We are in the middle of a series called Forgotten, where we are looking at unforgettable lessons from forgotten lives found in the Old Testament of the Bible. And it’s father’s day weekend so today we thought we’d look at the story of David’s mighty men. If you have a Bible turn to 2 Samuel 22 where we’ll find out passage.
This is a story about some ordinary guys whose reputations grow in heroic proportions because of the way they live their lives. They are not just men. They are men’s men. Heroes, forever honored in the faith fall of fame of the Bible, because of how they handled very difficult circumstances.
And since it is father’s day weekend, we are going to look at the way they lived their lives. Now, before we do, as a lot of you know, there is a picture in our world of what a man is supposed to be. In fact, our society has even set up some man-laws that determine how manly a man truly is. I got this list from the most reliable source out there, the internet, so these must be true.
Here are the top 10 man-laws:
Alright, so maybe that is not exactly on target. But it does raise the question, what does it mean to be a mighty man? What does God expect from all of us, not just men, but "What does God expect from all believers in the way we should think and act?"
Can I suggest to you that there are some principles in the passage we are about to look at that aren’t the exception, but the norm for every believer. Before I do, let me give you some background.
Go back earlier in 1 Samuel and you will find the story of a young shepherd boy named David who is the last, smallest and youngest of 7 brothers relegated to herding sheep, one of the most despised jobs in Israel. One day a prophet named Samuel comes by and tells David’s father Jesse that one of his sons will replace Saul as king. One by one Jesse presents his sons. Samuel looks at the appearance of the first and says, "look at the size of him! He must be the one." And God replies, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. They go through the first six sons of Jesse and God doesn’t pick any of them. And Samuel says to him "Are these all the sons you have? Don’t you have any more?" And in what would seem to be almost an after thought, he said, "Well I do have my youngest David, but he’s a shepherd..."
And what we find out is that when others saw a shepherd boy God saw a king.
In the coming years, David would be recruited into King Saul’s service as a musician, slay a giant named goliath, be put in charge of the armies of Israel and befriend the son of King Saul, named Jonathan. One day David arrives home for a military victory and the crowds are shouting his praise and it goes like this "Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his 10,000s!" Saul sees the writing on the wall and tries to kill David. But he escapes to the hills. While he is there, a band of brothers gather around him. A group that would become his mighty men.
In 1 Samuel 22 these men are described:
David left Gath and Escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. 1 Samuel 22:2
Here is a description of David’s mighty men. Distressed, discontented and in debt. Now that’s the kind of help I’m looking for! Here’s what we know. David’s mighty men were ordinary everyday people. These guys followed David before he was anything and before they were anything. What made them mighty, was the character they gained, the lives that they lives and the decisions they made while with David in the wilderness.
Let me just take a couple of minutes to make some observations about the Decisions that made these guys Mighty Men. And let’s see how they connect with our lives.
Decision 1: I will do what’s right even when the odds are against me.
Let’s look at 2 Samuel 22:8. These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkmonite, was the chief of the three; he raised his spear against 800 men, whom he killed in one encounter. 2 Samuel 22:8
We start off with a story of a guy who is braveheart, gladiator and Rambo wrapped into one. His name Tahkmonite literally means "the one who is first". One day he finds himself in a situation where he is facing insurmountable odds. He’s surrounded by 800 men. And he has a decision to make. The possibility of victory seems very remote and yet he knows the right thing to do is stand and fight for what is right.
I can see it now. One the attackers says who are you? And he says "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the felix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor Marcus Aurelius ,father to a murdered son, husband to murdered wife and I will have my revenge in this life or the next."
Ever been there? Ever been at a place where you knew the right thing to do, but to do so may mean you might not survive? This is the metal that heroes are made of. Maybe it doesn’t look the same today as it did back then. Today I think about Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison fighting for a democratic South Africa. Or Martin Luther King Junior, who gave his life in pursuit of a dream that his children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.
But that’s not all. It’s the employee who sees what’s going on behind the scenes and under the table and refuses to be a part of it. It’s the spouse who realizes that the other party thinks this marriage is all but dead, and yet does everything in their power to reconcile. It’s the teen who refuses to go with the flow of the crowd, because where they are headed buts up against what they know what God desires. And they stand their ground.
Write these words in your notes "No retreat" All of these had a mindset of "no retreat", when it came to the things that ought to be or ought not be. That sense of "oughtness", of right and wrong, of integrity, and tenacity that drove them.
Can I be honest? I think maybe our generation has lost that a little bit. I think it would be a great exercise for all of us to take a few minutes and write down those things that are right that we should stand a fight for. And take a stand of "no retreat". (got me worked up there)
Second decision: 2. I will not give up even when none stand with me.
I need some help with this one. I need a stud-ly young guy. Will you come up here?
What’s your name? All I want you to do his hold these two weights (40 lbs.) each. Don’t drop them. Just hold them.
Let’s read the passage: Next to him was Eleazar, son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammin (It’s in the Bible so I can say it in church) for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. 2 Samuel 22:9-10
So here is the story. David has got his fighting men prepared for battle. Remember who these guys are. Distressed, discontent and in debt. Not military men. David gives his best "braveheart" speech as his life-long arch-rivals the Philistines gather. Once again, David and his army are outnumbered and when the men see it, there hearts melt and they runaway. And David looks over and realizes he’s not alone. That Eleazar is "stood his ground" (circle that) there sword in his hand ready to go at.
