2 Samuel 23 - Skip Heitzig

Foreign Calvary Church is dedicated to the Doctrine and we want you to experience the change in life that comes from knowing the word of God and applying it to your life, that is why we explain the Bible to you verse by verse, each chapter, each book, this is explained well, We are close to finishing. Second Samuel, we have two chapters left. Turn with me to second Samuel, chapter 23. If you turn the page, you will notice that there are only two chapters left. But don't get too excited about that prospect because there's a lot in them, so I've learned not to. make promises because I have made them so many times and broken them as to how far we are going to cover on a certain night through a book and the way I see it is that we have two Wednesdays left in December to finish second Samuel the week who is coming is taken of course I am not going to teach Fernando is going to come to sing by the way there is something about listening to his worship His hymns his Christmas songs someone has written them himself some that he has taken from the past and reconstituted that is absolutely comforting for the soul , so if you want to come and be refreshed in the presence of God next week is that night and then the following week we have one more Wednesday teaching before we delve into the Christmas season, the following week is Christmas week, We're not meeting that Wednesday night, so we have two more weeks, including tonight, tonight, and next time to cover the book, so I'm in no rush to say I'm gone.

You're in a hurry, so we have at least chapter 23 tonight and maybe we'll get to the 24th, but let's see how it goes father, we want to thank you for the opportunity to meet mid-week and focus on moving forward. the scriptures verse by verse chapter by chapter book by book Old and New Testament thank you for the Hunger that is here in this group who have made it their priority week after week to come and father your word says that you are a rewarder of those who diligently seek you, for We pray that you will surprise us, Lord, and bring us application and give us wisdom.

We have been praying about the direction of certain things, all of us, no doubt, and so, Father, we pray that just as we worship by listening to the word taught. You would simply direct us, push us with your spirit in those areas as we listen to the truths laid before us, we ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen, we are coming to the end of David's life in chapter 23 and what a life it has been, here is a young man. Shepherd boy who lived an insignificant life, who was so insignificant in the eyes of his father Jesse that he was not even included in the lineup when Jesse came to his home in Bethlehem to select the next king, so the prophet had to say: "These are all your children." Do you have other children?

And finally Jesse said, Well, we've got a kid out there tending sheep. You know he's almost like a hired pawn. He technically he's my son, but you know he's just one of those kids like you know he's in FFA. He's always around animals and sheep and then we just keep him out there and then the prophet finally said bring him and the Lord said to Samuel, this is the next king of Israel. He went from shepherd to warrior. We see him in On the Battlefield Against Goliath, we see him leading King Saul's armies, we see him bravely defeating the Philistines, we then see him as the ruler of the Southern Kingdom of Judah when he is crowned King in Hebron and eventually becomes king. upon the whole nation of Israel, a man after the Heart of God, so called by the Lord Himself and noted by the prophet Samuel, but a very imperfect man, as we have seen again and again and will see again in the last chapter of this book, the 24th chapter, but again, just think about David's life, Shepherd Warrior, oh, I didn't add that the musician was part of this interesting mix to be a fighting man and also have that sensitive musical side and creative and then become the king of the nation.

There is an interesting Scripture in the Old Testament and the Minor Prophets where God tells his people not to despise the days of small beginnings. You know you're in a job you don't like. You are in a position that you hate. You are part of a family. you didn't sign up you were born there maybe you are hearing this from some dark town who knows where he has you covered God has your number knows where you live he is very capable of taking a David from the folds and making him King and heir of the Messiah so that he can do wonders with your life do not despise the days of small beginnings or small things well when we get to chapter 23 second Samuel 23 we have what is called here the last words of King David now these are verse 1 the last words of David more appropriately it should be read this is the last Psalm of David we don't know if this is the last thing he said certainly it's a hymn of praise it's a A kind of psalm, so I think this is the last psalm of David.

We know that David died surrounded by friends and family, among his last words were words to his son Solomon about the future and then it says that he died, he was reunited with his people. that's in the first Chronicles 21 and 22. Right around that section, he was surrounded by friends, he was surrounded by family, but this is the last Psalm of David among David's last words on Earth, now you know that the first words of a person are not so much. remarkable, I know all parents think they are, you know, my little daughter, you know, she said her first words very well, what were they?

