David’s mighty men!

2 Samuel Chapter 23 verses 1-12

¹ Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

² The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

³ The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

⁴ And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

⁵ Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

⁶ But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

⁷ But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

⁸ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

We may never face 800 Philistines, two mighty Moabite warriors, a lion in a pit on a snowy day, or even a King who seeks our demise. Our challenges may be more extensive. The giant of personal relationships ending. The image of 800 co-works, friends and family who persecute you for your faithfulness. The mighty warriors of vicious pride and arrogance, the lion contained in the fear losing control. Take courage Lion Chasers and remain faithful, because without faithfulness to God there can be no VICTORY! Our foundation is Jesus Christ assurance we are forgiven and saved. Our faithfulness is a commitment to adhere to walking with Jesus daily in the light of HIS Love. In Jesus we live and have our hope resulting in HIS dreams being revealed through moments of brilliance. Now is the time for GOD sized dreams. In the beginning God “Elohim” created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God “Elohim” was moving over the surface of the waters. It is “Elohim” who holds the world in the palm of his hand. “The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” Psalms 24: 1-5.

In His birth is our significance, in His life is our example, in His grace our sins are manifested, in His cross is our redemption, in His stripes we are healed, in His resurrection is our hope, and in His designs our Dreams are revealed. 

David was nothing without his mighty men, and they were nothing without him. He was their leader, but a leader is nothing without followers. David’s mighty men did not begin as mighty men. They were distraught, indebted, and untested men who aligned themselves with David at Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22:1-2). "Untested faith is inconsequential. Deep and Abiding faith is tempered through the fire of life and sustained in the forge of Grace” Jay Adam Pearson. 
The day for mighty men and women serving God has not ended. The triumph of the Body of Christ/Church is achieved in the daily victories of every Christian. In other words, our victory, our life, our personal testimony, are vital for the cause of Christ today. Are you ready for your hand to freeze to the sword, or will you drop it as so many have done before, by changing churches, Bible study groups, compromising, detaching themselves only to sleep under covers of regret?

Lion Chasers at the end of our life let our testimony BOLDLY declare

I fought with my hand froze to the SWORD!

Our Challenge when facing days of uncertainty is to build relationships, not walls.I have been a teacher for 33 years. I teach my students the best plan in life is an alternate plan. Their alternate plan is their education and experiences they gain each day. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quite. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved” Helen Keller.

When was the last time you stepped out on faith believing GOD’s promises are true? We have many walls in our lives, but I feel certain none are more daunting than the walls of Jericho. After crossing the Jordan River, the children of Israel would face their first of many GOD sized tests. The impregnable walled city of Jericho must have caused the children of Israel to gasp in fear. When God led Joshua to Jericho, he led him to a city no human could conquer. The walls of Jericho were built on a great sloping embankment. At the base of this embankment was a retaining wall 12-15 feet high. But there was more to the wall, because 46 feet above the top of the embankment was another wall 26 feet high and six feet thick. There simply was no way for Joshua and his men to gain access to the city of Jericho. Yes, a GOD sized dream requiring GOD’s intervention.

God gave Joshua a battle plan, a dream if you will. A dream so impossible most of us would have rejected it outright. God told Joshua and his army to march around the city of Jericho for seven days. After marching on the seventh day, Joshua was to have the army blow their trumpets and shout in victory to GOD. At this, God promised the mighty walls of Jericho would collapse. Disregarding the skepticism and the ridicule of Jericho’s inhabitants, Joshua believed God. As commanded Joshua led God’s people on a seven day march to a field of dreams. On the seventh day, Joshua and his men let out a shout witnessing firsthand the power of faith. Jericho’s walls collapsed delivering the city for GOD’s Glory. As the walls of Jericho fell another block in the character of Joshua was established. 

Walls or Relationships

My earliest recollection as a child is of Camarma de Esteruelas Spain. It was in April of 1966 where our family was waiting to move into the new Air force Base (AFB) housing being constructed at Torrejo’n AFB. Mom and Dad had decided to rent a summer home. Coincidently, this is my first recollection of attending church. Our family visited Catedral de los Santos Ninos which was established and built in 1497. Our home was a child’s dream, huge rooms with a court yard outside. The yard was surrounded by a 20’ stone wall which when constructed had broken glass and jagged metal placed in the mortar on top to deter gypsies from climbing over. There were two huge metal gates which creaked making a resounding noise penetrating the day and night each time they were opened or closed. We all have all seen walls work effectively. Now a wall can serve to protect, set boundaries, or even be established for isolation. Beware of isolation, because it will kill a dream. Your dream may have died a slow death when you began to build your wall. Construction always begins slowly by taking building blocks out of your life placing them in a row. The blocks of your time, your talent, your priorities, and your pride. Such a small wall will not keep people out, just out of your area, your comfort zone. At first your wall will not be tall enough to be a nuisance, but it will afford you a place to retreat. You may even have a neighbor, friend, or family member to stop by and watch you build your wall. Dreams die a slow death with each brick you place in your wall. The bricks of fear, doubt, mistrust, complacency, and apathy are the next course. Our challenge is to stop building walls and begin building relationships with dreamers. In the same manner we build our walls one brick at a time, dreams begin to be revealed one step at a time by faithfully listening to GOD. Our challenge is to accept the death of our dream, because it was our dream not GOD’s Plan. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9.

Consider how Zacchaeus dream of a life of riches was changed when he took his eyes off mammon, and set his eyes on Jesus. Zacchaeus longed to see Jesus so intensely he climbed a sycamore tree, which the crowd must have thought was beneath the dignity of a wealthy man. Zacchaeus dream died giving way to GOD’s glory. Soli Deo Gloria