David’s Mighty Men
Devotions for Growing Christians
David’s Mighty Men
1 Samuel 22:2 - All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around David, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
2 Samuel 23:8 - These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite. He killed eight hundred men in one encounter
Read 2 Samuel 23:8-39.
2 Samuel 23 provides a roster of David's “Mighty Men.” Who were these mighty men, and where did they come from? Between the time when David was anointed king and when he was crowned, he was forced to hide in the wilderness to escape the anger of King Saul. Saul was fiercely jealous because David had become a celebrity in Israel after his victory over Goliath.
During this time, many people joined David in the wilderness. They became a loyal army of about 400 men. Some of these brave followers accomplished great things on David's behalf, and they’re described in the Bible as David's “mighty men” (2 Samuel 23:8).
Reading through a list of names in the Bible might seem pretty boring and useless. Ancient genealogies just aren’t that exciting. Why would God include these lists of names in Scripture? We know the Holy Spirit didn’t waste words. Romans 15:4 says that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” What teaching and encouragement can we gain from this list of David's mighty men?
Historical record
The roster of David's soldiers authenticates the historicity of the Bible account. Critics of the Bible say that the Old Testament stories are merely exaggerated legends of Jewish folk heroes. But lists of names associated with Old Testament characters like Abraham, Moses, and David make it very difficult to identify these individuals as Jewish “folklore.” Names authenticate Old Testament characters as real people in history, and that limits the destructive criticism of the Bible!
Service record
The fact that God keeps a detailed record of David's fighting men and their exploits indicates that God also records our personal service. If God kept track of David's valiant soldiers by name, He will surely keep track of the faithful servants of Jesus! He knows you as an individual soldier, and He will reward every act of faithfulness.
Spiritual lessons can also be found in the various acts of service of David's mighty men. In many ways, King David portrays the coming Lord Jesus Christ -- particularly in this time period, when Jesus is rejected by the world. David was the anointed and rightful king, but he was not yet recognized. He was rejected by the establishment. In the same way, Jesus Christ is the rightful King over mankind, but He is not yet recognized. He’s rejected by this world. Those who recognized David as king had to join him in the wilderness and share in his rejection. Likewise, we who have recognized the Lord Jesus as King have joined Him “outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:13).
Spiritual warfare
Although we shouldn’t be dogmatic when it comes to “seeing” spiritual pictures in this text, there seem to be some solid lessons that can help us in our growth as Christians. The battlefield actions of David's men portray lessons for us about spiritual warfare.
Josheb-Basshebeth (v 8) and Abishai (vs 18-19) overcame great odds - and so can we, with God’s help!
Eleazar (vs 9-10) continued to fight, even when his fellow soldiers retreated. He was at the point of exhaustion but he would not rest until the Lord brought great victory. Spiritual warfare is draining, but great victory comes to Christians who hang tough.
Shammah (vs 11-12) defended the position and provision of the Lord's people. The Lord is looking for the “Shammahs” of today who will defend the faith and be willing to go to “battle for the Bible.” In Jude 3 we are urged to “contend earnestly for the faith.”
The actions of the three mighty men of verses 15-17 are a beautiful picture of worship. David longed for a refreshing drink from the well of his hometown, Bethlehem. In spite of overwhelming obstacles, the mighty three overcame the enemy and brought the water to David. They were not commanded to do this as a military duty. They acted out of love for their king!
Similarly, our worship of the Lord should not be performed as a duty, but as an act of devotion because we love Him! True worship will involve time, effort and sacrifice, and sometimes overcoming barriers that are thrown in our path by the enemy. Have you ever noticed how many interruptions and diversions seem to present themselves when you would like to spend some time praying and worshiping the Lord?
In verse 16 we read that David poured the water out on the ground! It seems like the three men wasted their time and effort. But no, David considered their act to be so significant that he honored it by giving it as a precious offering to the Lord. Likewise, our worship of the Lord may appear to some people as a waste of time and effort. After all, praising the Lord doesn't feed hungry people or provide care for the homeless. But from God's perspective, our acts of worship have great value, and bring refreshment to the heart of our King.
Benaiah
Benaiah was a valiant warrior who became the commander-in-chief of all Israeli forces under King Solomon (1 Kings 4:4). Three of Benaiah's heroic achievements are mentioned in verses 20-23. As we consider our spiritual warfare, these three feats may be a portrayal of the believer's struggle against the devil, the flesh, and the world.
1 Peter 5:8 pictures Satan as a lion “looking for someone to devour.” And here we read that Benaiah “went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day” (v 20). Notice that this was offensive warfare - the kind we are to wage against the attacks of Satan. Benaiah took the offensive and killed the lion in the middle of the pit - not when he was backed into a corner and cowering in fear! Are we courageous like Benaiah, or do we run scared? Remember, in Ephesians 6:13-17, there is no armor for the Christian soldier’s back! We are commanded to “resist the devil.” If we do, we are promised that he will “flee from us” (James 4:7).
Benaiah also showed his might by overcoming “two of Moab's best men.” The Moabites were closely related to the Israelis, yet they were enemies. In our spiritual warfare, they may portray the “flesh.” The Bible uses the term “flesh” to define the sinful human nature that we all possess (Romans 7:15-25). Our sinful nature is an enemy we must overcome to emerge as mighty believers. (See Galatians 5:16-17.) Benaiah showed no mercy to the Moabites, and we must show no mercy in overcoming the “flesh.” “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
Finally, Benaiah showed his might by killing an imposing Egyptian warrior (v 21). Egypt was an enemy of Israel, and in our spiritual warfare it represents the world and its system that’s opposed to God. Just as God redeemed His people out of Egypt, so God has redeemed us out of this world. But after the Exodus, the Israelites were still attracted to Egypt. They craved certain things in Egypt, and sometimes they even begged to return to Egypt! In the same way, we can’t deny that we can be attracted by the world, but we can’t allow the thought processes and lifestyles of the world to infiltrate our thinking and actions. The world's value system is opposed to biblical values.
More mighty men are recorded in verses 24-39. Every man who joined David in the wilderness entered into David’s kingdom, but only a few made the list of mighty men. Every Christian has a place in the kingdom of Christ, but Christians who are willing to serve our King with special courage and loyal devotion will stand out as His “mighty ones.” Is your name recorded on God's list of mighty Christians?
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2021, Ron Reid)