You know, awesome man, I hope you recorded that because that's profound and they're not really, they're pretty much us. they all say the same thing it could be mom dad or whatever, it could be some expression of a sound, some monosyllabic or maybe even doubly sellable, but probably not, however, a person's last words are now meaningful and they are different, our first words are probably mostly the same. our last words are very different because a person's last words are often based on how they lived we die how we lived what our view of life was what our perspective on life was when David Hume, the doubter, the British skeptic was in On his deathbed his last words were I am in the flames imagine dying and thinking only of a future punishment in hell I am in the flames Voltaire the French atheist mocker of Christianity said among his last words I am abandoned by God and man or Christ screamed oh Jesus Christ and he groaned and cried all night until he took his last breath.

The nurse who treated Voltaire said that for all the money in Europe she would never attend the death of another unbeliever, but you can have a different way of dying. I'll never do it. I forgot to visit a girl who was part of our community, the happy girl Barbara I always saw her in church always worshiping God always something good for which she had to thank God because at a relatively young age she developed cancer that took away her life and I visited her in I entered the hospital and when I entered the hospital room I expected dark, dim and frightening circumstances and she was like drugged and half asleep and suddenly she opened her eyes, she sat up, she looked around, she saw some of us standing there and she said: I'm ready and then she closed her eyes she put her head on the pillow and she went to heaven I looked at that and I said I would really like to die that way that's a good death that's a good death I'm ready I'm not ready I am in the flames I am not abandoned by God and man but a hymn of praise I am ready well these are among the last words of David these are the last words of David and notice this description thus says David the son of Jesse thus says the man lifted up on high the anointed one literally the messiah that is the Hebrew word messiah the anointed one of the god of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel you have in a single sentence a biographical sketch of the life of King David of the entire life of David son of Jesse It is my genealogical roots a man raised on high from a shepherd boy to a Warrior to a psalmist to a King the anointed of God the eldest son of David will truly be the anointed the Messiah I see him here speaking prophetically and the sweet psalmist of Israel thus went from being a peasant to royalty, you know it too, the Bible says Peter says you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, God's people, God's peculiar people, a people of his own, you have passed from the spiritual peasantry, poor in spirit , to be a son. o daughter of the Living God your royalty man like David he has raised you up and I have always loved that description in verse one the sweet psalmist of Israel now this is David speaking or it could have been someone else who gave him that nickname but I like it, the sweet psalmist of Israel.

David wrote many of the Psalms, not all, but at least 73 of the 150 Psalms are designated as written by David. He may have known more writings. Some of them are anonymous. He may have written many. more, but he wrote a portion of them, at least 73, so about half, if not more, were written by David and that is significant because the Jewish people have always incorporated the Psalms of David into their worship, not just the Israelites did it but so did the early church. they used the book of Psalms, the Psalms of David as their worship and that trend continues to this day.

Worship leaders often take the Psalms and rewrite them, rewrite them for a modern generation. I've always loved it when people do that when they take a Psalm from the Scriptures and the best songs are songs from the Scriptures, if you're thinking I want to be a songwriter take inspiration from David he'll show you how it's done actually just take his words because his words are the words of God. you are inspired by God and rewrite them reconstitute them for a modern audience the sweet psalmist of Israel now here are some of his last words the spirit of the Lord spoke for me he is recognizing that his words are inspired now and his word was on my tongue now when David He wrote the Psalms.

We don't know that at that moment he understood that he was writing by the spirit of God, but at some point in his life it occurred to him, I think that through revelation, hey, I'm expressing God's message. I'm speaking the words that God wants me to speak, these are the words of God and I think he probably realized it later than before, maybe in his last days he looked back and saw, maybe reading his own Psalms, hey, that it's nice. Well, I wouldn't have thought of that on my own, that had to be the Lord and you know, going back to Peter again, I already mentioned it, but Peter said that no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke, the prophets spoke.

They spoke being moved by the Holy Spirit carried by the Holy Spirit inspired by the Holy Spirit and the word that Peter uses is of a ship that raises its sail so that the wind takes it to the destination determined not by the ship but by the wind, so , if God is inspiring a person to write, that means that person could write with his own personality, but destiny, the last word that is spoken, is exactly where the wind, the spirit of God wanted it to go, so that destiny is exactly what God meant even though the writer has his own perspective, his own personality, his own writing style, it may end up being the very words of God, that is the idea of ​​prophecy according to Peter, so the spirit of God spoke for me.

