Crown Rights

I am very grateful to Mr. Philpott for the kind way in which he has presented me to you, and if he has had any blessing through my ministry, I may say in return that I have been richly blessed by his ministry. I consider it a great privilege this evening to attempt to take his place.

I am going to read three verses of Scripture only, and if these should seem somewhat strange to you as a Scripture reading, I shall endeavor very shortly to let you know why I have read them. These three verses are found in the second book of Samuel and in the twenty-third chapter of that book. If you have your Bibles with you, I would venture to suggest that in reading these with me (not aloud) that you ask yourself if you see anything that may appear to you rather striking and out of the ordinary course of things. There is something very significant in these verses and I am wondering how many of you will see that peculiar significance in reading the verses with me.

The Roll Call Of The Mighty

The first verse is the 18th: “And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.”

The 24th verse: “Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem.”

The 37th verse: “Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah.”

This very interesting chapter comes to us at the close of David’s life and just before the coronation of Solomon. It is the roll call of David’s mighty men.

If David represents, and in many ways he does, the Lord Jesus Christ, in rejection or in humiliation, so Solomon represents Christ in glory. I need not remind Bible loving people of the fact so abundantly shown in Scripture that when this present period of our Lord’s rejection comes to a close, and just before His coronation as King of kings and Lord of lords, there is to be a roll call of His mighty men.

The apostle Paul tells us in the second epistle to the Corinthians that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. That is a very solemn text, isn’t it? “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may give account of the things done in the body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

In the first epistle to the Corinthians he tells us of the foundation upon which the Christian builds and he says, “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man’s works shall be made manifest because the day shall declare it, and it shall be revealed by fire and the fire will try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward; if any man’s work be burned he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”

A Lost Reward

Turning back to the twenty-third chapter of 2 Samuel, we notice that Joab is mentioned three times; his brother Abishai receives honorable mention; Asahel, his brother receives honorable mention; even his armourbearer receives honorable mention, but Joab has lost his reward. That is not my subject tonight, although it is a very suggestive theme to follow and you might, if you choose, read the record of Joab’s life, the most distinguished of the three nephews of David, in many respects the outstanding man of David’s reign, the commander-in-chief of his army. Yet, in the great roll call of David’s mighty men, Joab’s name is there, but he himself is not there to receive his reward.

In the letter that our Lord wrote to the Philadelphian church (we speak of Paul’s letters and Peter’s letters and I sometimes think of the Lord’s letter) he says among other things, “Let no man take thy crown.”

Crowns in the Bible are the symbols or emblems of the rewards of the saints. You may have been called out of darkness into light and you doubtless are saved by the sovereign grace of God and there is no question as to your salvation, but Jesus says to you and He says to me, “Let no man take thy crown.” The crown in Scripture is the emblem of the reward for service, and when the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of His present rejection comes in glory we are all to be manifest, “that every one of you may receive the things done in his body according that he has done whether it be good or bad.” “Let no man take thy crown.”

I have heard Christians say that they do not want any reward. Well, I don’t think they will be disappointed if that is the attitude they take. I have heard people say, “When you preach about a coming judgment, you can’t frighten me.” I have heard people say when you speak about the munificent rewards to be distributed in the day of Christ’s glory, “You can’t bribe me.” They are like children in the market place. You can warn and they won’t repent. You can make music and they won’t dance.

What is the objection to working for a reward when the great roll call of the redeemed is made? What possible objection could there be urged against one who might earnestly desire to have honorable mention, not merely to be saved, not only to have his name there, but to have what Joab missed—a reward?

Strive For The Reward

I discover in my reading of the Scripture that some of the outstanding men and women had that object in view. I have an idea that Noah was a great man of his day. “Being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” We was a wise man of his day.

Abraham is exalted by the three greatest religions of the world, Mohammedanism, Judaism, and Christianity. They all pay tribute to Abraham. The Bible says: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” Why? “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Abraham was out after something when he left Chaldea.

Moses also was a great man. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” That is the greatest refusal made by mortal man, in my mind. “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God.” Why? “For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.”

The Dynamic Of Paul’s Life

Ask Paul what was the inspiring motive of his life and ministry. “Why,” he says, “I will tell you. I have just one principle in life. ‘Forgetting the things which are behind.’ Not the bad things, but the good things. Don’t misinterpret that. It is not just forgetting the things you would like to forget, but ‘Forgetting the things which are behind and reaching forth unto the things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize’.”

