READING: 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12
TEXTS AND APPLICATION: As I read these texts, I am reminded that the Bible has numerous stories that might appeal particularly to men. Think about these descriptions of warriors in David’s troops:
1 Chron. 11:11b Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the Thirty; he wielded his spear against 300 and killed them at one time.
1 Chron. 11:15-19 15 Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 At that time David was in the stronghold,and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17 David was extremely thirsty and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. 19 David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.
1 Chron. 11: 22-23 22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of a brave man from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab, and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam, Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear.
1 Chron. 12:1-2 They were among the warriors who helped him in battle. 2 They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow.
1 Chron. 12:8 8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.
PRAYER: Pray that I will know how to encourage other men to read and enjoy the Word.