David was not a prophet in a formal sense, but he did speak of the future, he did predict the future, but more than that, he was a spokesman for God and in that technical sense, he was a prophet. You know, in the Old Testament there were designated people. prophets there were people who were known as prophets of God it was a formal calling in ancient Israel when you get to the New Testament there is a gift of prophecy but the formal office of a prophet is different, it is not the same as in Israel where you have uh, spokesperson of the nation or for the nation, there is no national benefit, you really have a spiritual spokesperson, it does not always predict the future, although sometimes it is, often it is simply saying instead of predicting the word of God, just speaking words of comfort, words of encouragement Words of exhortation according to First Corinthians chapter 14, that is the gift of prophecy.

However, I am considering that there were certain people in the early church who were known as prophets. Agabus was one of them in Acts chapter 11, he was one of those who predicted. a famine that would come and did happen and that is why it was respected as such. David is speaking here of the ideal King as you will see and I believe he is speaking messianically as a prophet although he does not say it is a prophecy per se the spirit. of the Lord spoke through me his word was on my tongue the god of Israel said the rock of Israel spoke to me he who rules over men must be just every leader should read this every King should read this every Queen should read this every President should read this read this every judge of the Supreme Court should read this every governor should read this every mayor should read this he who rules men must be just ruling in the fear of God and will be like the morning light when the sun rises a morning without The clouds, like so many times our mornings, are like the tender grass that sprouts from the Earth with a clear shine after the rain.

David is describing the government of theIdeal king, the ideal anointed one, the coming Messiah. Stranger that he who rules men must rule justly in the fear of God as I was reading that this week and the previous weeks an idea occurred to me so many decisions made by politicians are not made in the fear of God most of them are It is rare to find someone who governs human beings in a physical political sense who thinks in terms of the fear of the Lord. What motivates most leaders is not the fear of God but the fear of men the fear of people the fear of the voters what are the people for whom they cannot vote going to say I better say this in a certain way, even lying to them to collect their votes so that instead of governing in the fear of God, they govern in the fear of man, But what does it mean to govern in the fear of God?

What does it mean to live in the fear of God? What does the fear of the Lord mean? It is a phrase that is used appears 110 times in Scripture so it must be important it does not mean that you shudder when you hear the word God or the Lord or Jesus you shudder the idea of ​​the fear of God this is the way I describe it this is what I believe is a biblical definition the fear of the Lord is a reverential fear that produces humble submission to a loving God and all three components must be part of it a reverential fear I am a reverential fear of the Lord and and and I worship him a awe that produces humble submission not my will but yours to a loving God I realize that God is a god of love I realize that God is good I realize that motivates all of God's actions toward humanity and especially towards his children and knowing that he is loving I want to submit to him and submission is, in essence, reverential law, reverential law that produces humble submission to a loving God.

If there's any fear, if there's any ashamed fear, it's the fear of not liking me because I love him and I know he loves me and when you love someone and you're in a relationship with them, it's a healthy fear to have oh, I don't mean. nor do anything that could hurt that person or displease that person who is in love, so it is a reverential law that produces humble submission to a loving God and you know, if we were, I could choose the leaders because they are mentioned here the leaders, but let's be broad here, let's elect all of us if we all filter everything we do, all our decisions. with that filter the fear of the Lord reverential law that produces humble submission to a loving God if that were our filter imagine how different Our Lives could become and imagine how different a nation or a city or a state would be if the leaders ruled in the fear of God I hope you pray for your leaders I hope you pray for your president your vice president your governor your mayor you know why friend I don't like more reasons to pray I didn't vote for him even more reason to pray, they need God's help.

I have been to Washington DC a few times and it is an interesting place. I mean, you just feel the power walking around and you see people that you know flexing their powerful muscles and, um, I've had the opportunity on a few different occasions for a few different presidencies to be in the White House and ask me to pray for the president now I don't They have asked me to pray for this president, but if I was ever asked, I pray for any president, pray for anyone who has asked for a prayer, but I had the opportunity to be in the Oval Office and pray for a president of the United States and You know it's an interesting thought because you think, wow, this is the most powerful man in Liberty.

