Part 34: David's Mighty Men: A Potrait of Strength
David: The Shepherd King of Israel • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:29
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Notes
Transcript
2 Samuel 23:8-39; cf. 1 Chronicles 11:10-47
Introduction
Introduction
“Only the strong survive."(?)
Q: What does it mean to be strong?
Legendary prestige of mighty warriors throughout history
Spartan 300
Roman Gladiators
Seal Team 6
Background and Context
Background and Context
[Withhold main point]
About to start a section of David’s story especially focused on his military accomplishments (next several weeks)
2 Samuel is not in chronological order; neither is the ending section
Before going through David’s major military campaigns, it is worth looking at the Bible’s portrait of who was helping David accomplish his military success
Mighty men, champions = “Gibborim”
Probably David’s special forces unit or units
2 units: (1) The Three, (2) The Thirty
Though it probably started out literally, not necessarily literal
e.g. - “The Blue Angels” (Navy) or “The Thunderbirds” (Air Force)
We know that not all at the same time
2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles report a different number of names and some different spellings
[Possible defeater belief/address skeptic directly]
Question: Doesn’t this mean the Bible has contradictions and can’t be trusted?
Response:
(1) The exact composition of this fighting force changed over time as new soldiers were added and new soldiers died.
Ex: Asahel (2 Sam. 23:24), he died in Chapter 2, but he is said to be part of the Thirty
Ex: Uriah (2 Sam. 23:39)
2 Sam and 1 Chron have different lists because 2 Samuel likely reflects an earlier list, and 1 Chron likely reflects a later list (Chronicles written later than Samuel-Kings)
(2) The fact that each historian included the lists that they had means they are each committed to reporting the facts as they received them.
If you were peddling a made up story, you would probably want to make sure your story matched up
In this case, the fact that the text has some apparent contradictions means that the writers haven’t tampered with the historical documents that they had.
A strong support for historicity
(3) Also, there are some names and spellings that have been complicated by scribes who made mistakes while they were copying down the texts. Scholars have pointed out that there are several places throughout this section that seem to suggest some scribes made some spelling mistakes, which showed up downstream.
(4) The fact that this section is at the end of 2 Samuel helps us see that the writer of 2 Sam didn’t think this fit neatly within the story he was telling, but he still wanted to include it
Most likely included as an appendix
The spelling and name discrepancies does not effect any major doctrine of the Christian faith. If an elite fighting force existed from David’s earliest days after being anointed King and all the way through the death of Solomon, we would expect there to be many different names listed in historical, military, and government documents.
Conclusion: 2 units with different members over many years
[point people to the QR code to see the article explaining some of the differences]
Outline
Outline
Altogether, the Biblical portrait of David’s Mighty Men is a group of elite warriors that are:
(1) Strong in Leadership (2 Sam. 23:8)
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
Among David’s Mighty Men we have certain key leaders who stand out above the rest.
Josheb is the chief of the Three, clearly standing out above the rest because of his military prowess.
Here in 2 Sam, it says he killed 800 in a single battle.
*Interestingly, 1 Chronicles reports that the number was 300, but this is most likely a simple scribal error, essentially writing a 3 where an 8 should have been
In any event, Josheb stands out as a leader in his unit, which gives him a special influence in David’s elite forces.
(2) Strong in Endurance (2 Sam. 23:9-10)
9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.
10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
Next we have Eleazar, another one of the Three, David’s super-elite force
Application
How’s your endurance?
(3) Strong in Courage (2 Sam. 23:11-12)
11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.
12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
(4) Strong in Loyalty (2 Sam. 23: 13-17, 39)
13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.
15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”
16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord
17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
(5) Strong in Skill (2 Sam. 23:18-23)
18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
19 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.
23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
(6) Strong in Unity and Diversity (2 Sam. 23:24-39; cf. 1 Chron. 11:41-47)
[Show map showing where the mighty men came from]
If you scan the QR code on your handout, you can see this map that I’m putting on the screen
If you chart out all of the places that David’s mighty men are from, it turns out that about half come from the territories of Judah and Benjamin, David’s home tribe and Saul’s home tribe.
And the other half come from the other tribes.
I think that illustrates something about David’s mighty Men: Strong in unity and diversity.
Strong in unity: they were united around a common cause; a common purpose — establishing David as the King of Israel, and supporting him.
1 Chronicles 11:10 (ESV)
10 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...
Strong in diversity: on the other hand, that unity of purpose and mission was comprised of different tribal origins; different individual stories and backgrounds
ALSO - 1 Chron 11:41-47 includes even more names in this list than 2 Samuel does; again, most likely because these names were from a later time period or were part of an official military records/document that the writer of 2 Samuel didn’t have at his disposal
Unity and diversity
Application
I think this is a great point that illustrates where we find ourselves in the mission of the church
our unity is rooted in our common identity, our common mission, and our common purpose.
There is one Lord, one faith, one Baptism
Yet that unity is comprised of diversity.
Lots of different kinds of people — different stories and journies and backgrounds
David’s Mighty Men illustrate that unity of purpose and diversity of background can and should be held together in God’s mission, not split apart
Summary: 6 Points
As we will see in the weeks to come, looking at David’s military campaigns during his reign, David and His Mighty Men were incredibly successful.
Question: What was the key to their success?
Answer: It wasn’t their strength or their military abilities — it wasn’t even all of these virtues that they exhibit — Leadership, Endurance, Courage, Loyalty, Skill, or their Unity and Diversity — it was God’s strength working on their behalf, causing them to be successful.
