DAVIDS

MIGHTY MEN

2 SAMUEL 23:8-39

There are four pictures of the Judgment Seat of Christ where a list of people given with a description of what they did whether good or bad. (1) Judges 5 - Warfare - how the people fought (2) 2 Samuel 23 & 1 Chronicles 11 - Great deeds that were done (3) Nehemiah 3 - how the people built the walls and gates of Jerusalem (4) Romans 16 - the love and service towards the apostle Paul and his ministry The spiritual meaning is not hard to find. Before the judgment seat of Christ all will be made manifest. When He comes to be the righteous Ruler, to usher in the morning without clouds, those will be remembered who were loyal and devoted to Him in His rejection. No name and no deed, even the smallest, will then be forgotten. A C Gaebelien There were 37 mighty men (v. 37) In companionship with David they became men of great faith and boldness like him so it was with the apostles and so it can be with us. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

1. ADINO

THE

EZNITE

THE MAN OF COURAGE

8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. He was seated This man sat with David and we also are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. This great fact made Paul the mighty man of the cross that he was. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6) Therefore could Paul face the foe with no fear Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11) Power is the Greek word kratos meaning a force superior to all opposition. Nothing can withstand it. Might is the Greek word ischus meaning inherent vital power, the almighty power that resides alone in God. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) Illustration: A Safe Armor It is told that Emperor Napoleon once went to a very skillful workman, and inquired of him if he could make a bullet-proof jacket or under garment, one that he himself would feel safe to wear as a protection against bullets. The workman assured him he could make just such a garment; one he would feel entirely safe to wear himself.
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The Emperor engaged him to make the article, requesting him to take time, and see that it was bullet-proof. The workman took much time and pains in its construction. The jacket was finished, and the Emperor notified that it was ready for him. Napoleon, after carefully examining it, asked the maker if he still felt sure a bullet could not pierce it. The workman said he was sure no bullet could penetrate it; that he himself would feel entirely safe with it on in a shower of bullets. The Emperor asked him to put it on, that he might examine it more fully. The maker put the jacket on himself, that the Emperor might see how finely it fitted and protected the body. After a careful examination of its make-up and apparent safety, Napoleon stepped back a few feet, and drew his pistol on the man, who cried out: "Don't try it on me!" But the Emperor said: "You told me it was perfectly safe," and fired. The armor proved itself bullet-proof. If we had to rely upon our own armour, we would not be able to stand before Satan. We believe that the armour is what God has provided for us. For example, the breastplate of righteousness is not our righteous life for Satan would soon remind us of our faults. But it is the righteousness we have in Christ that can never change. The belt of truth is not us speaking truth though we certainly should but Gods truth that holds us. The truth is expressed well in the hymn I hear the accuser roar, Of ills that I have done; I know them well, and thousands more; Jehovah findeth none.
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He was chief The Lord Jesus said that those who will be greatest in the kingdom of God will be those who are the least and humblest. He was like Paul the Apostle who was the chiefest of the apostles. 2 Are they ministers of Christ?( I speak as a fool) I[ am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. (Corinthians 11:23) Paul was mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. ( For the weapons of our warfare[ are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (2 Corinthians 10:4)

He was bold He took on 800 men and defeated them. God had promised that one of them shall put to flight a thousand and he took God at His Word. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (Leviticus 26:7-8) Whipped and imprisoned in Philippi, he would move onto Thessalonica not knowing whether he would receive the same but he went. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak
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unto you the gospel of God with much contention. (1 Thessalonians 2:2) We too can be bold when we have the promises of God with us. We can face any problem great or small. Stephen was also a NT Adino who stood alone against the Sanhedrin (Acts 7)

2. ELEAZAR

THE MAN OF COMMITMENT

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

His defiance Eleazar fought when others ran away. He kept fighting till the sword clave to his hand. He was like Paul who stood alone against Caesar when he was forsaken of all. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. (2 Timothy 1:15)

The cowardly Israelites They only came afterwards to enjoy the spoil but did not help in the battle. Many only turn up only when there is food, barbecues, and cottage meetings but never seen in the Bible study or engaged in gospel work. But we still love them all and pray for them and let them enjoy the fruit of our labours. Like David, Eleazar wasn't selfish about sharing the spoils of battle because the victory had come from the Lord (1 Sam. 30:2125). (Warren Wiersbe) So it was with Paul in his last moments in the Mermatime prison. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all[ men] forsook me:[ I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge. 17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and[ that] all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (2 Timothy 4:16-17) He fought till he was weary The word labour in the Greek means to work till we are weary. The Lord asked us to pray for labourers not workers, those who would stick it out to the end. We often have to deal with weak Christians who want to give up and keep moaning. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9) He gave glory to the Lord This is the reason why these first three were the mightiest for it was the Lord who got the glory from what they did.

