2 Samuel 23:1-39

David’s Mighty Men

2 Samuel 23: 1-39
Key verse 23:17 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 10-31-10

17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.”
I just came back from the Leadership development workshop at Wonderland Camp in Camp Lake Wisconsin. There we studied about how God established King David as a shepherd King for all of Israel. He became an example of a king who ruled his people with the shepherd heart of God. At the end of 2 Samuel there is a chapter concerning David’s mighty men. I was so inspired by these men. I admire movies like Brave heart and Gladiator. These men are like Jewish Wallace’s or brave hearts. I like them. I always wanted to take a closer look at them with a prayer that God may help me grow as a might man and also that God may raise up mighty men and woman who can fight valiantly, the spiritual battle for the glory of God. May God plant in your heart vision to be a might man or woman of God for our nation in this generation. We would all like to have co-workers like these mighty men around us? Don’t we? Who doesn’t? We have prayed the prayer, “Lord of the harvest, send out workers into our harvest field?” We expect mighty warriors of faith to come marching through the doors of our church and take their places among the pews. Well they do not come so easy and we will see why in our story of David and his mighty men.
Part l: David Becomes The Leader of Outcasts (21:1-22:2)

Who were these mighty men? And how did David find such good co-workers? Our story about David’s mighty men, begins two decades previous, when he begins to flee from Saul. Saul was jealous of David because he was so successful. He wanted to kill David. But time and again God protected David. Once, through Saul’s son Jonathan, David was able to escape Saul’s murderous plots. David began his life as a fugitive. First of all David went to Nob where Ahimelech, the priest provided David and his men some bread and also the sword of Goliath. (1 Sam 21:1-9) When he fled Gath, the king of Gath was suspicious of him. But David pretended to be insane and he and his men escaped to the cave of Adullum. God was with David and had a plan. God was leading him into a life of hard training and discipline that would eventually mold David into a shepherd king for all of Israel, a man after God’s own heart.

