A Few Good Men

David’s Mighty Men

by Pastor Gideon Lee

2 Samuel 23:8-17

8 These are the names of David’s mighty men:

Josheb- Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered [at Pas Dammim] for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 

10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 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.

David, though great did not achieve success on his own. He needed his 30 mighty men.

First was Josheb-Basshebeth, one of the three in the inner circle who struck down 800 on that day.

Then there was Eleazar, who stood his ground when his men fled and abandoned him. He fought and won till his sword froze on his hand.

Shammah, the third of the great men defended a field and the Lord granted them victory.

David was longing for a drink during the hot harvesting season, when the three men responded to his need by going into enemy territory and drawing water for David. He did not ask the men to get the water, nor commanded them. He was just thinking to himself but the men immediately went to get the water without his knowledge.

But David did something unexpected, he poured it onto the ground as an offering to the Lord. He knew how difficult it was to get the water. But he felt the water was brought with great risk of his men.

Lessons to Learn

1. They were loyal to David.

They were committed to his cause. They followed David without question.

2. They were close to David.

If we want to be mighty men of God, we need to be close to God. It has to be a lifestyle. How?

• pray always (pray without ceasing - in constant communication with God)
• worship (draws us close to God)
• listening to God (what does God says to you in His still small voice. Can only happen when you set aside quiet time)

3. They were committed.

They did what he wished for and not just what he commanded. They knew his heart. Are we committed to God? Or are we only committed when it suits us. Our giving, our time. Today God needs Christians who are committed. It's okay to be labelled a fanatic for God by unbelievers. Our commitment is visible.

4. They were courageous.

They were willing to do exploits in the face of danger. They brought water just for David, not for themselves. Christianity is not for wimps. God asked Joshua to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. These mighty men possessed these qualities. Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of fear. To stand up for God takes courage. It is done humbly, never brash.

Our courage stems from the fact that the Lord our God is with us.

David was known as a man after God's heart. This is because everything God put in David's hand brought glory to the Lord. A cup in his hand was offered to God. It is an act of dedication where his life is poured out as an offering to God.