A King and his men

Joseph Tata

2 Samuel 23 • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Intro: We’re finishing up this wonderful account of the life and the reign of king David…and today we come to chapter 23 which is described as David’s final words…

Now, though they were probably not the very last words of David

These words are of great importance...

The word Oracle twice in the introduction - Divine revelation communicated through God’s spokesperson (prophet, priest, or king) so it’s important

Oracle. Divine revelation communicated through God’s spokesperson (prophet, priest, or king), usually pronouncing blessing, instruction or judgment

Think about it like this…the story of David finished in chapter 20, yet the author found it important to add these 4 chapters, and this passage is right in the middle of these which means it was given significance

Think of it as David at the end of his life, saying, he lets grab some coffee…and He says “this is what wants me to tell you about leadership…and serving God...

(Prop) And thats what this is all about...christian service and leadership...

David’s last words...

2 Samuel 23:1 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:

Notice how David refers to himself…

The son of Jesse Jesse the shepherd - A farmer, not an aristocrat, not high society…and he was the youngest one in his family of farmers…nothing much

The son of Jesse Jesse the shepherd…yet in spite of his lowly upbringing He was the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of JacobApp: No matter who you are or where your from, If God has called you to a task, he will equip you for the workThe reference to Jacob is fitting as well - David’s anointing by the God of Jacob implicitly connected David’s career with Jacob’s Jacob was used of God to found a nation; David, to found the royal family that ruled Jacob’s nation.

Yet in spite of his lowly upbringing He was the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob

App: No matter who you are or where your from, If God has called you to a task, he will equip you for the work

The reference to Jacob is fitting as well - David’s anointing by the God of Jacob implicitly connected David’s career with Jacob’s ...Jacob was used of God to found a nation; David, to found the royal family that ruled Jacob’s nation.

Then David, says one one more thing about himself…

2 Samuel 23:2 ESV

2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.

This give us one more important function of David…he was a Prophet….and confirms that…

So taking all of 1&2 Samuel into account we see that David is viewed as a “Prophet” a “Priest” () and a “King”…

This give us one more important faction of David…that he was a prophet….and confirms that…so taking all of 1&2 Samuel into account we see that David is viewed as a “Prophet” (here) a “Priest” () and a “King” (2 Samuel) and with that in mind it seems appropriate that Jesus should not only be depicted by the New Testament writers as inheriting these roles but superseding David’s accomplishments in them.

With that in mind it seems appropriate that Jesus should not only be depicted by the New Testament writers as inheriting these roles but superseding David’s accomplishments in them.

Here’s the point: Jesus is the great fulfillment to of what’s foreshadowed in the book of Samuel…

App: And in the same way…Jesus is the great fulfillment of all things…

Look at what he says…

Now some believe this is messianic, but I believe it’s actually both, I belief David could have been speaking about his life, but speaking prophetically about the one would be the greater fulfillment of this picture...

2 Samuel 23:3 ESV

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,

But here he gives a picture of what a good leader looks like…He rules justly And in the fear of the Lord

Lets talk about the fear of the Lord...What does it mean to fear the Lord?For the unbeliever - It’s a fear of eternal separation from God -

Lets talk about the fear of the Lord...What does it mean to fear the Lord?

In Proverbs we’re told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

In other words, before you can know who you are, and what you are supposed to do, you must know who God is, His holiness, and how he has called you to live…

For the unbeliever - It’s a fear of eternal separation from God

But here he gives a picture of what a good leader looks like…

For the unbeliever - It’s a fear of eternal separation from God

Think about what Jesus said in about himself

Luke 12:5 ESV

5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Luke 12:4–5 ESV

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

luke 12:

But For the Christian it’s a different kind of fear

This is what the author of hebrews was saying to a group of believers...

Hebrews 12:28–29 ESV

28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Heb

He rules justly And in the fear of the Lord - What does it mean to fear the Lord?For the unbeliever - It’s a fear of eternal separation from God -

- (ESV) 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Here’s the funny thing about it all…the fear of the Lord is the most empowering thing in the world…

It makes me think about the account found in 2 chronicles 14…Asa is king and he’s doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord…and this man named Zerah came against the people of God with an army of a million and 300 chariots and Asa prayed and the fear of the Lord fell upon the people of God and they wiped them all out…

App: Here’s the thing…fear is human…but fear the right thing….A Godly leader will function in the fear of the Lord…

For the Christian it’s a different kind of fear - (ESV) 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.And then in Proverbs we’re told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - In other words, before you can know who you are, and what you are supposed to do, you must know who God is, His holiness, and how he has called you to live…Here’s the funny thing about it all…the fear of the Lord is the most empowering thing in the world…It makes me think about the account found in 2 chronicles 14…Asa is king and he’s doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord…and this man named Zerah came against the people of God with an army of a million and 300 chariots and Asa prayed and the fear of the Lord fell upon the people of God and they wiped them all out…App: Here’s the thing…fear is human…but fear the right thing….A Godly leader will function in the fear of the Lord…

Now look at what that produces…in the godly leader

2 Samuel 23:4–7 ESV

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.”

