And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2 Peter 1:7 KJV
The Macedonian Phalanx was one of the most outstanding military tactics in history which turned ordinary men into war machines. Founded by King Philip II of Macedonia in a time when his army was untrained and in shambles, this tactic was used by Alexander the Great to conquer a great deal of the civilized world in his time. The strength of this tactic was not necessarily in the shields or the four to six-meter-long spears (Sarissa) they carried. Their strength was in the unity and professionalism exhibited by the Phalanxes (Macedonian soldiers). These men matched and moved as one, regardless of the skill and strength of each individual soldier. Each man moved in their rank and their enemies could not withstand them. Joel 2:1-11 speaks of a great and terrible army in the day of the Lord. These men run like mighty men, climb walls, and do not break their rank. This prophetically speaks of the end-time army, the Eklessia that the Lord Himself is raising. An army of ordinary men who have learned to move as one man.
The word “brotherly kindness” speaks of fraternal affection. It is slightly different from Agape, which is unconditional love. This is a fondness for the brethren, a bond formed by a shared desire to do the will of the Father. David and Jonathan exemplified this affectionate love in 1 Samuel 20:17. Jonathan loved David at the expense of his right to the throne and his relationship with his father, because of the shared desire for God’s will. David replicated this kindness to him by caring for his offspring after he was dead. The brethren is the strongest fraternity since the beginning of time, and it is bounded by a code of unfeigned love.
According to Jesus in Matthew 12:48-50, brethren was not defined by blood, but by doing the will of the Father. Jesus Himself calls us His brethren in Matthew 25:20 and warns that any ill done to His brethren is done to Him. As a result, Peter admonished us in 1 Peter 1:22 to love from a pure heart. Knowing that Jesus considered even the least of the saints His brethren, each believer must take it upon himself to treat his brethren as He would treat Jesus. Hospitality is a command, not a plea. Romans 13:8-13 shows that we have a debt to love every man. Our strength is in our oneness. The bible says in Psalm 122:3 that Jerusalem (prophetic of the church) is built as a city that is united together. This means for the building of the church of God, we must war against anything that causes discord among brethren. This includes gossip and backbiting, favoritism and factions which are all signs of carnality in an individual.
In Isaiah 58, the children of Israel had gone on a fast to seek the Lord. They actually delighted to hear His Word. However, in Isaiah 58:3, we see a sad situation. After fasting, they cried that there was no response. This was because they fasted for strife and wickedness. God hates anything that brings discord between brethren, regardless of how outwardly righteous it may appear. It is possible to do ministry out of an impure motive and for vain glory. Paul spoke of men in Philippians 1:15-17 who preached Christ out of envy and strife. The Lord responded to the Israelites that they should fast a true fast which involved charity and love. If they did this, the Lord promised to bless them and make them repairers of breaches.
Final thoughts: Creation is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God. There are age-old breaches between man and his God that will be repaired by these Sons of God. These are men who fall on each other’s swords and are not hurt. They are willing to lay their lives and comfort for the brotherhood. To these men, Jesus will say, come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World, for I was in need and you showed Me brotherly love.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for me which led you to lay your life for me. Help me to show this love to my brethren, to be willing to lay down my life for my brethren. Help me to love the way you do. Let brotherly love abound amongst us. Amen
Scripture: Isaiah 58
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