SERMON NOTES: 2 Samuel 23:8-39 (Men’s Basic Training message 1)

Sermon Notes are not exact transcripts of sermons preached at BBC. Instead, they are simply the notes the pastor took with him into the pulpit and preached from. As a result, the actual sermon that was preached may vary from what is posted.

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Servant – Devoted Service to God
2 Samuel 23:8-39

Introduction

Last week we finished a series of messages for the women of our church, helping to lay a foundation for our newly designed women’s ministry. This week we begin our series for men.

Several weeks ago, I joked that the reason the image promoting our men’s series was a boxer taping his hands before a fight was that our men would get beat up. The truth is, I thought the image went well with the theme of our men’s series – Basic Training.

For years, men in the Christian Church have struggled to find their place. Not just in church, but in home, at work – in life. On average, for every ten men in this church,

• 9 will have children who leave church
• 8 aren’t satisfied by their jobs
• 6 are paying only the minimum on their credit card bills
• 5 have major problems with pornography
• 4 will get divorced
• only 1 will have a biblical worldview – a way of seeing the life through the lens of God’s word.

• 25% of Christian men say they are not satisfied with themselves as fathers.
• 62% of Christian men say they are not satisfied with their marriage.
• 53% admit to fantasizing about having sex with other women.
• 54% feel shame about past sexual experiences.

In 1991, 42% of men in the US attended church regularly. Despite the emphasis on men in thing like Promise Keepers and the Million Man March, by 1997, the number of men regularly attending church dropped to 28%.

In Christian churches and families throughout the country, leadership roles that God desires men to fill have gone unfilled, or have been filled by women. You cannot find a man to head a ministry or pray in church or lead his family’s spiritual life.

And yet, there is something profoundly powerful about men taking leadership in spiritual things. When a child is the first to attend church, 3½% of their families will follow. When a wife and mother first begins attending church, 17% of the families follow. But when a husband or father first begins attending church, 93% of their families follow them in attending church.

That may be surprising, but it shouldn’t be. That’s the way God has designed thing. Men, God has called us to be the spiritual leaders in our families and in his Church, and we have largely dropped the ball. More than dropping it, we have purposely given it to our wives and mothers and sisters and told them to lead.

Often, Christian women can serve excellently, they can lead children into communion with God – but things in our families and churches will never be as good as they could be with them in the lead because that’s not what God wants.

The men’s ministry we will be forming is not so much a men’s ministry as much as it will be a ministry to men. We need more than a few pancake breakfasts and service projects. We need less to do, and more opportunities to learn how to BECOME what God wants us to be.

Men, it’s time for us to get back to the basics. It’s time for us to again, or perhaps for the first time, clearly see what God has called us to be as Christian men, and begin living that kind of life.

Today, we begin at the beginning, looking at core of Christian discipleship – living as a devoted servant of Christ.

That way we are going to do this might surprise you. We are not going to look at a passage on Christian discipleship from the NT. Instead, we want to see what such a life looks like. We want to see some examples of what it means to live a life of devoted service to Christ. And instead of looking at some of Jesus’ own disciples, we want to look at those who served King David.

King David serves as a foreshadowing of Christ. That means he gives us an idea of what Christ will be like before he comes. Though David gives us a taste of what Jesus will be like, when Jesus actually came, he did so in the perfect fulfillment of the foreshadowing. He is so much more than David ever was. Thus, if we look to a group of men – mighty men – who were devoted to serving David (the lesser king), how much more should our lives be devoted to Christ (the greater King)?

[trans] This morning, we want to look at 2 Samuel 23. There we see a role call of David’s mighty men. These were the special ops force of David’s army; men who had pledged an unwavering allegiance to King David. From their lives of devoted service to David, we can learn how to live as devoted servants of Christ.

READ – 2 Samuel 23:8-39

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.
[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.
[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.
[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 of Gilo, [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.