Paul gave glory to God in his missionary reports And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27) And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. (Acts 21:19)

3. SHAMMAH

THE MAN OF CONVICTION

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. Shammah is not mentioned in the account in 1 Chronicles 11 He stood his ground even though the piece of ground was only small and contained lentils but it was Gods land and God had promised it to them. He had convictions when others had none and fled. We need to have spirituals convictions. We need to defend the honour and name of the Lord. We need to defend His Word against the attacks of men. He stood his ground even though the piece of ground was only small and contained lentils but it was Gods land and God had
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promised it to them. He had convictions when others had none and fled. The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land[ is] mine; for ye[ are] strangers and sojourners with me. (Leviticus 25:23) Luther in his German translation of the Bible, translates Ephesians 6:13 as having overcome all, to hold the field Deshalb ergreift die Waffenrstung Gottes, damit ihr an dem bsen Tag Widerstand leisten und alles berwinden und das Feld behalten knnt. (Ephesians 6:13, Luthers translation) The land contained food for God's people and the Word of God is e food of the people of God today which needs defending against the enemies of God. We need to have spirituals convictions. We need to defend the honour and name of the Lord. We need to defend His Word against the attacks of men. But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. (Philippians 1:17)

4. THE

THREE MIGHTIEST

- MEN

OF

CONSECRATION

13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
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16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. They traveled twelve miles, broke through enemy lines, and came back with the water. These three made such a great sacrifice that they were willing to die so that David could be refreshed with water of Bethlehem. David could not drink it but elevated it into a drink offering to the Lord. Whatever the Lord put in the hands of David, he used for the Lord. A harp (1 Samuel 16:23) A sling (1 Samuel 17:40) A sword (1 Samuel 18:4; 21:9) A scepter (2 Samuel 2:4) A cup of water (2 Samuel 23:16-17) Money used to prepared abundantly for the Temple (1 Chronicles 22:5) To drink that water would demean all his men and cheapen the brave deed of the three heroes. It would communicate that their lives really weren't important to him. Instead, David turned the cave into a temple and poured the water out as a drink offering to the Lord, as he had seen the priests do at the tabernacle. (Warren Wiersbe) As God saw the drink offering it gave Him joy for it typified Calvary.
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Therefore will I divide him[ a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12) David did not issue ant orders but expressed the longing of his heart. The three men did not have to be asked to do anything. Do we want to please our dear Lord Jesus more than anything else. Is He all in all to us? Are we like Mary of Bethany who poured out her love in worshipping the Lord with the spikenard. No one told her to do it. She did it out of a heart of gratitude and love. There are those who walk close to the Lord and hear His sighs for the souls in the dark places of this earth, and they leave their harvest, home, jobs, and all for the work of the mission field. Can you hear His sigh for some place? The drink offering accompanied the giving of another sacrifice, such as the burnt offering, and was not offered independently. It was an act of dedication that symbolized a person's life poured out in the service of the Lord. The three men had given themselves as a sacrifice to the Lord to serve David (Rom. 12:1), so David added his offering to theirs to show them he was one with them in their devotion to Jehovah. (Warren Wiersbe) To para-phrase his own words in 24:24, David would not treat as nothing that which had cost those three men every-thing. All leaders need to follow David's example and let their followers know how much they appreciate them and the sacrifices they make. The sacrifice of these men was a drink offering to the Lord. So it was with our Saviour and with the Apostle Paul.
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Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. (Philippians 2:17)

Abishai
18 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. 19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. Sadly, Joab himself is not mentioned as being given any honor at all in this final summation of David's mighty men. He was a capable warrior who gained many victories, but his one fatal flaw was the fact that his motives were proven to be selfish. It was not God's honour that he sought, but his own. David knew this, and advised Solomon that Joab must be put to death (1 Kings 2:5-6). Joab's treachery could not be ignored because of his many victories. (L M Grant)

BENAIAH
20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptians hand, and slew him with his own spear.
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22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. We read of prophets like Jeremiah who were priests but Benaiah was the only priest who became a soldier. The third captain of the host for the third month[ was] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his course[ were] twenty and four thousand. This[ is that] Benaiah,[ who was] mighty[ among] the thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course[ was] Ammizabad his son. (1 Chronicles 27:5-6) Benaiah's son Jehoiada didn't follow a military career but became a counselor to King Solomon, replacing Ahithophel (27:34). And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the general of the king's army was Joab. (1 Chronicles 27:34) Benaiah slays three enemies of the Lord The three enemies typify the believer's enemies. He slew two lionlike men of Moab, a type of the flesh He slew an Egyptian, a type of this world He slew a lion, a type of the Devil The men of Moab - the flesh They typify the flesh. Moab was the product of the sinful union of Lot with one of his daughters. Ammon was the other son by the other sister.
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There were two of them. They could attack simultaneously from two directions. They were lion like for the flesh in us is fierce and too powerful to overcome without the new birth. A lion - the Devil The most dangerous animal in the most dangerous place and at the most dangerous time in snow yet he won the victory. Let us remember we are no match for the might of the devil but through our Lord Jesus we can totally defeat him. We defeat Satan through the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) The Egyptian - the world The Hebrew translated "a goodly man" means he was a "sight to see" or a "man of appearance" (Newberry margin) The Hebrew word is mar-eh raah raw-ah meaning to see, behold (Strongs 04758) 1) sight, appearance, vision 1a) sight, phenomenon, spectacle, appearance, vision 1b) what is seen 1c) a vision (supernatural) 1d) sight, vision (power of seeing) Such was the power of the world for Lot
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And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it[ was] well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,[ even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. (Genesis 13:10-11) Three times Samson saw a woman of the Philistines And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. (Judges 14:1) Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. (Judges 16:1) And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name[ was] Delilah. (Judges 16:4) But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. (Judges 16:21) Beniah overcame him with his staff, the type of a pilgrim. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. (Genesis 32:10) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it[ is] the Lord's passover. (Exodus 12:11)

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