2 Samuel 23:4 ESV

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.

A few things here..

David gives us a contrast between a good leader and a bad leader - David compares Someone who leads in the “fear of the Lord” as a light and as rain…

David gives us a contrast between a good leader and a bad leaderDavid compares Someone who leads in the “fear of the Lord” as a light and as rain…Think about that…for David who ruled in a land where farming was a way of life…he would have thought of both of those things are life giving elements that brought about massive benefits for othersThis is contrast to the worthless leader who is like “thorns that are thrown away and eventually burned with fire” v.6-7This tells us that the measure of a good leader is not their gifting, there personality, but their people This is what a “God fearing leader” is to beWe are to understand that leaders in God’s economy are servants of others…our chief goal should never be to find ourselves, or to fulfill your true potential, it’s to bless and benefit others…Jesus came to serve othersWe are called to benefit othersThen David talks about God’s faithfulness in his life…Though David was a man through the course of his life who was devoted to God, it wasn’t HIS devotion to God that made him successful, it was God’s devotion to him that made him successfulThink about this…though David’s reign was not perfect it was blessedFrom one perspective David’s reign was a disaster. He suffered from a dark scandal during his reign, he suffered under repeated family crises, under an attempted insurrection from his own son, under another civil war, and from three years of famine…yet according to scripture he would be the gold standard for the kings after himIn contrast to David, his son Solomon’s reign seemed perfect. Solomon enjoyed a reign of peace, great prosperity, prominence, and glory. But Solomon is barely mentioned in the rest of the Scriptures and when he is, it is almost in a backhanded way (see and ).God doesn’t deal with David on the bases of his performance, He dealt on the bases of his promises…App: The difference between David and Solomon was found in their different relationships with God. David’s passion in life was simply to be with God (), while Solomon’s passion was personal improvement (). We can also say that David endured to the end, loving and serving God in the final chapters of his life (), while Solomon forsook God in his later years ().

Think about that…for David who ruled in a land where farming was a way of life…he would have thought of both of those things are life giving elements that brought about massive benefits for others

This is contrast to the worthless leader who is like “thorns that are thrown away and eventually burned with fire” v.6-7

This tells us that the measure of a good leader is not their gifting, there personality, but their people This is what a “God fearing leader” is to be

We are to understand that leaders in God’s economy are servants of others…our chief goal should never be to find ourselves, or to fulfill your true potential, it’s to bless and benefit others…Jesus came to serve othersWe are called to benefit others

Then David talks about God’s faithfulness in his life

Though David was a man through the course of his life who was devoted to God, it wasn’t HIS devotion to God that made him successful, it was God’s devotion to him that made him successful

Think about this…though David’s reign was not perfect it was blessedFrom one perspective David’s reign was a disaster. He suffered from a dark scandal during his reign, he suffered under repeated family crises, under an attempted insurrection from his own son, under another civil war, and from three years of famine…yet according to scripture he would be the gold standard for the kings after him

In contrast to David, his son Solomon’s reign seemed perfect. Solomon enjoyed a reign of peace, great prosperity, prominence, and glory.

But Solomon is barely mentioned in the rest of the Scriptures and when he is, it is almost in a backhanded way (see and ).

God doesn’t deal with David on the bases of his performance, He dealt on the bases of his promises…

App: The difference between David and Solomon was found in their different relationships with God.

David’s passion in life was simply to be with God (), while Solomon’s passion was personal improvement ().

We can also say that David endured to the end, loving and serving God in the final chapters of his life (), while Solomon forsook God in his later years ()

Now we move on from the leader…to the men who followed him…

David’s mighty men

Let’s get a sense of how these men started...

1 Samuel 22:2 ESV

2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

1 sam

Thats who these guys were, they were a group of broken men who didn’t have much to offer but they were radically changed because of their closeness to leadership of God’s anointed king

Two things here…

App: This is a picture of us of a life that that comes under that leadership of Jesus

Sin has broken us, but Jesus has invited us…to come under his leadership and he takes us, and makes us better then we could could have ever been on our own…

App: This also tells us that David didn’t accomplish all of this on his own…though no doubt God raised him up to be the man, he was gonna need other men around him

This is usually the way God accomplishes things…he raises up the leader…and then he surrounds him with leaders to support…I’m so thankful for the leaders that the Lord has put around me…to support me and keep me in line need them…and every leader does as well…

So lets look at these guys and we begin with David’s 3 champions…

2 sam 23:

So lets look at these guys and we begin with David’s 3 champions…

2 Samuel 23:8–12 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. 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. 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.

So here are the champions of David…

Josheb - He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time v.8

Eleazar - He stood with David in his defiance of the philistines and their champion Goliath. Eleazar was so intense and unrelenting in his attack that he ceased only when “his hand grew tired and froze to the sword,” that is, after muscle cramps temporarily disabled him.

