David’s Mighty Men

Big Idea: God does extraordinary things through ordinary people who are wholly devoted to their King.

Scripture pulls back the curtain and allows us to see some of the men who stood with him through the battles.

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

2 Timothy 2:3 ESV

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Samuel 23:1–7 ESV

1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: 2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, 4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. 5 “For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? 6 But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; 7 but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.”

DAVID’S FINAL WORDS

These are not necessarily the final syllables David ever spoke. Rather, they are his final formal prophetic declaration recorded for Israel.

There is an important lesson here for every believer. Whatever influence you have, whatever ministry God gives you, whatever doors He opens, whatever accomplishments accumulate behind your name, never forget where you came from. Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive?” Everything is grace.

David continues in verses 2–3: “The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me.” David understood the divine inspiration behind what he was saying. Peter later explains this principle when he writes that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

Then David gives us God’s standard for leadership in verses 3–4. Notice the two qualifications: justice and the fear of God. When leadership loses the fear of God, eventually justice becomes whatever the leader decides.

But there is also a prophetic dimension here. David describes a perfectly righteous ruler, and ultimately David himself could not fulfill that description. He had failed morally. His family had experienced enormous dysfunction. His kingdom had experienced rebellion. David was not the final righteous King.

Isaiah 9:7 ESV

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Luke 1:32–33 ESV

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And then the chapter moves from the King to his warriors.

2 Samuel 23:8 ESV

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH — THE MAN WHO STOOD AGAINST EIGHT HUNDRED

The first named warrior is Josheb-basshebeth. Verse 8 tells us that “he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.” Whatever the exact tactical circumstances of that battle, Scripture wants us to understand something unmistakable: this man displayed extraordinary courage against overwhelming opposition.

There are moments in life when faithfulness means standing against overwhelming odds. Elijah stood before hundreds of false prophets on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. Daniel continued praying when the government criminalized it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood in the furnace before Nebuchadnezzar.

Christian courage is not believing that nothing bad can happen to you. Christian courage is deciding that obedience to God matters more than what happens to you. Romans 8:31 asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2 Samuel 23:9–10 ESV

9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose 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.

ELEAZAR — WHEN YOUR HAND CLINGS TO THE SWORD

Try to picture what Scripture is describing. Eleazar had fought for so long, had swung that sword so many times, and had gripped the handle with such intensity that his muscles apparently cramped around the weapon. When the battle was over, the weapon was still in his hand.

There is a powerful spiritual picture here for every believer because the New Testament repeatedly identifies the Word of God with a sword. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” and Ephesians 6:17 identifies “the sword of the Spirit” as “the word of God.” Eleazar gives us an unforgettable picture of what spiritual endurance looks like: when you become weary, you do not drop the sword.

There will be seasons when following Christ becomes exhausting. There will be moments when you have prayed and prayed and still do not see the answer you hoped for, moments when you have tried to remain faithful in your marriage or family and feel as though you are fighting alone, moments when biblical truth puts you increasingly at odds with the culture around you, and moments when grief, disappointment, temptation, criticism, or spiritual warfare make you wonder how much longer you can keep going. Eleazar reminds us that weariness is not the same thing as defeat.

2 Samuel 23:11–12 ESV

11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee 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. 12 But 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.

SHAMMAH — DEFEND YOUR FIELD

On the surface, this almost sounds absurd. It was a field of lentils. Why would a man risk his life defending a field of lentils? Because it belonged to Israel, not to the Philistines. The enemy had invaded ground that did not belong to him, and Shammah decided that somebody was going to have to stop running and take a stand.

There is an enormous spiritual lesson here because Satan often advances not by demanding that we surrender everything at once, but by persuading us that one little field is not worth defending. Your marriage is a field. Your children are a field. Your thought life is a field. Your doctrine is a field. Your prayer life is a field. Your church is a field. The enemy is perfectly willing to take territory one compromise at a time. First Peter 5:8–9 warns us, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” James 4:7 likewise commands, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

2 Samuel 23:13–17 ESV

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16 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 17 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 did.

THREE MEN WHO BROKE THROUGH FOR THEIR KING

The next scene is completely different, but it may tell us more about the heart of David’s mighty men than any battlefield statistic in the chapter.

David is simply expressing a longing for water. These three men cross enemy lines, penetrate occupied territory, draw the water, and then carry it back simply because their king had said he wanted a drink.

David’s response is initially shocking because after these men risk their lives bringing him the water, he refuses to drink it.

David realizes that this water has become extraordinarily precious because of what it cost these men to obtain it. To drink it merely to satisfy his thirst would trivialize their sacrifice, so David transforms their gift into worship.

2 Samuel 23:18–23 ESV

18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, 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. 21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

ABISHAI AND BENAIAH — COURAGE WHEN THE ODDS MAKE NO SENSE

Beginning in verse 18, we meet Abishai, the brother of Joab, who “wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three.” Abishai was highly honored, although Scripture carefully notes that he did not attain to the first three. Faithfulness is not measured by whether we outrank somebody else. God does not call us to become somebody else’s version of greatness; He calls us to faithfulness in whatever assignment He has given us.

Then we meet one of the most fascinating warriors in Scripture, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. Verse 20 describes him as “a doer of great deeds.” He struck down two formidable Moabite warriors, but then Scripture gives us one of the most extraordinary sentences in the Old Testament: “He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit.”

Biblical courage is obedience to God even when obedience is costly. Faithfulness in today’s pit may be God’s preparation for tomorrow’s assignment.

2 Samuel 23:24–39 ESV

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

THE NAMES GOD REMEMBERED

Beginning in verse 24, the chapter becomes a long list of names. Many of these men receive no dramatic story. Yet God put their names in His Word.

Hebrews 6:10 ESV

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

THE NAMES GOD REMEMBERED

That is enormously encouraging for believers whose service takes place far from platforms and recognition. Maybe nobody sees the hours you spend praying for your children or grandchildren. Maybe nobody knows what it costs you to serve your church faithfully. Maybe nobody recognizes the private temptations you have resisted or the sacrifices you have made because you wanted to honor Christ. Maybe your name will never appear on a conference banner or a book cover. None of that means heaven has failed to notice. God’s record of faithfulness is very different from man’s résumé.

2 Samuel 23:39 ESV

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

THE NAMES GOD REMEMBERED

Verse 39 ends with the words, “Uriah the Hittite.” We know that name. Uriah was Bathsheba’s husband, one of David’s own mighty men, and the faithful soldier whom David betrayed and ultimately arranged to have killed. Uriah was loyal to his king while his king betrayed him.

I do not think we should rush past the fact that the Holy Spirit allows Uriah’s name to stand at the end of this list. David’s accomplishments did not erase the man he wronged. Uriah’s name at the end of David’s mighty men should remind every leader that the people entrusted to us are never expendable.

PERSONAL APPLICATION — WHAT KIND OF MIGHTY MAN OR WOMAN WILL YOU BE?

As we close this chapter, every one of these warriors confronts us with a different dimension of faithfulness. Some of us may identify with Eleazar because we are tired and our hands are weary. Some may identify with Shammah because it feels as though everyone else has abandoned a field that God has called you to defend. Stand your ground. Some may identify with those three warriors who heard the longing of their king and willingly risked themselves to please him. Some may identify with Benaiah because life has placed you in what feels like a pit with a lion on a snowy day. Others may identify with those largely unknown warriors whose names appear near the end of the chapter. First Corinthians 15:58 reminds us that our “labor is not in vain” when it is done in the Lord.