World, but another thought immediately strikes you, but he is just a man, that's all, a man who has asked for prayer, a man who for whatever reason or circumstance has allowed this to happen, but is asking that we speak to God in his name. absolutely in 1 Timothy it says that I first of all let supplications, thanksgivings, prayers, intercession be made for all men, for kings and for all those in authority, so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life. Is not that what you want? a good life you want a calm and peaceful life pray for your leaders pray for them pray for God to give them wisdom pray for them to rule and reign in the fear of God that is just a great verse to know and pray when when Did we talk about the prayer this last weekend?

Add that to the prayer for his leadership, then he talks about the ideal King, but notice what he says in verse 5. Again, David's last words, although my house is not so with God, he has made a Covenant with me Eternal ordered in all things and secure because this is all my salvation and All My Desire will not increase David realized that he had failed he is near the end he is giving his last Psalm and he realizes you know that the ideal King exists and He I have been chosen by God and he resurrected me and I am the anointed one and I am the sweet psalmist but I have not always lived up to the Covenant call of God in my life even though my house is not like that with God.

David understood that he was King not because he deserved it but simply because God wanted it that's what God wanted I don't know why he wanted it but he wanted it and I'm going to take that, I'm going to go with that. I'm going to ride that wave. I will take it as God's call on my life. Do you remember in second chapter 7 of Samuel, when God makes the Covenant that he is talking about? It started when David got excited about building a house for the Lord, a temple for God, so he brings Nathan, David brings Nathan and he goes, Nathan.

I've been thinking, you know, I live in this beautiful palace that I built for myself, God lives in a tent, he's still camping, you know, he's in that little cloth. RV out there, that Tabernacle, it's just not right for me to live in such luxurious surroundings, but God is still in a tent. I need to build him a temple, I need to build him a house and Nathan, you know, just please the politicians, whatever. It's in your heart, man, amazing, that's good, yeah, you're everything, you're good word, do everything that's in your heart, the Lord had to tell Nathan, the prophet, you spoke out of turn, Nathan, no He can build me a house, his hands are there. full of blood you need to go back and correct your little promise to David that he can do everything that is in his heart he cannot build me a temple his son will be able to but David will not be able to but tell David this I am going to build him a house I am going to give a legacy I will build him a home a descendant a group of descendants will come from him I will build him a home and if he obeys me and his children obey me they will last in that position but in the end I will send the Messiah through he and David understood that there was a covenant that included the Messiah because in the next chapter it says oh who am I O Lord that you would call me and raise me up from being a young shepherd and make me the king of your people and if that had not been enough and that was enough, you have spoken of things to come, he promises that the Messiah came through me so that I would understand that he had been given this position not because he deserved it but because God wanted it and then he says although my house is not like that with God, however, has made an Eternal Covenant with me and noted this, you know what?

The Eternal Covenant is right, it is one that will never end, it is one that will go on and on and on and it is an unconditional Covenant. Well, then a pact is a pact, it is an agreement. You have made agreements with people if you bought a car. made a covenant that you make payments on that vehicle until it's paid for and you make if you have a house payment or an apartment rental the same thing you're entering into an agreement a covenant a covenant in the Old Testament there were covenants that the nations made with Nations that people made with people and agreements that God made with people and with nations and with individuals and those covenants and, by the way, it's an interesting study in itself, we don't have time to go into it too much, but I recommend it. you a study on covenants in Scripture because they fall into one of two categories there are conditional covenants and there are unconditional covenants conditional covenants means that both parties are responsible for accomplishing or bringing something to the table an unconditional covenant is not bilateral it is unilateral it is one party declare and do your thing there are no conditions it will just happen it is a declaration the first Covenant in the Scriptures is the Covenant in the Garden of Eden God creates man puts him in a garden makes a covenant with him you can freely eat all the trees in the garden just don't touch that is the only condition if you do it that day you will surely die very easy Pact true quite easy to understand that's not much it's not like a lawyer's writing of ten thousand pages just don't do that that's a conditional Pact the Covenant was broken they leave the Garden of Eden much later we read God makes a pact with Abraham the Abrahamic Covenant God says I am going to bless you I am leaving to bless your family I am going to bless your descendants I am going to give them land and it is the Lord in Genesis 12 saying I will I will do it again and again five times God says this is what I am I am going to do now that is an unconditional Covenant I am giving the land to you and the Jewish people forever unconditionally then God makes another Covenant with Moses for the people of Israel was conditional or unconditional conditional if you know the Mosaic law you read Deuteronomy 28 and 29 if you obey me I will give you this and I will do that and I will bless you here and I will bless you there and I will bless you with your families and flocks and herds chapter 29 if not they do, be cursed I will drive you from the earth by the way, etc.