1. Courageous Service to Christ

Think about these guys for a minute. We only have here a few of the accounts of their military exploits. But if there is any one thing they would all have in common, it would probably be that each incident served to display their incredible courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

In v. 9, we read of Josheb killing 800 men in one day with his spear. Surely, other men were on the battlefield that day. But can you imagine the odds against Josheb and his men that he alone took out 800 of the enemy?

Then we read of Eleazar in vv. 9-10. The Bible says, “[Eleazar] was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 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.”

The rest of the army withdraws from the battle with the Philistines, but not Eleazar. He stands his ground, fighting until he cannot even loosen his grip on his sword. By the end of the battle, all that was left for the rest of the army to do was to come and plunder the dead enemy.

Then there was Shammah. Apparently, a Philistine raiding party came down upon Lehi during the harvest time, hoping to steal the crop of lentils. But Shammah defied them. Even when we are told the rest of the men of the city ran, he “took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it.” The result was that the Philistines were defeated that day in a great one-man victory for Israel.

All of these men faced seemingly unbeatable foes with great courage because they had a single-minded devotion to their King. What about you, men? How much courage are you able to show in the face of the enemy because of your loyalty to Christ?

Some of you face seemingly unbeatable foes in the form of sin every day. Will you face them with courage? Some of you face seemingly unbeatable foe of fear. You are afraid to talk about your faith at work, or with your neighbor. You are afraid of what others will think of you if you want away from the dirty joke, or inappropriate conversation at work.

These were courageous, but they also knew the secret of real courage. Look again at v. 12 –
“[Shammah] 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.” This is the secret behind the story. God was at work in the lives of these men. He honored their courage and gave them victory.

When we face opposition to Christ in this world and in own hearts, we can have courage and assurance of victory, if we fight our battles in the strength God provides. Live by his Word, empowered by his Spirit, and the victory will be ours.

2. Loyal Devotion to Christ

These men were the embodiment of the Marine Corp motto – “Semper Fi.” Even when it meant death, they were loyal to their king. Look at vv. 13-16

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.

The city of David is occupied by the Philistines. Can you imagine how this would have made him feel? Unbelieving, gentile dogs have control of his hometown. And David is speaking out loud to himself. He’s not asking anyone to do this. He’s speaking out loud to himself one day and he says ‘what I would give just to have a sip of water from the well of Bethlehem, that city of my birth, the city of my youth which is now occupied by those filthy Philistines.’

Three of his great warriors overhear him and they say, ‘What do you think? Come on, let’s do it. let’s go get him some water.” So they go across the dessert, break through the garrisons of the Philistines, go into the city, draw water, fight their way back out, mount our horses, ride across the dessert and give our king a sip of water from the well of Bethlehem.

This is loyalty. This is more than following orders; it’s more than doing their duty – it is a deep, loving loyalty to their King. These men risked their lives just to give David a drink of water from his hometown.

But then look at what happens – But [David] would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 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. (16b-17)

These three mighty men come back in with this wine skin full of water and they tell David was they have done and David takes it and pours it out on the ground. Now at that point you’re waiting for them to punch him out. But you see David was not disrespecting what they had done for him. In fact, it was just the opposite.

David was saying, I don’t deserve this kind of love, this kind of loyalty, and so I am pouring this water out as an offering to the Lord. Only the Lord deserves that kind of love and that kind of loyalty. Thus, it was a mark of David’s awe at the love and loyalty of these men. Nothing could have been a greater tribute to what they had done.

Again, men, I ask you – do you love Christ that much? Do you have that kind of loyalty to him? David acknowledges that he wasn’t worthy of that kind of loyalty. But Christ is worthy. Christ is worthy of such love and loyalty and sacrifice because he offered his own perfect life as a sacrifice for your sins.

Jesus willing gave up his life to fulfill God’s wrath against your sin. The punishment you deserve for your sin fell on him at the cross. But God did not leave him dead, but raised him back to life as Lord of all things. Who else but Christ deserves the kind of loyalty those men showed David? Who else by Christ deserves that kind of loyalty from your own life?