BIG IDEA: TRUE STRENGTH COMES FROM FOLLOWING THE TRUE KING
Listen to what 1 Chronicles 11:10
1 Chronicles 11:10 (ESV)
10 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.
(1) God made the Promise
God had made a promise to David, that David would become King
And despite all odds, that’s exactly what happened
In 2 Samuel 7, God had made a covenant with David, that in his lifetime, the nation of Israel would finally obtain the land that had long been promised to Abraham
God always keeps his promises
Think about where these guys ended up and where they came from
Eventually, David will even appoint 12 of these mighty men to be chiefs of his military administration (see 1 Chron 27)
Remember where many of these mighty men started?
1 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
Even the mighty men started out in distress, debt, and bitterness. But God took those who were weak in the world’s eyes to eventually shame the strong, establishing David’s kingdom and fulfilling God’s promises.
Which is why even the author doesn’t go too far without attributing the success of these Mighty Men not to their great skill, but to their great God.
(2) God brought the Victory
10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
2 Samuel 23:16–17 (ESV)
16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord
17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
The LORD brought victory and the LORD receives worship for success
BIG IDEA: TRUE STRENGTH COMES FROM FOLLOWING THE TRUE KING
The Mighty Men were not ultimately successful because they had the right skills; they were successful because they were following the right King.
TWO WAYS OF APPLYING
(1) We need to grow in moral strength
We should examine our life and evaluate what kinds of virtues were are characterized by
There’s a danger: “Be strong like David’s Mighty Men” —> a message of self-help, motivational pep talk; work harder
We should make every effort to grow in godliness - 2 Peter 1 is clear
But something else needs to happen before we can think about those virtues
But first -
(2) We need to follow the true King
What was the key to the Mighty Men’s strength?
The key was not a what, but a who: God!
We’ve defined strength wrong
True strength isn’t actualizing my ability, but depending on God’s ability...what I can do, but about what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do in the future.
True strength is not about trying harder, but about aligning myself with what God is doing in the world; aligning myself with God’s king
In a way, true strength is upside-down: true strength actually requires a certain kind of weakness
This is what we see when we keep reading the story of the Bible
In the time of the 1st Century AD, the Jews were looking for a King who would come and crush all of Israel’s enemies, show up in military strength
But when Jesus arrives, He announces a kingdom that isn’t like the other kingdoms of this world.
Jesus announces that He is the long-awaited King from David’s line
But his disciples didn’t understand this.
PETER
When Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter takes up the sword to fight for Jesus, who he believes is the Messiah
Peter thought he could be one of King Jesus’ “Mighty Men”
Jesus says live, “If you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword.”
Jesus says the Scripture must be fulfilled.
And in a moment that his followers couldn’t immediately understand, Jesus shows Peter and the other disciples what true strength looked like - aligning himself with what God was doing
Going to the cross to suffer and die, to win for Himself a Bride, and to reconcile humanity to God
So, long after Jesus is resurrected and ascended into heaven, Peter writes:
1 Peter 2:23–24 (ESV)
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
In Jesus, true strength looked a lot like weakness in the eyes of the world.
Crucifixion was a scandal in the Roman world
It was for the worst of the worst, utterly shameful and humiliating
The idea that Jesus — God come in the flesh according to the Christian religion — could actually suffered and died on a cross was unthinkable
PAUL
Paul persecuted Christians, eventually converted by God
1 Corinthians 1:22 (ESV)
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
And yet
1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Christ Crucified is a “stumbling block” to Jews and Greeks; the ultimate statement that true strength sometimes looks like weakness. True victory sometimes comes through defeat
Both of Peter and Paul follow their Savior’s example, dying a martyr’s death.
True strengths came through weakness.
“Christ appeared at the same time, and in the same act, as both a lion and a lamb. He appeared as a lamb in the hands of his cruel enemies; as a lamb in the paws, and between the devouring jaws, of a roaring lion; yea, he was a lamb actually slain by this lion: and yet at the same time, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, he conquers and triumphs over Satan; destroying his own destroyer; as Samson did the lion that roared upon him, when he rent him as he would a [young goat]. And in nothing has Christ appeared so much as a lion, in glorious strength destroying his enemies, as when he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter. In his greatest weakness he was most strong; and when he suffered most from his enemies, he brought the greatest confusion on his enemies.”
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
BIG IDEA: TRUE STRENGTH COMES FROM FOLLOWING THE TRUE KING
Application
Application
How about you?
Do you want to be Strong?
Do you want to be a Mighty Man or a Mighty Woman of God?
Being a mighty man or a mighty woman — being strong for God by your own strength
It is not about what you can do; but about what God is doing.
True strength comes from following the true king.
Are you aligned with God’s true King?
(1) Gospel Call: This requires a change of allegiance. You need to renounce all other kings over your life and embrace the call to submit to King Jesus.
What are the areas in your life that you are refusing to submit to King Jesus?
(2) In order to follow King Jesus, we need to love King Jesus.
How’s your love for Jesus?
Do you appreciate him from afar, as a distant observer?
Or do you cherish him up close, as a friend?
If anything from this message has resonated with you, or if you are new to Christianity or would not consider yourself a Christian and have some feedback or questions for me about this message or anything I’ve said or if you would like to talk to me about some ways that you think God is asking you to respond to Him, I’ll be down here at the front of the church immediately after the last song, and I’d really love to talk to you and process some of this with you.
Let’s pray.