Conditional agreement, so now we have a problem. I said I wouldn't go into it too much. I'm getting into it a lot here. God makes an unconditional Covenant with Abraham and his descendants for the land and the real estate Covenant and then approaches Moses and tells him to now tell the children of Israel that their stay on this land is conditional on their obedience, then , which is unconditional or conditional? the land of Israel as a possession is unconditional the land of Israel as to its position or tenure in the land is conditional, so if you do not obey me, I will throw you out of it, but when I take you out of it, I will throw you out of it. will eventually bring you back to it as long as that's how it works for him to fulfill the Mosaic Covenant for the Babylonian captivity 70 years of captivity they were expelled but God promised to bring them back and when he brought them back they were humble and never got involved in that type of idolatry as they had done during those Old Testament years, so God fulfilled both covenants, the Conditional Covenant and the Unconditional Covenant, but the Covenant He made with David was unconditional.

Oh, there are conditions in it for Solomon and for the other physical progeny. of David but in the end he promised the Messiah and an eternal Kingdom in the Peace of the real estate that he promised to Abraham and his descendants that's why I say it's a fascinating study to see how the covenants work independently and synchronously so David is reflecting about This my house is not like that with God, however, he has made with me an Eternal Covenant ordered in all things and sure for when Jeremiah reads the book of Jeremiah and things have gotten so bad in Israel that idolatry is out series and people are asking me, well, maybe this Covenant that God said He was going to make with Israel is not as binding and as lasting, maybe it has an ending point and maybe it will just set aside Israel and make something different with the church, that's how it's misinterpreted by a group of theologians for the last two hundred years, yet Jeremiah, the Lord declares, um, if the stars go out at night and the moon goes out at night and the sun goes down and it doesn't work anymore, then I'll break. my Covenant with them in other words metaphorically saying I will never, I will never break it, it is Eternal, it will last as long as you look up and see the stars in the moon and the sun, no, I am faithful to my promises to David. for Abraham for the Jewish nation and I love this because this is all my salvation and my desire he will not increase but the children of rebellion will all be like thorns plucked out because they cannot be taken with hands except everyone who touches them.

He must be armed with iron and the shaft of his Spear and they will be completely burned in other words you take the bundle of thorns with the tip of the spear to place it in the fire and burn it with fire in its place now look Verse 8 changes now after those last words of the last Psalm of David, these are the names of the brave men that David had. Now we have in the rest of this chapter a gallery of names, 37 names, most of them really difficult to pronounce. I don't know if you've read this chapter ahead of time, it's like, "Oh my God, you know you're coming to the end, just look at the end of the chapter, look at all those names, yeah, those are the thorn bushes we're about to get." in but um 37 heroes mostly military heroes who are David's powerful men uh these were a group of male fighters and as we read some of this it gets pretty twisted these were twisted fighters you know these were these were Special Forces uh guys, now let me take you back, you don't have to turn to it, but in the first chapter of Samuel 22, uh, David hides from King Saul for a period of about 10 years in total, we know that he was hiding in one of the places where he was hiding. a cave called adulam cave do you remember that adulam cave when he was in adulam caveIt says in 1 Samuel 22 and all those who were in trouble, all those who were in debt and all those who were discontented came to David now that is?

It's an interesting group to be around. It doesn't seem like it's going to be much fun. It doesn't seem like there's going to be a lot of positivity and joy in that group. Everyone's struggling. Everyone's in debt. Everyone's disgruntled and everyone gets together and David thinks okay, I'll be their ruler. I can take these men who are in debt and discontent, these outcasts of society and I make them an army and he invests in them, he invests training in them, he invests trust in them, love, companionship. and they become an army of 400 men eventually 600 men and they follow David from place to place and become, when he is King, the main combatants of his army.

