbs; his bow abode in strength; 

He seemed to say, "Rage on, aye, let you arrows spend themselves, empty your quivers on me, let your bow-strings be worn out, and let the wood be broken with its constant bending; here am I, stretching myself in safe repose; my bow abides in strength; I have other work to do besides shooting at you; 

My arrows are against yon foes of God, the enemies of the Most High; I cannot waste an arrow on such pitiful sparrows as you are; ye are birds beneath my noble shot; I would not waste an arrow on you." Thus he remains behind the rock and despises them all. "His bow abideth in strength."  

Mark well his quietness. His bow "abideth." It is not rattling, it is not always moving, but it abides, it is quite still; he takes no notice of the attack. 

The archers sorely grieved Joseph, but his bow was not turned against them, it abode in strength. He turned not his bow on them. He rested while they raged. 

Doth the moon stay herself to lecture every dog that bayeth at her? Doth the lion turn aside to rend each cur that barketh at him? Do the stars cease to shine because the nightingales reprove them for their dimness? Doth the sun stop in its course because of the officious cloud which veils it: Or doth the river stay because the willow dippeth its leaves into its waters? 

Ah! no; God's universe moves on, and if men will oppose it, it heeds them not. 

It is as God hath made it; it is working together for good, and it shall not be stayed by the censure nor moved on by the praise of man. 

Let your bows, my brethren, abide. Do not be in a hurry to set yourselves right. God will take care of you. 

Leave yourselves alone; only be very valiant for the Lord God of Israel; be steadfast in the truth of Jesus and your bow shall abide.

~Charles Spurgeon~