Shammah - He took a one man stand against a group of Philistines and beat themHere’s what we see here…

It’s interesting because what we see here is that writer highlights a balance between human ability and courage…but also divine enabling

In v.10 and 12 it says “The Lord brought about a great victory”

This tells us 2 things about these 3…these men earned their positions through their skill and bravery - These men were faithful, even when everyone else bails…

App: Make sure if your thinking about giving someone a position…they’ve earned it…They same God who worked in their leader…worked in them

App: David was special, but he wasn’t the only one whom the Lord was working thorough…and that’s the same with any body of christ…You have the spirit…and God can do great things through 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.

2 sam 23:

So here’s story about another group of men, not ranked as highly as the champions, but incredible men in their own right…and they show an incredible love for David. This was ether during , and after that…But David is thirsty and he gets nostalgic and says “oh what I would give for some water from my wall back in my home town…it wasn’t a command…it was just a desire

But these men were so sourced by David’s loving leadership they went above and beyond broke through the Philistine garrison (which consists of 1000 solders) and brought water back to David…and David so honored by this act…offered it as a sacrifice to the Lord…The gift of water acquired at such great peril represented something so precious that David considered himself unworthy to drink it. In fact, because of “the risk” (v. 17) that the Three took, the Bethlehem waters symbolized “the blood of men who” had literally faced death. Accordingly, David “poured it out before the Lord,App: These men are a picture of what true devotion to their king looks like…often times people try to approach christianity with the sense of “what is the least amount of sacrifice and service I can do and still be a christian?”Thats not the way to live…It’s about what’s the least I can do?…it’s about what will please God the most?If you come to know him, though his word, though his spirit…you will love him…We go above and beyond for him…Because the bible says he went above and beyond for us…

The gift of water acquired at such great peril represented something so precious that David considered himself unworthy to drink it. In fact, because of “the risk” (v. 17) that the Three took, the Bethlehem waters symbolized “the blood of men who” had literally faced death. Accordingly, David “poured it out before the Lord

App: These men are a picture of what true devotion to their king looks like…often times people try to approach christianity with the sense of “what is the least amount of sacrifice and service I can do and still be a christian?”

Thats not the way to live…It’s about what’s the least I can do?…it’s about what will please God the most?

If you come to know him, though his word, though his spirit…you will love him…We go above and beyond for him…

Because the bible says he went above and beyond for us…

Now those men were great, but here we have one who was held in even greater honor then even these men…

2 Samuel 23:18–19 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.

We’ve known Abishai from previous accounts and one of the things we see is that he was Abishai’s prestige was based on his heroic exploits on the battlefield. His most outstanding accomplishment was against an unnamed enemy, when he “raised his spear against three hundred men,” all of “whom he killed.”

He is credited with numerous other daring and brilliant military activities: He accompanied David on a stealthy foray into Saul’s camp (cf. )

He was one of the 3 leaders of David’s troops against Absalom’s rebels (cf. 18:2),He was given command of David’s troops in quelling Sheba’s revolt (cf. 20:6)

He killed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt (cf. ). For these reasons he was appointed “commander” (v. 19) of the thirty even though he was not one of David’s champions

Here’s the point: Abishai was a little rough around the edges, there were times when David rebuked him publicly, but at the end of the day…he was a faithful follower of God’s anointed King, and at the end of it all it he would be renowned for his skill and faithfulness

Here’s another one…

2 sam 23:

2 Samuel 23:20–23 ESV

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.

So there’s 2 things that can be said about Benaiah

He was a man of courage:

He struck down two of Moab's best men (Thats the best description that these Ariels of Moab)

He killed an actual lion in the middle of winter

He killed some sought of “handsome” Egyptian, that would can also be treated phenomenon…and the way he beat him was with his own weapon

David would put him in charge of his personal guard v.23

Thats David like courage…

But he was also a priest ()

I think this is the reason he was so important to David…Because…he knew how to fight, but he also knew the presence of God, and how to come before the Lord on behalf of the people

App: By the holy Spirit, may we learn how to stick this balance…to fight and to pray…

Conclusion

Conclusion…

In the rest of the chapter, the author then names the rest of David’s mighty men, and the truth is if name them, I will just sound funny, for anyone having a baby in the future…pick one:)

In the rest of the chapter, the author then names the rest of David’s mighty men, and the truth is if name them, I will just sound funny, for anyone having a baby in the future…pick one:) but there 3 names in Eliam, Ahithophel v.34 and lastly Uriah the Hittite v.39

But there are 3 names in these final verses that stand out... Eliam, Ahithophel v.34 and lastly Uriah the Hittite v.39

Eliam was Bathsheba’s father

Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grand father

Uriah was Bathsheba’s husband

It’s almost as if the writer wanted us to remember, though David was a great leader…He was still a sinful man, in need for forgiveness and cleansing…App: Thats the same us, you might be a person of great accomplishment…you are still a sinner and in need of God’s mercy and graceRoms 3:23

It’s almost as if the writer wanted us to remember, though David was a great leader…He was still a sinful man, in need for forgiveness and cleansing…

App: Thats the same us, you might be a person of great accomplishment…you are still a sinner and in need of God’s mercy and grace

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Roms 3:23

There are really to types of people in the world…those who have life and those who don’t…life comes from receiving the forgiveness of sin found only in Jesus christ..

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