Now just keep that in mind because, in the New Testament, he remembers what he says in First Corinthians about us. your called brothers, how there are not many who are powerful according to the flesh, not many who are noble according to the flesh, but God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confuse the wise, the weak, to shame the powerful, etc., so that no flesh may boast. in his presence look around you who God uses people in trouble people in debt discontented people God says I will take them I will make them my army I will make them my church I will forgive their sins I will give them purpose and what it means that in their lives they will become my men and mighty women, my army, so these are the names, these are some of the names of these 400 men, the most notable, uh, the mighty men whom David had Josheb Basha bathe the Tacmanite chief among the captains.

They called him adino, which sounds like Italian adino, the night because he killed 800 men at once, now that we look at some of these names and note some of the feats, there is a larger principle. I want you to keep in mind what sections like this in the Bible show me when you have lists of names and people associated with certain people like David David, the ruler that everyone knows about David, I guarantee that every unbeliever in the world has almost heard of the King David, he is famous, how many people do you know? I suppose you have heard of Joseph Bashabath the Tacmanite, only you and anyone who dares to read the Scriptures this way, very few people, but what he shows you is that no one is an island, that if someone is great and successful he is because you have had family and friends and men and women who have gathered around you staff members board members who have seen the Common Vision march alongside that person or that company or that group and the reason for success is the totality Of the group that God uses, not a single individual can take credit for it and I'm sure that David, when he took them, I mean, he takes people in trouble, in debt and discontent, could put up with that because he thinks that's going to change. , they're not going to be in trouble forever.

You will not be in debt forever because I will forgive your debt. They will not be dissatisfied. I'm going to make them happy so David can put up with all those bad things that I think he was looking for. because it's just faithfulness, you know, the greatest skill is reliability, just let me find someone who is reliable now. I know some of the names here, I am familiar with them and some of them were really Mighty Men, in fact we could even say if God was looking for a king, He could have easily pushed David aside and chosen one of these because they did incredible feats and had leadership skills, but instead they decided that we will be loyal and follow the vision that God has.

Given David's choice, God is not ours, but we are going to follow him, that is admirable. I once heard the name of Leonard Bernstein, the great music director, when he was alive, someone asked Mr. Bernstein about all the pieces in all the parts of everyone's orchestra. the people who play what is the most difficult person status of peace that you have to fill what is the most difficult to play in an orchestra and said without hesitation second violin goes I can find many people who sign up for first violin first chair in that of playing that instrument, but being in second place because that is very difficult and for many people, even in the Ministry, many times they simply say look, I will be happy to serve the common Vision, I don't have to do it.

My thing, so David found these people rude as they were, but they were faithful to David, they stayed with David from the cave of Adullam during all those periods of David's life and ministry, and one of them is this famous person here, Joshua Bashabat the. attack chief, handyman among the captains, he is called adino because he made Pizza Novi like one night, uh, because he killed 800 men at once, after him was Elías, he is the son of the dodo, of course, that is the famous bird of the what have you heard about, have you heard about? the dodo bird is fine, yes of course, you know I'm joking right?

You're not supposed to do that, you're a Bible teacher, I'm sorry, you have to love me for who I am. Leas is Dodo's son now in Hebrew it's interesting dodo dodo is um the diminutive form the familiar form of the name David is the endearing nickname for the name David dodo in Israel is doo doo Years ago I had a tour guide named David brilliant tour guide but He had always introduced himself and confronted himself for the first time in saying I'm doo-doo whoa and of course he understood that in this country that is not a great name, he understood it, but no one thinks like that in Israel it is a very sweet common nickname, like that that the son of dodo is one of the powerful three. men with David when they challenged the Philistines who were gathered there for battle and the men of Israel had retreated and he stood up and attacked the Philistines until his hand grew tired and his hand stuck to his sword .

Now I have heard that this happened before in ancient times. There are times in battle when a soldier fights hour after hour holding the sword that the hand just stays attached to the weapon and they used to have to put it in like hot water just to free the muscles and loosen the grip so he's out there. fighting until his hand was tired his hand stuck to his sword it was like you knew uh extent of his body the Lord achieved a great victory that day and the people returned after him only to plunder after him was shama the son of AGI the horror The Philistines had just gathered in a troop where there was a field full of lentils and the people fled from the Philistines but he stood in the middle of the field, defended it and killed the Philistines and the Lord achieved a great victory. a little information about the war strategy of the Philistines, the Philistines were cunning and we often find that they let the children of Israel or whatever enemy they want to attack grow things and around the harvest before it is ready to be harvested and everything grows on the vines. and even during or after the harvest, when they have everything stored, they are attacked by the Philistines, the Philistines steal their produce and kill the people and they often do it while they are in the fields so that they can be taken by surprise and bewilderment and it would be that that was just their strategy, so here you have a guy, uh, in a field of lentils, who's there just pulling out a sword, you know, defending a field, now think for a moment, he could easily I've thought what kind What life is like is standing in a bean field with a sword.