David was now a fugitive who had to live in the caves of Adullum. His human situation could only be described as totally helpless. David was rejected by men but now he was alone with God. All of these events were under God’s sovereign hand. God used the wilderness life to humble David, and to teach him to depend on God alone. But running from Saul’s army was not enough training for what God had in store for David. More training was under way. Look at verses 22:1b-2, ““…When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” While in Adullum there was a motley crowd of people beginning to gather around him. The cave was a place of refuge for those in trouble. They were those who were in distress, in debt or discontented. These were outcasts of society, many were in trouble with the law. There were also his family members. They were people who had no where else to go in Israel. They gathered around David and he became their leader. They were not just five or ten people. This number of people might have been manageable. But there were about four hundred men! When David was in Saul’s palace, he might have had the resources and the means to help them. But since David was branded as a political criminal and thrown into exile as a wanted man, his resources were limited. He seemed unable to help anyone other than himself. But God had other plans for David and these men…great plans. It was a time of God’s testing for David, to see if he could be a shepherd for these people, for if David shepherded this small, difficult flock, later God would entrusted him with the people of Israel.
David could have sent them away. But did he? No. He decided to help them no matter what. He cared for his parents first. They were likely too old to keep up with the outlaw/cave lifestyle. David went to the king of Moab, at Mizpah, to ask his favor to accept and protect his parents. (1 Sam 22:4) And so David set them up in a nice Moabite assisted living center. It was not easy for David to do this. Maybe he should have sent everyone away and taken care of himself. He might have had a better chance of surviving. But he did not. He accepted this call from God, spending his time helping these people.
Most of theses men did not start out so mighty. But David valued them. More than a military general, David was their shepherd who guided them on the path to being the mighty people of God. Over the course of time, they would come to David and share with him all of their problems and he would listen to them over and over again for years; “Yes Yes…I understand. Yes..I went through a very similar experience...Yes…I felt like that sometimes. Yes…I understand your suffering. Let’s pray about it.” In this way he would listen for hours and hours to their problems and complaints. Step by step he helped them to solve their problems. Sometime he was their teacher, sometimes a brother, mother or father, sometimes a sparing partner, or fighting partner, whatever they needed. David won their hearts, one by one. He also trained with regular exercise and military training. They must have also had some kind of spiritual life together. David inspired them to achieve beyond their personal goals and meet their true potential in God. Overtime these distressed, poor and discontented men gradually changed to become David’s mighty men. When David was a shepherd for these men something wonderful happened. They were happy, full of faith and they became a loyal nucleus of David’s strong army. David’s men called him the lamp of Israel, a man who lighted the spiritual way of their lives and nation. God worked through David when he stood as a mighty Shepherd Leader. His life reminds us Jesus’ words in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
We can see the effect of the leadership David had over these people in 2 Sam 23:3b-4, “'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'” David ruled his people with righteousness, mercy, love, kindness and justice. He reflected the very heart of Jesus when he was dealing with his people right from the start of his call to leadership. King David’s shepherding was like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning. Life began to be full of hope and freshness and clear direction. There is the beginning of new life under his shepherding. There is nurturing like fresh grass sprouting where a dry field once was. They mighty men of David felt this. This is how Jesus rules over us when we accept him as our Lord. We can experience the new life and nurturing that each of these mighty men experienced. When we decided to be shepherds like King David we can understand it even deeper as people prosper and grow under our leadership.
Part ll: A Closer Look At What These Mighty Men Became (8-39)
Who were these mighty men? And in what ways were they so mighty? Let see why in verses 8-39. They were mighty because they trusted the Lord; they fought with their whole hearts and they had unity among them. First, they trusted in the Lord. This helped them overcome their fear. Some defeated the Philistine giants in 1:1 combat, one of which had 12 digits on his hands and 12 on his feet. 1:1 combat is the most terrifying thing that you could face. I once took care of a patient with bayonet wounds on his stomach. He survived. These men had confidence in God and could stand their ground. Some stood before 800 men and defeated them. Wow! I can’t even count to 800. Some stood before lions. They could be so courageous because they had faith in God. They also drew their strength from David’s example, who also defeated Goliath and who fought off lions and bears. They knew that the battle is the Lord’s and he will bring about the victory. Their faith reminds me of Jonathan’s faith when he attacked and defeated a Philistine outpost. He said in 1 Sam 14:5-7, “ 6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." How many defeated the Philistine outpost? Two. Even a small force of able, loyal and faithful people can accomplish great feats for God when their faith is in God.
These mighty men also fought with their whole hearts. One man raised his spear against 800 men. It required lunging again and again against the enemy. His shoulders must have been like footballs. One man stood his ground against great odds and kept swinging his sword until his hand froze to the sword. When they fought with their whole hearts, the Lord brought about great victories again and again. This principle of victory is revealed in Deuteronomy 6:5 which reads, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
But the mighty men were not lone wolves, fighting for their own glory. In this passage we can see their unity. In verse 9, “next to him was…”, and “He was with David…”, and in verse 11, “Next to him was Shammah…” They had each others’ backs. Look at 21:15-17a, “15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword , said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him….” David was a little weaker because he was getting older. But there were two mighty men to cover him. Mighty does not mean those who fight well on the battle field alone, but those who fight well with others. With their unity and fighting together, their skills and their abilities rubbed off on each other. Before, they might have been skilled in the use of the plow and pitchfork. But through fighting together and training together, they became skilled in battle. They could wield swords and spears and they could de-arm their enemies and use their enemies own weapons against them. They sharpened, encouraged and challenged one another. Their camaraderie and unity made them spiritually powerful and victorious. This reminds me of one the proverbs. Proverbs 26:17 reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
They were mighty because they could see beyond each other’s differences to band together as one. If you read the names of the mighty men, they all have a name and a place where they are from. Most of these mighty men were Israelites but many were Gentiles, originating from Gentile city states or regions. They had their own customs and backgrounds. They may have had their own prejudices and rivalries, but they looked past all this and put it aside and banded together. They were influenced by King David who knew God’s heart. God has a universal view of the brotherhood of mankind.
And so they were fearless through their faith in God, their fighting with all their mind, soul and strength. They were unified and accepted and co-worked with each other as a team. In this way they became famous in God’s history. God had made them true heroes.
Part lll: David Respected And Honored These People. (13-17)

David loved and respected these men and they loved and respected him in return. This is revealed in the incident about the water from the well of Bethlehem in verses 13-17. “During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’ 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.” These verses show the kind of love and loyalty and honor David shared with his mighty men. David expressed his longing for some water from a nearby well. It might have been the well he drew water from as a young shepherd boy. David was reminiscing about this well and spoke out loud. Three of his mighty men overheard what he said and took him seriously. They wanted to comply with his wishes. They risked their lives, broke though the Philistine enemy lines and brought some of the water that he requested and handed it to David to drink. Some of the best water in the world comes from my home town in Thompson Manitoba. It is cool, clean, clear and fresh. If someone would break through Canadian line and travel 3,000 miles to bring me this water I would have said, “Gee thanks guys. I love this water. Thanks so much.” And then I would drink it back without even a second thought. But David did not act as an ordinary person. He refused to drink it. Instead he poured it out before the Lord. He said in verses 17, “’Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!’ he said. ‘Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?...’” David would not drink it. He did not take advantage of his position. David was so moved by their love and courageous act. At the same time he knew that only God deserved such devotion and sacrifice. He poured out the water before the Lord. In doing so he showed that he honored his men. He pointed their devotion to the Lord. David did not take his men’s loyalty for granted. Even though he was a king, he humbled himself and stood as just one of the other men before God.

