| |
1 Chronicles Chapter 12
The Mighty Men Join David
David had to hide from Saul. David had
many that helped him fight the Amalekites and they stayed with them
afterward. Achish the king of Gath helped David and gave him a place
of refuge in Ziklag.
Even some of Saul's relatives followed
David and stood with him.
- 1Chronicles 12:3 The
chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the
Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and
Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,
- 4 And Ismaiah the
Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty;
and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the
Gederathite,
- 5 Eluzai, and
Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the
Haruphite,
- 6 Elkanah, and
Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,
- 7 And Joelah, and
Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
Being skilled by being able to use
weapons with both the right hand and the left is a great skill to
have in any situation, not just in battle. This is a skill of the
Benjamites.
-
Judges 3:15 But when
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them
up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man
lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present
unto Eglon the king of Moab.
Sometimes God will use a real angel of the
Lord to help Israel but most of the time in His mercy He will raise
up a deliverer among us humans. Some of them are Moses, Samson,
Joshua, Deborah, Gideon and many more.
- 1Chronicles 12:8 And
of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the
hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the
battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were
like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the
mountains;
- 9 Ezer the first,
Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
- 10 Mishmannah the
fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
- 11 Attai the sixth,
Eliel the seventh,
- 12 Johanan the
eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
- 13 Jeremiah the
tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.
These men from the tribe of Gad were
able to bring with them many from the tribes of Reuben and Manasseh
also to help David.
- 1Chronicles 12:14
These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the
least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
- 15 These are they
that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown
all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys,
both toward the east, and toward the west.
- 16 And there came of
the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
With no news media and online services,
they must have had a great way to spread the news because of the
great response given to David at that time. The Lord had to have
done this. They came to David and stood by him before he officially
became king. They came when he was still hiding from Saul.
-
1Chronicles 12:17 And David
went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be
come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto
you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing
there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look
thereon, and rebuke it.
No one can blame David for his caution
here. He came out to meet them to make sure they were not sent by
his enemies to betray him. He used caution not only to save himself
but also the other men with him. Surely the only way for all this to
happen is by the hand of God.
1Chronicles 12:18 Then the spirit
came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine
are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be
unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee.
Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
We don't know for sure if this was the
same man that sided with Absalom later. He is mentioned in 2 Samuel
17:25. Right now though he is used of God to assure David that God
sent them.
- 1Chronicles 12:19
And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the
Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not:
for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away,
saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our
heads.
It seems as if the Philistines didn't think
David and his men could defeat the armies of Saul.
- 1Chronicles 12:20 As
he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and
Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and
Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh.
21 And they
helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all
mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.
22 For at that
time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a
great host, like the host of God.
23 And these
are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war,
and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him,
according to the word of the LORD.
24 The children
of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight
hundred, ready armed to the war.
25 Of the
children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven
thousand and one hundred.
26 Of the
children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
27 And Jehoiada
was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three
thousand and seven hundred;
28 And Zadok, a
young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house twenty and
two captains.
29 And of the
children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for
hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the
house of Saul.
30 And of the
children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty
men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.
31 And of the
half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed
by name, to come and make David king.
32 And of the
children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of
the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them
were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their
commandment.
33 Of Zebulun,
such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all
instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they
were not of double heart.
34 And of
Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and
spear thirty and seven thousand.
35 And of the
Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six
hundred.
36 And of
Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty
thousand.
37 And on the
other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of
the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of
war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.
38 All these
men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to
Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest
also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
God sent David around 337300 men to
help him secure the kingdom. They either did not care much for Saul
or else they believed that Samuel really did anoint David to be
king.
- 1Chronicles 12:39
And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking:
for their brethren had prepared for them.
- 40 Moreover they
that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and
Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules,
and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of
raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for
there was joy in Israel.
They had a big feast and were full of
joy, some bringing food with them. I have read the bible all my life
and never once noticed this before. I guess I skimmed through the
Chronicles because of the genealogies.
It will be greater than that when Jesus
Christ returns to set up His everlasting kingdom. What a feast day
that will be.
1 Chronicles
Chapter 13
|
|