I should be doing something more important than this. This is not something important to me. This is not a glamorous role. How could this be the will? of God for my life someone needed to defend that field and by just being faithful to that small call of drawing his sword in the field of being it was like a field of Beans Miracle War to the Lord says right here the Lord caused a great victory simply by defending a bean garden, not despising the days of small beginnings, will ascend to the role of being one of David's powerful and notable men and will be preserved forever in the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

He is in the Bible because he worked in a bean garden. field and defended it, I love it, just be faithful, right where you are, stay in the field of being, the Lord achieved a great victory, then three of the 30 chiefs came down at harvest time and came to David in the cave of Adulam and the troops. of the Philistines camped in the valley of Rafaim, David was in the fortress and garrison of the Philistines, oh, and the Philistine was then in Bethlehem, so you can get the idea. Bethlehem is where David is from, that's his hometown right now, the Philistines had been attacking. the land and now if there were a full-blown raid on Bethlehem, they are occupying it David is prepared for battle against them um says David said with longing verse 15.

Oh, if only someone would give me a drink of the water from the Well of Bethlehem, which is next to the door, I'm sure David went, man, I remember when I was a child and I used to go out to that well that was next to the door of Bethlehem, that water was like the best, so sweet, so pure, man. I'd like to have a drink of that now, so in verse 16, the three mighty men stormed the camp of the Philistines. They drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, drank it, and brought it to David.

Now they are risking their lives. to give them a drink of water from his favorite watering hole, but what it shows me is that here you have men who are sensitive to their King's desire, they are listening to the king, they hear what he says, they understand what he really wants. and they immediately go, let's do it, we'll do it for the king, so even though they were sensitive to their King's desire, are you sensitive to your King's desire? Psalm 123, the psalmist writes as the hand of the servants or as the eyes of the servants look at the hand of the Master of him as the eyes of a maiden look at the hand of her mistress so our eyes are fixed on the Lord what does it mean? that?

A servant would always look for the king's hand signs. The king only had to make a small gesture. sign and that meant an order and that's why the servant was always looking at the king's hand the master's hand sensitive to the King's wishes and I love this as an image for us that the more you grow in Christ the more sensitive you should become to the will of God you will not always know the will of God in every situation that is why you depend that is why you pray that is why you advise but more and more you will become sensitive is this what he wants what is his movement what is his gesture oh he wants water from the wall of Bethlehem we are going to do it so that they bring David water from the Bethlehem Gate however this sounds anticlimactic but LOL he explained it however he did not want to drink it but instead poured it on the ground now, if you are the guy who brought out the water, really I just risked my life and you are just spilling it on the ground, very little thank you, but look at his reasoning, he said, far be it from me, oh Lord, that I should do this is not this the blood of the men who endangered their lives, therefore, would they not drink it?

These things were done by the three Mighty Men because they risked their lives. This water was like his own precious blood and in ancient times. Many times there was a sacrifice called a libation, it was part of the libation. Certain sacrifices in the Levitical law poured wine, in certain cases they poured water, but it was a description of being, you know, being poured out and giving everything. of me in those circumstances David is making this a libation saying I am not worthy to drink this, you have risked your life by spilling this water it is as if you were willing to shed your blood in my name, so these things were done. by the three Mighty Men now abhishai, you remember Abishad, the brother of joab, you remember joab, the son of zeroya, remember that there were three sons of zuruya, zaroya was the sister of king David, so these guys were nephews of David, he was the chief of three other zeruya or The chief of three others raised his spear against 300 men and killed them and earned a name among these three.

Was he not the most honest of the three? He therefore became the Captain of him. However, he did not reach the top three. Banaya was the son of Jehoiada. son of a brave man from cabazil who had done many deeds he had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab he also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a hole on a snowy day now this banaya guy becomes the chief of David's personal guard and also when David dies he works for David's son, King Solomon, and becomes the general of all his armies for Solomon, so Banaya takes Joab's place.