This reminds us of Jesus who is our Lord and eternal king. But Jesus humbled himself to be one of us. More than just ruling over us, being our Lord and Savior, Jesus also calls us his friend. Jesus is a good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. David’s life reminds us of Jesus in another way also. Jesus took 12 spiritually useless men from the backwoods of the Galilean countryside and raised them as mighty shepherd leaders for world mission. In doing this we learn that Jesus changes dirty sinners into mighty spiritual warriors of his kingdom. David is not the best example of being a shepherd leader. Our Chief Shepherd Jesus is our highest and greatest example of what it means to be a mighty shepherd leader.

Being a mighty shepherd like King David does not happen overnight. It starts with leading one person to know Jesus. When people start to study the Bible, they are not mighty. They are people who suffer a lot from things like divorce, depression and the many diseases in this fallen world. They need someone to love them and be their shepherd. They need someone who believes that they can become mighty in some way. Shepherds need to be like small lamps that light the way for others to grow so that they may know and serve Mighty Jesus. This is not something that happens from a distance. How did David do it? Did he not live with and lead these men for almost 20 years in the desert? Mighty shepherd leaders are intimately involved in others lives. They listen to others. They have many hats, ready to wear, teacher hat, daddy hat, mommy hat, brother hat, friend hat, and sometimes rebuking hat. They create and promote an environment of love, loyalty and honor before God.

Personally I was not a mighty man before I came to Jesus. I was 22 years old when I came Jesus. Prior to this I was a hedonistic B student who studied chemistry and worked out on the weekdays and partied hard on the weekends, twice a week. I tried my best to be a cool guy. But the reality was I was far from cool. I was ruining my mind and body. I was engaging in risky behavior. My mind was obsessed with gratifying my sinful desires. I was a binge drinker. I used others. All I knew how to do was have fun and involve others in having fun. I knew that I had nothing important to say. Most of what I said were dirty jokes. I knew that I was man with not quality achievements. I despaired seeing others leaving me behind in the dust of life. And so I tried on my own to fix my life with taekwondo, jogging, weight lifting, studying harder, cutting down on my partying. I read from an encyclopedia of famous quotes in the university library. I tried to sit with strangers at bars. I tried sky diving. But no matter how much I tried I could not change the inner reality of my heart. I lacked self confidence and I stammered a lot. I was a spiritually thirsty man, whose life was meaningless, empty and without hope in this world. I thought I was a mighty man, but my reality was that I was far from mighty. I was a fruitless, useless man who was dying in his sins and headed towards God’s judgment. One day I cried out in my pillow, “Oh God!”

God heard that short, desperate, “crying out”, pillow prayer and he sent his servant, Msn Ruth Hwang, a Korean missionary to invite me to one to one Bible study. Though I was one who was to be pitied, Jesus had hope in me, and God’s servants had hope in me, that I could grow to be one of Jesus’ mighty men. To overcome my stammering I was raised up as a presider and a conference speaker. God sent Bible students. God trained me through five years of family persecution. He helped me to come to another country and be a nurse. He helped my family to pioneer NIU. His discipline in my life seems constant and never ending. But so is his love. I know the point of it all. It is to help me to grow to be a shepherd leader like King David and through my house church he can raise up might men and women of God who bring glory to Jesus in this generation. We need to know the point of all our trials and trainings in life. It is God’s hope for us to grow as shepherd leaders. Those who accept this can grow strong and spiritually healthy. Those who do not share God’s vision for themselves will be crushed by life’s hardships.
We can be mighty warriors of faith, fighting spiritual battles through prayer and Bible study and Bible teaching and serving and loving others. Can you think of some mighty men among our ranks? What about Chris Sagel? He conquered the Korean language, the fear of moving to a new land and he conquered a Korean woman’s heart, Maria. He is raising disciples of Jesus among Korean students. What about Moses Margi and Iris Margi. They conquered the fear of Muslims and moved to Sudan and even moved into a Muslim apartment block in order to serve Muslims. What about Charisma Magno raising up the Triton Bible club through her serving and prayers and devotion. What about Jason who spent a week on the Amazon River ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of poor Brazilians. I think my kids are like might people of God for building up and being faithful to their Bible reading and prayer clubs on their school campus’. God is working in all of our hearts to nurture and grow the qualities of the might people of God in us.
God has called each and every one of us. He has placed his hope in us to each grow to the mighty men and woman of God who can fight the spiritual battle on the campus’ of America. We are in varying degrees of mightiness. Some are younger. Some are older. Some have more experience with Jesus and some have less. Some are already mighty in some areas. But one thing is for certain, all of us can develop even greater mightiness as shepherds and Bible teachers. And this is what God is trying to do. Why are we experiencing such hard divine training and discipline in our lives? Is there a reason for it or is just some meaningless, useless exercise? God has a clear point. He wants to raise each and every one of us up to be might men and women of God. May God bless us to be mighty shepherd leaders who can raise other mighty men and women of God for our campus’, for Christ and for our nation.