David’s Mighty Men were Mighty Committed
These are the names of Davidʼs mighty warriors:Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. 9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, 10 but Eleazar 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. 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israelʼs troops fled from them. 12 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. 13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 So the three mighty warriors 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. 17 “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.
2 Samuel 23:8–38
I think you can only appreciate these kinds of exploits if you are a veteran, a refugee, or a MMA fighter. Just like we look at this account and think “these people were so violent!” someday people might look at us and say “I can’t believe they were so lazy! They had 2 Starbucks right across the street from each other!”
One thing to really appreciate about these guys is their commitment and loyalty. When you look through the events of 2nd Samuel, there are plenty of men that rise up against King David in numerous rebellions. Any of these guys could have sided with the rebels and attained great honor among them. From the beginning they were outcasts and criminals that joined David before he was crowned King and while he was on the run.
Their commitment to him was part of what fueled their passion and their perseverance. Look at some of these exploits:
When everyone fled, one man stood against and army and fought until he won
Another man, for no reason it seems, went down into a lion’s pit in the snow and killed the lion.
One guy fought so hard and so long, his hand was cramped and stuck to his sword. Can you imagine sitting around the fire with that guy until his hand loosened up and he could move it again?!
It’s the stories of commitment that people remember and tell over and over again. Those are the best veterans stories we hear and those are the best marriage stories that are told to great-grandchildren at anniversary parties or reunions.
We might not have fights against 800 Philistines, but we do have a fight to wage for the sake of faithfulness and commitment. Let the people around you know that you’re committed to them. If nothing will make you leave a friend, tell them.
That is what made these 300 men so mighty.