Matthew Henry says, “Were [these might men] so forward to expose themselves upon the least hint of their prince’s mind and so ambitious to please him? And shall not we covet to approve ourselves to our Lord Jesus by a ready compliance with every intimation of his will given us by his word, Spirit, and providence?

3. Brotherhood through Service to Christ

These men were more than just men who fought alongside each other in the same army. These guys were truly a band of brothers.

Think about the men who went to fetch the water from Bethlehem. There is no way that you are going in that kind of adventure with just anyone. You want your mates watching your back. You want to know that the guys behind you and beside you consider your life just as valuable as their own.

The fact that a strong sense of brotherhood existed among these mighty men probably isn’t surprising. But what is surprising is the kind of men that brought about such a brotherhood.

Many of these mighty men came from the tribe of Judah. But some did not. In fact, some were not even originally from Israel at all. Verse 37 tells us that among David’s chief men was one called Zelek the Ammonite. The Ammonites had been Israel’s enemies for generations but this man was now fighting for Israel. Then there was that famous Hittite – Uriah. Again, not an Israelite.

But then, even more interesting is what we read back in 1 Samuel 22. David has been anointed as King of Israel, but he has not yet been crowned and is on the run from Saul. He finds an inhospitable hiding place in Gath, so we are told –

David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 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 captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Every time I read this I am reminded of the movie The Dirty Dozen. Do you remember that movie? During WW2, the US government has what is a suicide mission to kill most of the major Nazi generals. They pull together a group of misfit soldiers with criminal records – men who have nothing to lose – and convince them to do the mission. In the end, they become an elite fighting force. Originally, trusting no one, they eventually learn to trust each other with their lives.

This is exactly the kind of thing we see here. Some men who are fighting to protect David because they know he is the Lord’s anointed, some men because they have nothing to lose, others who have felt the emptiness of the false gods of their homelands and have come to Israel to the worship the living God – all of them coming together around a common task of fighting for David.

Men, this should give us hope. All of us are coming with pasts we are ashamed of. All of us are coming with sins that still seem to enslave us. All of us are with lots of work to do in learning how to live as a godly husbands and father. All of us need to work at being men of God.

And yet, despite our flaws, we can come together around the common cause of serving Christ. Despite our various backgrounds and situations, we can experience a deep sense of brotherhood. The kind of brotherhood that allows us to open up to one another, so that we can be held accountable for our lives and experience encouragement and support are we serve Christ.

Conclusion

Many of you will have seen the movie Braveheart. It’s the fictionalized account of the real man William Wallace who helped inspire his fellow Scotsmen to pursue freedom from the British. Although Wallace sounded the call to arms, it was Robert the Bruce that led Scotland to freedom.

Just before Robert the Bruce died in 1329, he asked that his heart to be removed from his body and taken on a crusade by a worthy knight. His closest friend, James Douglas honored this last request. So, Bruce’s heart was removed, embalmed, and placed in a container that hung from his friend’s neck.

In the early spring of 1330, Douglas was in Spain battling the Mores when he found himself in an ill-fated battle, surrounded by the enemy. Once Douglas realized that his own death was imminent, he pulled the heart of his long dead king from his neck and threw it into the ranks of the enemy. Drawing his sword, he yelled, “Fight for the heart of your king!”

Such devotion to a mere human king should surely pale in comparison to our devotion to the divine King of all kings! Could that be said of you, brothers?

At its most basic level this is what it means to be a disciple – a servant – of Christ. It means embracing the merciful love of a holy God towards sinners, and responding with a loyal, sacrificial love of your own. The kind of love that says, ‘I will faithfully serve my King wherever he calls me to go, on whatever mission he calls on me to undertake.”

In work, family life, or in church – I will serve Christ the King with the devotion that is due him.