2Samuel 23:1 ¶ Now these be the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the
anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his
word was in my tongue. 3 The God
of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must
be just, ruling in the fear of God. 4
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun
riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5
Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an
everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is
all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to
grow. 6 But the sons of Belial shall
be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with
hands: 7 But the man that shall
touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be
utterly burned with fire in the same place.
In verse 3 we have a condition of leadership
over men, as per King David. Any ruler of a kingdom or a country who does not
acknowledge, hold in reverence, or fear the God who created him is not fit to
lead. A ruler such as this will not be a heavy burden on his people. He will,
as God Himself, rule over his people with the regularity and blessings of the
nature that God has created.
In verse 5 David acknowledges that he had a
great deal of trouble in his house, his family. Remember Absalom’s rebellion
which was the end of a long line of events that started with the rape of Tamar.
But still, God was merciful to David and made an everlasting covenant with him
which I have referred to elsewhere in David’s reign being held in type with
Christ’s reign who is several particulars a type of David.
The enemies of David, and we can consider the
Antichrist and the enemies of the Messiah, the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who was God in the flesh, as suffering a terrible fate.
2Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Read Revelation, chapter 19. And these verses
comparing them with verses 6 and 7 in this Psalm;
Psalm 2:9
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter’s vessel.
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as
the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of
my Father.
Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to
rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and
to his throne.
Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.
2Samuel 23:8 ¶ These be the names of the mighty men
whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains;
the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his
spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of
Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they
defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and
the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He
arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave
unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people
returned after him only to spoil. 11 And
after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines
were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of
lentiles: and the people fled from the
Philistines. 12 But he stood in the
midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD
wrought a great victory. 13 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. 18 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 Abialbon 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.
There is not much to say about this
historical record. It speaks for itself as a record of bravery and martial
skill. As an avid reader of first-hand accounts of World War Two warriors I
enjoy these lists of derring-do. These young men’s names will not be forgotten
in history.
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