David's Mighty Men

  

1 Chronicle 11:10-14

 

February 25, 2023

 

David's Mighty Men

Now, these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.  This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite.  He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines.  But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

 

My first thought was the honor to be listed in the Scriptures as a mighty man, who stood by David.  These men were not like men of their time, they were warriors, they were fearless, and they were gifted by God for a time such as this.  You may not recall Haman, who talked the king into killing all the Jewish people because of his hatred for Mordecai.  And how the queen was a Jew but that was not known at that time.  She also was the cousin of Mordecai who raised her.  Let’s pick up the account in  Esther 4:14.  As he said to Esther, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

 

It seems clear to me that God had these men ready for such a time as this.  They are listed by name in verses 26-47.  But before we do so it is important to know that they were given the ability to do such acts by God, and God alone.  Do you recall Caleb, as the Jewish people came out of Egypt, we find the account in Numbers 14:24, “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”

 

It is important for you and me as followers of Christ to become like Caleb, in that eighty-five years of age was a man of great strength, the account is found in Joshua 14:10-12, ^“ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.  I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.  So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

 

Now the rest of the story, “Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.  Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.”

 

I believe the Lord asks each of us this question, what dreams do you have at this stage in life, are you willing to be a Caleb and wholly follow the Lord?  You and I have a promise from God who does not change, He keeps His promises.  Has He not promised in Psalm 37:3-6, Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness? Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.  It is a Choice!  How will you and I choose has everything to do with what God will do.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice