Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
So as David is in exile, between being anointed king And crowned king, he has about 400 men around him at this point, and several of them are called. David's mighty man. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. The Christian life is not an easy life. Followers of Christ are called to be strong and courageous and be good and faithful soldiers.
Today, we're exploring the fascinating lives of David's mighty men as we consider our own legacy in the kingdom of God. as we continue our study on the life of David. To introduce today's lesson, here's Pastor John Monroe. Last time we thought of David's mighty man as we were encouraged. to be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
David was a man after God's own heart. He was a poet, a musician. but he was also a brilliant warrior. He knew what it was to go into battle. and be surrounded by mighty warriors, particularly when he was being pursued by Saul.
Let's learn more today about some of David's mighty men. These descriptions in 2 Samuel are fascinating and they're very inspiring to us. Today we're not fighting a physical battle. but we are fighting against the cosmic forces of evil. Our adversary is formidable.
But greater is he who is in us. than he who is in the world. Let's learn more today about David's mighty men.
Well, considering David. who is described as a man after God's own heart. And it is true that David did sometimes stand alone, he stood alone against Goliath. But throughout his life, He was not a solo. Commander.
He was surrounded by a group of soldiers. who are described as mighty Man. And I want us to think. of a few of them very quickly.
So turn back in your Bibles to 2 Samuel. Chapter 23. First of all, verse eight. These are the names of the mighty men whom David had. Here's the first one.
Joshua. Hashabeth A tachomite He was chief of the three. He yielded his spear against 800 whom he killed at one time. or a warrior, no wonder he's the chief. Here's the other one.
Eleazar in verses 9 and 10. And next to him among the three mighty men were Eleazar, the son of Dodo.
Son of Yeah. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. And the men of Israel withdrew. Heroes And struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day.
and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. Here's the third one in verses 11 and 12. His name is Shamma. And next to him, verse 11, was Shama. the son of Aggie, the Hararite.
The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. Ah, but this man, this mighty man, one of the chiefs of the mighty men. He took his stand in the midst of the plot. And defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great Victory. He's the third of the chief of the mighty men.
He stands firm when others flee.
Now in verses thirteen through seventeen We have an act of worship. This is a wonderful. story. Let me read it. I'm still in Second Samuel 23.
Verse thirteen. And three of the thirty chief men That's David's mighty man. went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adalam, when a band of Philistines w were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate.
Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines. And drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and carried and Brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out. to the Lord.
and said Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men Dead. David clearly loved his hometown.
and away from home at war. He longs for a drink. from Bethlehem's well. David? The anointed king Is not able to enter his own hometown of Bethlehem because it's in the hands of the Philistines, the Lord's enemies.
Do you understand what's going on? Three of David's mighty men. in great love for their king. They bring water. From the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate, and present it to David.
Can you imagine their surprise with what he does? David is so overcome by the man's devotion. Men who had risked their life to get that drink of water for him. that he wouldn't drink it. Here in a tangible form.
of water was a reminder of the faithfulness of God. David would have remembered that one day, yes. He would be crowned king. and that God would give him the victory. And what an encouragement to David.
That God would stand true to his promise and he would reign over Israel, including his hometown of Bethlehem. And so, what does he do? He takes that. Waters. You know, in the Old Testament there were different offerings and there was the drink offering.
You can read about it in Leviticus and Numbers. And David takes this and pours it out. as a drink offering. Yeah. An act of beautiful worship.
Prompted by the love of these three mighty men for David, and a tangible reminder of the mercies of God and the faithfulness of God. What about our worship? Our worship should be costly, shouldn't it? Our worship is presented as an act of gratitude. Why?
Because we love our King, King Jesus. Is it difficult to worship? Yes, it is. It's sometimes difficult to concentrate, isn't it? coming for worship on a Sunday morning.
And the Sunday evening is not always easy. The devil sadly doesn't want us to worship God. He wants to distract us. And there's always seemingly good reasons for not worshiping, aren't there? David knew that worship was costly.
This was the most valuable of water. It was too holy, too sacred for him simply to consume it. Himself just because you wanted a drink of water. No, he offers it. to the Lord.
He gives his very best. to the Lord. And I'm sure what we're teaching these tough Warriors. the importance of giving their very best. to the Lord.
The incident reminds us, doesn't it, of an incident in the New Testament. of a woman Remember the woman at Bethany? And she had costly ointment. And what did she do with it? She poured it out.
On the Lord. as an act. of worship. Judas thought it was a waste of money. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor.
No. Or some things too sacred. And Jesus said, Mark 14 verse 6, she has done a beautiful thing. To me. And there are things in life Which are so precious that all we can do is to pour them out before the Lord.
as an act of living. worship. I've been challenging you To Accept the challenge. of total commitment to Jesus Christ. to present not just something.
but to present ourselves. To the Lord, in this wonderful act of worship. Here I am, Lord, I surrender everything I have to you. And David A man after God's own heart has a great love for God. and presents that water which his mighty men gave him as an act.
of worship. Now there's other mighty men very quickly. Verses 18 and 19. There's a Bishai, now a Bishai. the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the third day.
He yielded his spear against 300 men and and kill them and want a name. Beside the three. He was the most renowned of the 30 and became their commander, but he did not attain.
So the three. Who's a Bishop?
Well, he's David's cousin. His mother, Zaruiah, is David's sister. He is chief of the thirty. He had two brothers, Joab. We'll think of him in a minute, David's commander in Azahel.
Who was killed by Abner? Who was Abner? Remember, Abner was Saul's army commander. And the Bishai is a fearless, mighty man. It says here he fought against.
300 men and killed them. and became the commander of the thirty. Verses 20 through 23. We have Ben Yah. And Beniah, the son of Jehoadah, was a valiant man of Gabzeil, a doer of great deeds.
He struck down two. Ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man, The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Beniah went down to him. With a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.
These things did Beniah, the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three, and David set him over his. Bodyguard. This was a favorite question of my mother's to us. Uh who killed a lion on a snowy day?
Who killed a lion on a snowy day? We just read it, it's Bene Ire, right?
So if you're in one of these Bible quizzes and you get the question, who killed a lion on the snowy day? You can say Bene Ire. It comes from 20. Samuel 23.
Some of you look as if you've never. even red as before. Can I encourage you to read your Bibles? Yes, it's amazing what you learn. Here we have the heroism of this man killing a lion.
In the news just a few days ago was a fellow who was attacked by a mountain lion, wasn't he? And he he fought back, I think he killed it, didn't he? And did some, the lion did some damage to the man, but I think this was a bigger lion. And it was snow on the snow at the time, which is unusual in Israel. And also he killed this Egyptian with his own spear.
And David put some. the head of his security. I I I want a guy like that protecting me, don't you? A man who can kill a lion on a snowy day. Man who can kill the Egyptian, I want him by my side.
We have a line, don't we? Ah, not a physical line. Peter says The devil goes around like a roaring lion seeking someone who would devour. Egypt. And the Bible is a is a picture of the world from which we're delivered.
These are enemies. For those of us who are soldiers of Jesus Christ, the devil. and the world. No. From Verse twenty-four to the end.
Many other mighty men are mentioned. I'm not going to read them, some of their names are difficult. And so I'm not going to read it. But Look at the last. in the list.
This is very interesting, isn't it? Verse thirty-nine. 2 Samuel 23, the mighty man. Who is last on the list? Uriah The Hittite.
Thirty seven In all. Isn't that interesting? that the last man Mentioned in the list of mighty men. Is Uriah the Hittite. You say, who's Uriah?
You should know who Uriah is. He's the husband of Bathsheba. with whom David committed. adultery. He's not as right, he's Hittite.
But he's a man Who's in the list of the mighty men? A man loyal to David. Remember, After David's immorality. David calls Uriah home. He wants to get Uriah.
in bed with his own wife. But Uriah won't do that. He says, How can I go to my own home? Sleep in my own bed when When uh Israel is fighting. There, I can't do that.
And so then David gives instructions to Joab. His commander. to put your eye at the very front. of the line of battle against the Ammonites. And Uriah is killed as David.
wanted because what's David trying to do he's trying to cover up his adultery. And this cover-up, of course, fails. And yet here it is. for everyone to see. Here is Uriah listed as one of David's mighty men, a loyal soldier.
one who obeys his commander, one who demonstrates his loyalty to King David. David acted very dishonorably and betrayed Uriah, but Uriah never betrayed King David. He's a mighty man, he's a man of integrity, he's a man of courage. And in this list of mighty men, here stands Uriah. His name is also a reminder.
that the greatest of men And the greatest of kings, like David. are still sinners. and that through the grace of God David experiences wonderful forgiveness. We'll think of Psalm 51. uh later in this series.
Now as you look as you look at the list Is there anyone there? that you think is missing. Who is not listed? If you know your history, if you're familiar with 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles. Joab.
Joab is David's Commander. He's David's cousin and he's the commander of David's army. And Joab is a very fierce warrior. It's Joab. Who takes the lead in conquering Jerusalem?
Jerusalem? is held by the Jebusites. It's on a high ridge. There's no way they can get up. Those of us who were recently at Israel were saying this.
How did the Israelites conquer Jerusalem? How did they get up so high and conquer the Jebusites? There's a water shaft. Joab, you can read about it in 2 Samuel 5 and 1 Chronicles 11. Joab, a mighty man.
Obviously, very athletic, very strong, very brave. He goes up the water shaft. Right into the heart of Jerusalem. And through Joab David and his men are able to capture Jerusalem, a tremendous achievement. A brave warrior.
Ahva is not mentioned here. And the list of mighty men. Because Joab. Great warrior although he is, is also a treacherous man. He kills Abner.
Saul's commander who'd killed his brother Athahel. He also killed Amasa, the commander of Solomon's army. And Joab dies in a very dishonorable way. After the death of David, you remember some of his sons want his throne. Absalom has tried and is now killed.
And the throne after David is going to go to which son? Sullivan. But there's another son, Adonijah. He wants to be king. And Joab Who had spent so long with David and must have known that Solomon was in the line?
to be king. He identifies with Adeniger. Instead of Solomon. And he goes into the tabernacle. takes hold of the horns of the altar.
And one of David's mighty men, the man who killed a lion on the snowy day, Beniah, goes in and is told to kill Joab. And in that way, Beniah then becomes the commander of Solomon's army. And it's not so here Joab. Is not listed in the list of mighty men, although he served David for many, many years. Although he did incredible exploits for David, But his deceit, his treachery, his disloyalty caught up with him.
And in the end, he seemed to be more concerned with his own reputation rather than. Davids. A warning, isn't it? A kind of Judas, if you like, isn't it? Think of this.
There were twelve who were very close to the Lord. I'm one of them. was a traitor. Judas. Here was Job very close to David.
David relied on him. But Job was a hard, harsh man. And he's not listed in the list of mighty men. What do we make of all of this?
Well, I find it interesting, don't you, that the mighty men are listed.
Some of them are better known than others, but God knows each one and has recorded them in sacred scripture. To you and me, they may just be names, but they are men who fought for the Lord. and for their king David. If there's a list of mighty men and woman. Would would you be on the Would I agree on that?
What do you think your legacy is? What are you leaving behind? What's important for you? Particularly for those of us who are getting older, we begin to think about this, don't we? I talked this morning about when I got married.
It just seems as if few years ago and now I'm a grandfather. You think, where did the years go? And you begin to think What have I done? With my life, what am I leaving behind? In God's grace, what exploits are we doing for God?
Are you? Am I a mighty soldier of Jesus Christ? Are you loyal to your king? Are you loyal to King Jesus? Or when you're with your friends, When you're with unbelievers, you just blend in.
Or are you the kind of individual like these mighty men are That they are so loyal to David and so loyal to the Lord that they take a stand, they stand strong while others flee, while others abandon David, while others are there for self-interest, perhaps like Job. Isn't that wonderful to think? That in the grace of God, And in the strength of God, we can stand. Firm. That's what Paul is saying in Ephesians 6.
Stand fast. James says, resist the devil. And he'll flee from you. Don't cave in. Don't compromise.
Don't take the easy road. Be a strong soldier, a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
So they were never motivated by treachery or self-interest or betrayal. That we keep fighting the good fight against the devil, against the world, against our own sinful desires, because we follow. A better king than David. King Jesus. There was no failure.
No spot, no blemish. Absolutely perfect. Not only the king of Israel, but the king of kings and lord of lords, and in his grace. He's reached down and saved you and me. and asked us to follow him.
to be a good soldier. of Jesus Christ, what does that mean in your context? What does that mean as you go to work tomorrow? What does that mean in your home? in your family, in society.
That we would Stand for Firm. When we see so many compromising. and being captured by the world and becoming just cultural Christians. Let's always be loyal. to our king.
and be a good soldier. Of Jesus Christ. Help us, Father. To be that. Thank you.
that you call us Into your army, as it were. I pray for each one of us here that we will stand strong. Give us strength, Father. Thank you for the example of these mighty men that we will do mighty things for God, that whatever the world may say, we will stand firm, strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen us, Father.
Help us. Forgive us when we fail, as we do. and help us to keep our eyes On King Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, in whose name we pray. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the end of a message titled David's Mighty Men. And as a bonus for our current study on the life of David, we'd like to offer you the special listening guide John has put together for this series.
Designed to walk you through each of these lessons in the coming weeks, this printable guide will equip you with key notes, questions, and specific prompts to help you apply the Biblical teachings from the life of David to your own life to day.
So take advantage of this free resource by downloading your copy of the Life of David Listening Guide today. by going online to the verdict.org. And while you're there, make sure you're signed up for John's monthly email and be the first to know about our upcoming series and events. Here at the Verdict, we're committed to sharing the truth of God's Word and the good news of Jesus Christ every day. and you can be a part of this gospel work today.
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Just visit our website. Again, that's the verdict.org. And now, here's Pastor Jean Monroe with closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? Don't you find these mighty men to be inspiring? I'm also moved by their love for David.
Sometimes it seems we're facing the enemy alone. But I trust you have in your life people around you who pray for you, encourage you and support you as you go through the ups and downs of life. Life is not easy.
So we're told repeatedly to be strong and courageous. The strength comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, who's all-powerful. Make sure. Your trust is in Him as your Saviour. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict.
I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