Joab was the commander of David's armies, but after David dies, Solomon is king and Solomon chooses Banaya. like your Commander or your General, but I like the little things that are in the Scriptures, you just tend to overlook them, but I really love this guy because not only did he kill two lion-like Heroes of Moab, but he also fell and killed. a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day obviously the bad weather didn't bother him and he was so committed to eradicating trouble or the enemy or the lions that he will do it on a snowy day now I know this is what Jay Vernon McGee said I know some people who if they see rain on their doorstep they won't come to church, and yet here's a guy who will go fight a lion in a hole on a snowy day.

I like guys like that. I want to hire guys so you know they're doing well, let me see your resources department.humans and see what your benefits are yes, I don't need you you want to kill a lion in a hole on an incredible snowy day, let's go and he killed an Egyptian a spectacular man, the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, so he descended towards He with a staff, leaned the spear on the Egyptians and killed him with his own spear, so the Egyptian who was magnificent had a spear, this guy only had a stick.

He struck the Egyptian with a stick, took his spear, and killed him with his spear. I mean, this is like you know this is war, uh, history stuff, this banaya stuff, Joyada's son is dead and one is a name among the three powerful men. He was more honored than the thirty but he did not reach the first three and David appointed him over his guard Joab's brother was one of the 30 which is the elite corps and the elite corps as mentioned, I believe it is not only the body elite is mentioned here but replacements are mentioned for the elite corps because they would have to be replaced some of them died over the years in battle they would have to have a succession plan the son of Dodo as your favorite name of Bethlehem shamada haradite elika the herodita hellesel paltyte IRA the son of ikesh the techolite abiazar the anath and the arthathite mebunai the salmon hushite the uh quite a height Mahari the nitofetite I know you're wondering why you're reading this, we get the idea, but let's finish with helleb the son of bana the nataph the son of rib eye the guy who made many good gibea steaks of the sons of Benjamin banaya the pyrotenite from there came the pirates Hiday the streams of God ABI albon the arba fight ozmavath the barhamite Alibaba the albanite of the sons of Jason Jonathan shama the Hararite ahayam the son of Sharar the Hararite Ellie fillet the son of a hush of the son of the Mahakatite a lion the son of Ahitophel the Galenite or Gilanite Hezri the Carmelite Parai the Arbite Egal the son of Nathan of Zoba Bonnie the gaddita zelek the termite oh that's not there the ammonite nahari the beer athita armor bearer of joab the son of zaroya Ira the etherite garab he is right and all those names most of them we don't care about, but look at the last one and Uriah the hittite 37 and it is very interesting that the list closes with the only man who would perpetually remind David of what brought him all the trouble in his life, the only blatant failure in which he sinned with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. and then he killed Uriah the Hittite and that cover-up that brought so much destruction to his house and the people of Israel but again I love the Bible it is honest it tells you the whole story it tells you the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth not varnished, no trying to sell a candidate, only the truth, so some of these guys wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, but they're glad they worked for David in the debt unrest.

But powerful men and notable men that God used and true who. God brought victory so I hope that encourages you because your life is probably not even close to being as bad as some of these guys so if God can use them and by the way if God can use them and if God can use David, he I can use you I know I love First Corinthians 1 God has chosen the elect, the nonsense of the world. I quote it a lot because that is the verse of my life. He chose a surfer who wanted nothing more than to stay on the beach surfing. a leader in a place with an incredible amount of Beach laughs there is simply no ocean but that's fine new heavens and the new Earth there will not be one either there is no more sea so it is better to get used to it but in the Millennial Kingdom the Thousand-Year of the reign of Christ on earth before the new Heaven and the new Earth, wax your surfboard, man, a thousand years of that father, thank you, there are so many great promises that are in this book in your word that we have to look forward to. many different phases of our life so many phases in eternity we are so grateful that you have made with us an Eternal Covenant called the New Covenant and it would be something that you would write, you said, on the hearts of men and women, not on tables of stone and you have done a work written your law in our hearts you have done a work in our lives and we are so grateful that although we have not acted or lived up to or been worthy of that calling at all times we are recipients of great grace and we see it reflected in the life of David and in the life of his men and the people in his life in the name of Jesus for more resources from Calvary Church and Skip

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