David's Mighty Men

1 Chron 11 & 12, 2 Samuel 5:1 – 10, & Psalm 133

So neat that the opening of 1 Chron 11 mirrors 2 Samuel 5:1 to 10.  Identical.  Like the Chronicler copied and pasted.   David becomes king and he becomes more and more powerful because the LORD Almighty was with him.  This shepherding fellow.  And we get another manly man story.  Because part of my girly- girl heart loves a manly man story.   Especially one I didn’t really notice before.

In the middle of all the name naming, the story starts again, and we get another listing.   The chapter heading was “David’s Mighty Men”, and there were three: Jashobeam, Eleazar, & Abishai.  And the 4^th, who was not of the 3, but the most revered of the 30 other Mighty Men. Urriah the Hittite was one of those 30.  1 Chron 11:10 “They gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised.”    A great leader who had great followers.  

And I love that little shenanigan story in 1 Chron 11:15 to 19

“Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the Three 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 to the Lord.¹⁹ “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.”

Warriors. Bodyguards.  Heroes.  Legends. With their own list in the Bible.  Names of men who were with David at Ziklag, where he was hiding to save his life.   Surrounded by these 30 who would lay down their lives for their king.  Bonds forged in the deepest and darkest of nights.

And men kept coming.  Defectors from Saul’s army.  Ch 12:22 “Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.”  Ch 12:38 “All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks, who came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel.  All the rest of Israel were also of one mind to make David king. Vs 40…and there was joy in Israel.”

Psalm 133 is such a fitting celebration song picture. One that David would have painted with a full belly, and his heart full and content.   That feeling of joy; of your heart wanting to burst out of your chest. 

¹ How good and pleasant it is
 when God’s people live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
 running down on the beard,
 running down on Aaron’s beard,
 down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.”