These men are all out after rewards, and, believe me, I am willing to be associated with them. I could quote many other such men and you could think of many others. They had the same inspiring motive back of them, the very thing that is moving the men and women of the world today. Jesus said that the men of this generation are wiser than the children of light. They get up in the morning and go to work, but they have their pay envelope at noon. Jesus said, “Why in the world”—but if I am going to quote Him I must be careful. He says in His own inimitable way: “Labor not for the meat that perisheth.” Again He says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust do corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

Is there not enough in the Scripture to suggest the importance of striving for a reward? I say crowns are symbols or emblems of the saints’ rewards Every Bible student knows that there are various crown referred to in the Bible. In that marvelous scene when the door is opened in heaven and John stands before the open door and tries to tell us what he sees beyond its portals, I notice that the four-and-twenty elders not only have priestly garments but they all—each one of them—have crowns of gold. That is the royal priesthood. That is the precious blood. We are all certain of receiving a crown of gold which is that crown bestowed by a loving Redeemer upon those that put their trust in Him.

He wants us to get other crowns. I am no advocate of a worker for salvation. Salvation is of God. Salvation is of the Lord. There is no question about that. But the same Lord who saved me, who by His precious blood has given me title to eternal life, is putting before me the idea of getting something besides. You do not serve God for naught.

Let us think of the crowns for a moment. Paul speaks about an incorruptible crown. Paul has in mind those athletes that ran races. I suppose Paul attended some of those races; maybe before he was converted, maybe after, but I don’t think he did. He says, “I have observed the way in which those runners train and keep their body down. Why do they do it? They do it to get a corruptible crown—just a wreath. I am after an incorruptible crown. That is the reason I hold my body in check.”

You may be saved and yet subject to many things of the body. Paul says, “See how foolish you are. See how these men of the world train in order that they may get a perishable crown. I am keeping my body down in order that I may get an incorruptible crown.”

There is the crown of life. “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” That does not mean what some people think it means—just to be faithful until you die, just to be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease. No! “Be thou faithful unto death.” It is the martyr that gets that crown, nobody else. Those men and women starting with Stephen, the first martyr, receive this crown. The very name Stevenos means a crown—the first of a great multitude who gave up life rather than deny the Savior. Just says to such, “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” That is a wonderful reward.

There is a crown of rejoicing. I do not know what these crowns mean exactly except that they are emblems of rewards. I think I do know what this one means. When Paul says of the Thessalonians (and he is thinking of the day of His manifestation in glory), as he looks around to this one and that one who by his ministry have been brought to Jesus, he says, “That is my crown of rejoicing.”

Then there is the crown of righteousness. When Paul came to the end of his life he said, “I have fought a good fight...I have kept the faith. Thenceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me; and not to me only, but unto all them who love His appearing.” I am out after that crown if I don’t get another.

There is another crown. It is called the crown of glory. I think it is very beautiful the way it comes to us. You remember Peter? Peter stood by the fire warming himself while Jesus was before the council. Jesus had warned him in time. Three times over he denied that he had ever known Him. Then he heard the cock crow. Jesus turned and looked at him and he went out. That morning on the sea, Jesus said, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?” And he said, “Yes, Lord.” You know how he asked it three times, and three times over Peter said, “Thou knowest that I love Thee.” And every time in response Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs.” Into the hands of that disciple Jesus put His own sheep saying, “Fee them, tend them, take care of them.”

Peter writes his letter and I think he is speaking of that morning when he says to us, “Feed the sheep; feed the sheep. That is what He told me to do. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, He will give you a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

The Ever Blooming Crown

“That fadeth not away,” is negative, amoranthen. In the positive it means ever blooming. I would like to get that crown too. Just because you feed His sheep! How they need it these days. How we all need it, don’t we? Just to be fed on what He has given to sustain us.

Now when the great roll call of the redeemed is taking place and Jesus comes, I wonder how many would be like Joab—their names mentioned but no honor bestowed? Joab lost his crown. And there is some reason why our Lord should have said to the Philadelphians, “Let no man take thy crown.” I think I know why Joab lost his, and perhaps you do too.

Paul Answers The Roll Call

Let us assume that we have all been caught up into the glory and the roll call begins. The books are opened and Paul is to be examined, not as to whether he is going to be saved or not, for that isn’t the question. It is a question of rewards. It is the roll call of the mighty ones. Many are going to be there without any honorable mention. Take Paul, for example. I see Paul come to the front. They review his past life. Did he keep his body under? Yes! Give him the incorruptible crown. Did he die for My sake? Yes! Outside the gates of Rome. Give him the crown of life. Was anybody saved through his ministry? I can hear the shout from all over heaven. Give him the crown of rejoicing. Did he love My appearing? Yes! Give him the crown of righteousness. Did he feed My sheep? Yes! Give him the ever-blooming crown.

My friends, my tears are falling; Paul’s tears are falling. I am not jealous. I am glad. If I don’t get a thing, I will be so happy when I see Paul cry, and God will wipe away all tears from his eyes. And Paul will say, “I don’t know what to do with these crowns. I will just cast them down at His feet.” And he will put them all at Jesus’ feet.

The crowning day is coming. “Let no man take thy crown.”

An address delivered by Dr. Ford C. Ottman, Thursday evening, March 26, 1925 at the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, under the auspices of the People’s Bible Class.