David’s Mighty Men

Introduction: How does God call and mold men?

A. We will examine one of the great men that God used for His purposes, King David.

1. The only one that more is written about in the Bible is Jesus Himself.

2. Towards the end of David’s life God describes him as “the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam 23:1)

B. God recognizes a group of men that are described as “David’s mighty men.”

1. God wants us to know that David’s work was not accomplished alone.

2. In many ways we will see how Jesus, the son of David and the Son of God, in His ministry and today calls and uses “mighty men.”  

I. The calling of the mighty men 

A. The Bible says little about how these men came to follow David.

1. David was one who was well traveled and well known.

2. He often found Himself in hard spots and could be described as facing a “no-win        scenario.”

3. In these situations there were those who gathered to him that would be considered “out of step” with fitting in that society. 1 Sam 22:2

And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.

4. Jesus found His followers from such “rejects.” 1 Cor 1:26-27 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

B. The common attraction of these men was a faith in God.

1. I believe that these men were attracted to David the same was that Jonathan became a close friend of David’s.

2. Before Jonathan ever heard of David he stood by faith. 1 Sam 14:6-10

6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few." 7 So his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." 8 Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us."

3. When Jonathan saw the faith of David and David his, they became friends.

(1 Sam 17:57-18:1)             After he slew Goliath

4. Where did Jesus find His followers? (Jn 1:29, 35, Mt 3:1-4)  John the Baptist  

II. The qualities of the mighty men  

A. They had a strong faith that caused them to be courageous.

1. Eleazar attacked when others were fearful. His sword stuck to his hand after the

battle! His courage won the entire battle for the Lord. (2 Sam 23:9-10)

            Son of Dodo

2. Shammah stood in a field when other fled. (2 Sam 23:11-12)

The Philistines were coming, he stood his ground when everyone around him fled

3. These men did not become mighty men because they buttered up to someone.

4. The followers of Christ have learned to take a stand and are not afraid of crossing others.

(Mt 12:30; He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 

Titus 1:9-12  9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

B. They understood the meaning of love and loyalty.

1. Genuine love does not wait on commands. 2 Sam 23:13-16

Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David

2. This was a very difficult time in David’s life. No doubt he looked back to his youth and remembered “the way things were.”

3. David understood the mighty gift that was given him and thus offered it to God.

4. Must we wait for a command? 2 Cor 8:8-9

the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

5. Why do you attend? Give? Study God’s word?

C. They were willing to follow when it went against their reason and emotions.

1. Abishai was willing to follow David into the camp of Saul! 1 Sam 26:6

"Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go with you."

2. It seemed right to kill Saul right then. He would even attribute this decision to God.

3. He learned an important lesson that day.

1 Sam 26:7-11    7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David," God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!" 9 But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?" 10 David said furthermore, "As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go  

1 Sam 26:24-25   And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation."

25 Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. 

III. The power of David’s leadership  

A. David leadership was essential in the unity and development of these men.

2 Sam 18:3

But the people answered, "You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city."

1. How important is a coach to a team? 2 Sam 21:16-17

Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying," You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

2. Which is more important to a church, a preacher or an elder?

B. There is great power in the example of one man. 2 Sam 23:17

And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it.

1. When David offered the water to God they saw his love for them by his love for God. There was no doubt where David stood.

2. It is this kind of leadership that inspires and pushes others to become all that they can be for the Lord. You cannot accomplish this in a conference room and meet with a few people.

C. What have we seen in our leader, Jesus Christ? 1 Peter 2:21

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

Rom 5:6-8  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

1. What did Jesus do with these simple men? Acts 4:13-14   Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

2. He turned the “sons of thunder” into the disciple of love. (Mk 3:17; Lk 9:54-56)

            John, the brother of James

3. They saw Jesus turn to Jerusalem and then tell them to put up their swords.

(Lk 9:51,) Luke 9:54

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

Mt 26:35  Peter and Malchus  

IV. The shortcomings of the mighty men and David  

A. David was not able to keep these men from sin.

1. Abishai gave in to the influence of bitterness and family influence when he was

away from David. He murdered Abner with his brother Joab. (2 Sam 3:30)

a. Some would do well to keep a distance from family that counsels in revenge and bitterness.

b. How many men have gone home and then changed their “thinking” after this kind of council?

2. David did not excuse or overlook this matter. 2 Sam 3:38-39

Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness."  

1 Kings 2:5-6

"Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

a. There was no “pass’ because he was a mighty man! Ezek 33:12-13

"Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: 'The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.' 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered;

b. We see this kind of action when men have fought together.  

B. David let his heart stray into sin. (2 Sam 11:3-5)  Bathsheba

1. Sin will cause you to do crazy things. Satan loves to catch you in a “snare.”

2. Uriah was a man of principle and faith.

3. David gave orders that led to his death. (2 Sam 11:14-17)

4. What did Uriah think of David? Where else do we read about him?  

(2 Sam 23:39)  one of the 37 mighty men of David  

Conclusion: We need men and women to become “mighty men.”  

A. It is the powerful example of Jesus that move us to stand.  

Eph 6:10   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might  

Eph 3:16   that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,  

B. Are you on God’s list?