Second Samuel 23:1

The Bible says in Second Samuel 23:13-17, “And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.[14] And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.[15] And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate![16] And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.[17] And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.” This incident shows us something else about the character of David as a leader in wartime. David put his men’s welfare above his own. Certainly, his men knew that. They were loyal to David. They loved him. They would do anything for him. David said in verse seventeen, “is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?” David knew that these men risked their lives for him, and David had genuine appreciation for that. For the same reason we should honor and appreciate all veterans. Without the veterans and active duty personnel, we would not have the freedoms and opportunities that we now enjoy.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 23:18-39, “And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.[19] Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.[20] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:[21] And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.[22] These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.[23] He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.[24] Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,[25] Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,[26] Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,[27] Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,[28] Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,[29] Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,[30] Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,[31] Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,[32] Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,[33] Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,[34] Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,[35] Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,[36] Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,[37] Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,[38] Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,[39] Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.” The names of all these men are listed here to honor them. They were the Special Forces and the Seal Team of that day of hand-to-hand combat. They were the toughest of the tough. Notice the last one on the list: Uriah the Hittite. We have heard that name before. Uriah was the husband of Bathsheba. I wonder how many exploits Uriah would have accomplished had he not met an untimely death. That is why God has told the human race, “Thou shalt not kill.” Each person deserves as much life on this earth that God means for them to have. Life is a precious gift.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 24:1-10, “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.[2] For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.[3] And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?[4] Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.[5] And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:[6] Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon,[7] And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hibites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.[8] So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.[9] And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.[10] And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” What is wrong with numbering the people? For one thing, it is glorifying results instead of glorifying God. We should concentrate on serving the Lord, and make sure that we leave the results to Him. We will not know the true results of our service to Christ until the judgment anyway. Looking at results that we can see is not what God sees as far as our judgment goes. We do know that God has promised to use us. He has promised to give us fruit and good results to our labors. Jesus said in John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Some people are called to sow and some are called to reap where others have sown. The sowers often will not see results until the judgment. We are supposed to live by faith, and not by sight. By numbering the people, we might be living by sight instead of faith. That is not God’s will. Numbers can give a false impression of what is really going on. Some false teachers have large numbers. Some people who are giving the wrong message and leading people astray have large numbers. Numbers do not mean anything. As people depart from the faith more and more, it will be even more important to understand this truth.

David knew how to keep serving the Lord in this world. He knew that he had sinned, and then he knew how to get right with God again: confession. David said at the last part of verse ten, “And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” If you are a Christian and you understand the Scriptures, then you know that you also need to confess your sins often in order to stay in fellowship with Christ. It says in First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Bible says in Second Samuel 24:11-18, “For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,[12] Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.[13] So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.[14] And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.[15] So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.[16] And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.[17] And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.[18] And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.” David made a wise decision. Instead of choosing which chastisement should befall him, he threw himself on the mercy of the Lord. If you are wise, you will do the same thing. That is the only way to keep following the Lord when we fail Him. Although, we have it better than David. He lived under the old covenant, but we live under the new. We can avoid chastisement altogether by evaluating ourselves and confessing our sins. It says to Christians in First Corinthians 11:31-32, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” And it says to Christians in First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Bible says in Second Samuel 24:19-25, “And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.[20] And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.[21] And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.[22] And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.[23] All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.[24] And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.[25] And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.” Notice verse nineteen, “And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.” If you do honestly ask Jesus to forgive you when you have failed him, then you will want to start obeying Him again also. That is true repentance when you turn from the wrong way to the right way. David wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to serve the Lord with everything that he had. David wanted to know that he had paid for the threshingfloor. He did not want someone else to pay for it: he wanted to pay for it. David was dedicated with everything that he had. Jesus said, “Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.”

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