Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name.[Psalm 44:5-8 (NLT)]
Some of the lesser-known heroes of the Bible are found in the lists of David’s mightiest men. Among his warriors, David’s mighty Three had the most authority, influence, and leadership. Their leader was Jashobeam, a man who once used his spear to kill 800 warriors in a single battle. Next in rank was Eleazar who remained with David in battle when the rest of the troops fled. He killed Philistines until he no longer could lift his sword. The third of the Three was Shammah. After being attacked in a field by the Philistines, the troops fled. Shammah alone remained to defend it and bring victory to Israel. These three were so devoted to David that, when he expressed a desire for fresh water from Bethlehem, they risked their lives to break through enemy lines to get some for him. David’s Three were among the best of the best when it came to valor, courage, and allegiance.
David also had an elite group of about thirty warriors. The mighty men of the Thirty helped David establish his kingdom and served as commanders for the rest of his troops. As famous as the Three was Abishai. Leader of the Thirty, he once killed 300 of the enemy in a single battle!
Described by Samuel as being more honored than any of the Thirty was Benaiah (son of Jehoiada). Among his feats was the killing of two ariels from Moab. The meaning of ariels is unclear and, while it could mean two lion-like oversize warriors like Goliath, it also could be a description of the lion-like ferociousness and strength of his opponents. In either case, alone and outnumbered two to one, the odds were against Benaiah, but he bravely defied the odds, and killed those lion-like warriors. Another time, upon encountering a lion, Benaiah accessed the situation and spotted a pit. Instead of turning tail and fleeing, the warrior turned toward the lion, chased it down into the pit, and killed it. Later, armed only with a club, he killed an impressive-looking Egyptian warrior bearing a spear. At a disadvantage since his clumsy club was useful only in close-up battle and the Egyptian’s spear was long, Benaiah ran toward his enemy, wrenched the spear from his hands, and killed him with his own weapon (much as David did with Goliath)!
Although we’re not likely to face great warriors or lions, we often encounter a number of what often seem to be unbeatable odds or invincible adversaries. Our first reaction to overwhelming challenges easily can be to abandon the cause and accept defeat without even trying. That’s what the troops did when they left David, Eleazar, and Shammah to fight the Philistines alone!
Warriors like David, Jashobeam, Eleazar, Shammah, Abishai, and Benaiah knew how to face both danger and adversaries. Instead of being paralyzed by fear or fleeing, these men faced each challenge head-on. What made these warriors so mighty? It wasn’t their bravery, strength, and prowess on the battlefield that made them that way; their might came from their knowledge of and faith in the Lord! They had courage, power, and steadfastness because they knew they weren’t fighting their battles alone; God was with them!
Could we be missing God-ordained opportunities because we only see insurmountable obstacles, invincible opponents, or fierce lions? It’s easy to let fear discourage and even paralyze us. Doing nothing, however, gets us nowhere. When the odds are against us, let’s think of these mighty men, trust in God, and give chase to the lions in our life!
Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have. [Norman Vincent Peale]
The Resurrection story didn’t end on Easter with Jesus’ appearance to ten disciples, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and John, Salome, and Joanna, along with Cleopas and another believer who broke bread with Him in Emmaus. Appearing and disappearing at will, Jesus remained on earth for forty days. While He probably appeared other times, Scripture tells us He later appeared to Thomas and the ten others, to seven of the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee, to His half-brother James, to over 500 believers at one time, and to the disciples on his last day with them.
In my last post, I pondered why Jesus chose the men he did as his apostles. As we enter Holy Week and the events leading to the Lord’s arrest and crucifixion, I wonder specifically about Judas Iscariot. We don’t know what Jesus saw in Judas when he was chosen as one of the twelve or even what was in Judas’ heart in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. We only know that discontent, ambition, and greed had entered his treacherous heart by the end.
In a cartoon drawn by Paul Noth, an enormous political billboard overlooks a pasture inhabited by a flock of sheep. Looking up at the picture of a grinning wolf in coat and tie saying, “I am going to eat you!” one sheep tells another, “He tells it like it is.” Would that all politicians were so forthright!
“How was work today?” asked the wife in the Born Loser comic strip (drawn by Chip Sansom). Her husband answered, “Horrendous!” adding, “It feels so good that it’s over, I’m almost glad it happened!” Having had times when my prayer was simply, “Lord, just get me through this!” I understand. Sometimes, life seems so challenging and exhausting that we’re willing to settle for merely getting through it. That, dear friend, is setting the bar far too low. God has better plans for us than just getting by and none of us are born losers.
During that dark time about which I recently wrote, I was in intense pain and it seemed like God had turned His back on me. When I confided to a friend that God seemed deaf to my pleas, she asked the simple question, “Have you turned it over to the Lord?” I assured her I had but, as the day wore on, I wondered if that were true.
Devotions of the Heart 