David's Mighty Men

Book excerpt: This book takes the reader on a journey into the rocky and desolate wilderness of Judea to catch a glimpse of the "mighty men" of David. I Chronicles 11 and II Samuel 23 are the two passages in Scripture that describe these men in detail. But these warriors are also followed through the narrative of David's reign, where names like Abishai and Benaiah appear in numerous accounts, giving us great insight into their courage and loyalty throughout a stormy reign marked by various foreign invasions, court intrigues, and violent insurrections. The modern world needs such men: men like the "three mighties" who "brake through the host of the Philistines" to deliver a vessel of water to their beloved commander, men like Abishai who said to his uncle, David, when he asked for a volunteer for a perilous mission, "I will go down with thee," men like Benaiah, who "slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day," men like Eleazar who stood alone against a Philistine onslaught, slaying the enemies of the Lord until his hand "clave unto the sword," men like the Zebulunites who "could keep rank" and were "expert in war," and men like the Issacharites who had "understanding of the times." This book highlights 12 essential character qualities of David's mighty men that are desperately needed today. It is the prayer of the writer of these pages that the Lord might raise up a generation of Christians who will determine, with all their hearts, to follow the example of these stalwart warriors of the Old Testament.