David was himself a mighty man. From the time he was a youth until his death he faced adversity and challenges that grew him into a mighty man for God. Men of character were drawn to David and God provided him with many such associates.
The first quality of a mighty man must be a level of commitment that surpasses any selfish desires of his own. Jonathan was not one of the mighty men that were mentioned in II Samuel chapter 23, but he was a mighty man. He was committed to David and was not thinking of himself. He gave up his ambition for the design God had given David. A mighty man or woman must be willing to serve Christ at any cost. They must see God as supreme, they must reverence Him, and love Him so much that they are obedient when they don’t understand.
The next quality I see in David’s mighty men is courage. In II Samuel 23:8, Adino was chief of the captains. The text tells us he lifted up his spear and slew 800 men. These odds were unsurmountable and would take great courage to pursue. Adino was not thinking about running and hiding, he was facing the task with the determination of “no retreat.” Courage is the choice and willingness to withstand danger without allowing fear to rule. It perseveres when logic says there’s no way. Mighty men of God need courage. They need to stand firm in the face of adversity and persevere until the end.
II Samuel 23:8 “These are 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.”
Another great quality that is necessary for a mighty man is one of self-denial. There must be a purpose greater than oneself to accomplish the ultimate goal. Too often in life, we are guided by how we feel. When we feel exhausted, we quit. We make excuses for not completing a job instead of denying our feelings and pushing forward with everything in us. In II Samuel 23:9-10, we find Eleazar one of David’s mighty men. He was defending Israel and the God of Israel. He and his men were in a battle against the Philistines. In verses 9 and 10 we see “the men of Israel were gone away,” but not Eleazar! He fought until the end. He fought until the battle was won. His flesh was weak, but he stayed the course. In verse 10 we learned his hand was so weary, but he didn’t let go. The sword “clave” to his hand. The word clave means to adhere or cling. It may have been that he had fought so hard and so long that his hand could not let go. Many times, when muscles are in a position so long, they will cramp up or freeze in position. No matter what the situation was, this mighty man was not giving in to the feelings of the flesh. He denied himself rest and finished the fight alone while others ran. He stayed the course.
II Samuel 23:9-10 “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: 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.”
The last one I will mention was Shammah. He also had the character traits of loyalty, courage, and denying the flesh. Shammah met and his men met up with Philistines that were forging a field of lentils. No doubt this food would be useful to David and his men. Shammah stood his ground even when others fled. He stayed to defend the food crop from being destroyed by the enemy. He was looking out for the well-being of others. Food was in scarce supply. No man can fight without food and water. If they were to eat, someone needed to protect the crop. Shammah took the risk and slew the Philistines. Because of his actions God gained the victory.
II Samuel 23:11-12 “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 lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.”
There were many more mighty men that were with David from time to time, but these four played a great role in protecting David and glorifying God. Just as God was exalted and glorified through their actions, we too have a role to play in our day-to-day life that would glorify God. To be in the ranks of mighty warriors for God we must have the same character traits of commitment, courage, self-denial, and loyalty. Of course, we may not win physical battles with swords, but we can make a difference in the world where we live. There is much to be done to influence a world for Christ. It is time we get busy and fulfill the commission God laid out for us.