Now, as a leader, you’ve got to love that. This is an issue of loyalty. Once again the odds are against them. And yet there is something about facing a foe together. There is a synergy that makes the two more than two. The text says that God met them on the battle field that day and gave them a great victory.
But it wasn’t immediate. The battle must have lasted a long, long time. Speaking of that, how’s it going over there? A lot of places in the Bible, we see where God causes the enemy to fall without any action. When the Israelites leave Egypt, the army of Egypt follows them and Charlton Heston raises his staff and the waters part and the walk thought the water. Once they get tot the other side, Moses drops his arms and the water closes in on the Egyptians without a battle. In Jericho, they walk around the walls for seven days and on the seventh day they shout and the walls fall. When Gideon leads the Israelite against the Midianites, God reduced the troops from 32,000 down to 300. Then when they they encountered the enemy, they blew their trumpets and God wiped out the enemy. They all knew that the battle belongs to the Lord.
But in this story, they have to fight. They fight for so long that it says that Eleazar was exhausted and he fought so fiercely that his sword froze to his hand. Can you imagine that? (got o person holding weights) Holding on to something so long and being so tired that in order to let go of it you had to pry the hand off of it to get it out of their hand? (Let’s give them a hand)
Here are the words "No reserve". God loves it when we give all we’ve got to his cause. When we hold nothing back. Scripture says we are to Love god with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, that our lives are to be a living sacrifice, that our lives are not our own, they have been bought with a price.
It also says that God rewards persevering faith. A faith that keeps believing, that keeps fighting, that keeps trusting that God will show up, even when all our energy is gone and so we hold nothing back.
Third decision: I will stand in the gap for those who are around me.
The passage goes on: Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down and the LORD brought about a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:11-12
Once again, the Philistines are set for battle and the men of Israel run away (there’s a them here.) And one man stands his ground. To protect a field? There are plenty of fields. But Shammah’s motivation is honorable. It wasn’t just a field. It says that what he was trying to protect was a field of lentils. It’s a barley field. It’s the field where the Israelites would harvest to make their bread, the food they needed for survival. If he were to walk away from this fight, it would cost many their lives and livelihood.
Beside this one, write "no regret". What would it take to live a life of "no regret". Here at Sun Valley, we have a number of cause where we are trying to stand in the gap. Groups like Vision Abolition/Homes of Hope Fiji rescuing girls from the sex-slave trade industry, Helping Hands of Africa where we are working to restore villages in South Africa that have been ravaged by AIDS. Locally, our own Open arms care center helps families who lost their income with food an clothing...this is a particular serious issue this summer.
Something new on the horizon at Sun Valley. Fewer and fewer people are going to church in the Valley. It’s a huge concern of our and we’ve decided to do something about it. In the coming months we will begin talking to you about our plans to create multiple sites where people can experience God through our ministry We will be asking for some risk takers who would be willing to take Sun Valley’s teaching a culture and transplant it in their circles of influence. We’ll talk more about that in the coming weeks.
In everyday life, it would be things, stopping when you see a car broken down on the road, taking care of a widow that lives down the street. It’s reading a book with your son. It’s seeing the boy down the street without a father and saying to yourself "I will not let him down" It’s seeing your neighbors child making mistakes and refusing to stay out of his/her life because you know where that road leads. That’s the stuff of heroes. And we need to get back to that.
Listen. Here’s what I know: No good performed for the sake of others is forgotten by God. I am so proud to be a part of a church that has those things on it’s radar and it intentionally targeting those issues! And we need to ask God to help us to continue to see those things.
And you and I have the opportunity to live a life of "no reserve, no regret, no retreat"
Final decision I will devote my life to the one who is above me.
During Harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullum, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, "Oh that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem." So the three mighty men 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 before the LORD. "Far be it from me Oh LORD, to do this!" he said. "is it not the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three might men. 2 Samuel 23:13-17
This is not a story about a boss who demands his men risk their lives for his comfort. It is a picture of a life of devotion to the one in authority over them. Under his leadership, they had gone from "distressed, indebted discontents" to mighty men. He enabled them to live for something bigger than themselves and it made them better. His leadership over their lives had changed them. And they lived a life of "No reserve, no regret, no retreat" for the one in authority over them. To the point where no request or desire was too small for them to give their all.
In the Bible, Jesus is called the Son of God, but also the Son of ...David. 1000 years after David was gone, Jesus showed up on the scene and invested his life in ragtag band of "distressed, indebted discontents" who fumbled and bumbled their way through life. When they met Jesus, he changed everything. Jesus changes everything. (say it with me) They watched as their leader live a life of "no reserve, no regret, no retreat", dying on the cross for them and for us. And they turned the world upside down.
Today Jesus is still doing it. He’s calling to his side every distressed, indebted discontent and calling them to a life of "no reserve, no regret, no retreat".
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, o man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 No reserve, no regret, no retreat. Let’s live our lives in honor of the one who gave his life for us.
