Christ - Vanguard & Rereward

"Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah." (II Chronicles 13: 13-15 NIV)

There are many good lessons to learn from this incident in the history of the divided people of God, of the civil war between the northern kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) and the southern kingdom of Judah. Of course, it was the northern kingdom who was at fault for this unholy war. God fought for Judah and "routed" the evil kingdom of "Israel" under the usurper, King Jeroboam.

The main lesson for us in this study is how God's "fighting for" Judah involved God in both offense and defense, in both being a Vanguard and a Rereward or Rear Guard.

By definition a "vanguard" is a person or group who protects the "front" of an army, one who is "before" the people being protected, or "between" them and the frontal attacking enemy.

The word "vanguard" is from the Middle English word "vauntgard," from the Anglo-French vantgarde, or "avantgarde" (from "avant" meaning "fore" or "before" - from Late Latin abante) and from "garde" (now "guard"). A "vanguard" is one who is in the "forefront" of an action or troop movement or the "fore guard."

The vanguard is in "advance" of the people or army, or "ahead" of them, one who is "leading" in the fight.

"Rereward" is also from Middle English, from the Anglo-French, from "rere," or "arere," or "behind," plus "warde," or "gard" (guard). It is synonymous with "rear guard."

In the above conflict, Lord God himself acted as Judah's Vanguard and Rereward. He was both their "fore" guard and their "rear" guard. He protected them against both a "frontal attack" and an attack to the "rear."

"And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai." (Numbers 10: 25 KJV)

"And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets...And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets." (Joshua 6: 9, 13 KJV)

"But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." (Joshua 10: 19 KJV)

"And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish." (I Samuel 29: 2 KJV)

All these passages emphasize the importance of being protected in both the front and rear, and of the need for having a strong Vanguard and Rereward. In the case of the incident in the days of Joshua, we see two groups who made up the Vanguard before the ark of the Lord.

First, there were the "armed" guard, and then the "priests" who bore and blew the holy trumpets. Also, it is seen how the safety of an army was dependent upon the strength of their vanguards and rear guards. If the vanguard or rear guard is weak, then the enemy will surely attack there.

God appeared to Abraham and said, "I am your shield." (Genesis 15: 1 KJV) Lord God is a "force field" that goes all around the believer, protecting his side, front, and rear. The "shield of faith" (Ephesians 6: 16) is the shield that faith takes hold of, but the shield is God himself.

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward." (Isaiah 52: 11, 12 KJV)

Here the Lord urges sinners to "depart" or to "leave" their life of sin and to enter into fellowship with God. He gives them incentive for doing so by promising to "go before" them, to be their "vanguard" of protection and defense.

If the Lord goes out "before" his people, then he encounters every difficulty, and hurdle, and enemy, first. Thus, Lord God is both a leader and shield to his people. He is their vanguard of the future, of their destinies.

"Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. " (Deuteronomy 1: 29-33 NIV)

The Lord went before his people to do all the things that leaders, scouts, and vanguards do. He went ahead of them to ensure their safe passage. In going before them the Lord would "fight for them," meeting the enemy in advance of his people.

"The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long." (Exodus 14: 18-20 NIV)

What a display of the divine presence and protection! God's protection consisted of both what was visible and invisible. The pillars of cloud and fire, one for the day and the other for the night, were living representations of the presence of God. The "Angel of the Lord" was the Lord Jesus Christ, in his pre-incarnate existence, as Son of God, as God, and who led the people of Israel in all their wanderings. What mighty vanguards! What a shield!

Notice how the pillar also acted as a rear guard or rereward. The pillar moved from its place in the vanguard to the place of the rear guard, for the enemy was then attempting to attack Israel in her rear. Notice how the purpose of a vanguard or rear guard was to "come between" the enemy and his people. That is what the Lord does for his people!

"Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." (Exodus 13: 22 NIV)

Yes, the pillar of God remained in the vanguard, only removing to the rear when the enemy approached from that direction. God too will not forsake his people, from defending them, from going before them, and from protecting them from "sneak attacks" from behind them.

"The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31: 3, 8 NIV)

Notice again how Lord God promises to be the vanguard of his people, and how he enlists men who will become part of the vanguard of the Lord. People who are enlisted to lead God's people, and to act as a vanguard for the Lord, and for his people, are important people for the "general assembly" of the saints, for their well being.

"When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel." (Psalm 68: 7, 8 NIV)

"Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men." (Judges 4: 14 NIV

What a vanguard! Well might every enemy tremble at the approach of the Lord's vanguard! Deborah uses the knowledge of the vanguard, protecting Israel, for her urging of faith, courage, and resolve in their work and in their fightings. She encourages the Lord's people to believe that God is their vanguard, and their shield and rereward, and that he will be "with them," and not forsake them, but will surely give them victory, promising to fight "for them" and "with them."

"I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites." (Exodus 33: 2 NIV)

"Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." (Exodus 32: 34 NIV)

Here are other references to the "Angel" or "Messenger" of Lord God as being the protector of the people of God, their vanguard and rereward.

"I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow." (Joshua 24: 12 NIV)

Here the Lord enlists armies of hornets to act as vanguards for his people, as weapons of both offense and defense. Notice too that God acts as a protector in such a way that none of his people can legitimately claim to have been saved and preserved by their own strength, wisdom, or doings.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." (Isaiah 58: 6-8 KJV)

In this passage the Lord promises to be the vanguard and the rear guard of his obedient people. Those who live in disobedience to the Lord cannot be assured of this protection. It is only promised to those who repent of their sins and who trust in the Lord.

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him...They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.'" (Exodus 32: 1, 23 NIV)

Notice how this verse indicates that the people viewed Moses as their scout, leader, and vanguard. Notice also how they soon reject Moses and Lord God from being their vanguard, and attempt to create their own. How foolish! But, this is the story of all who reject the Lord.

"God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me." (Psalm 59: 10 NIV)

This is what every Christian and believer in Christ is able to say, by the grace of faith. He has come to have assurance of his safe standing with the Lord, and of his promised protection as his vanguard.

"As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." (II Samuel 5: 24 NIV)

This is a most interesting commentary on the way the Lord "signaled" his people to "move." When they were led by the pillars of cloud and fire, they moved when the pillar moved, and stopped to camp when it stopped. Here the prophet Samuel reveals a different manner in which the Lord would "signal" his people to move.

Friend, is God your shield? Is he your vanguard and rereward?