David’s Mighty Men and Christ the Greatest of all Men

What kind of man ought you to be? What kind of man ought you to look for?
 
II Samuel 23:8ff

These things are written for our admonition  
I Corinthians 10:11 – “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
 

Mighty Men – Strong, Valorous, Champion, and Hero  
Joshua 6:2 - 2And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
 
Judges 11:1 - 1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour
 
                        VALOR MEANS COURAGEOUS
 
Courage – Knowing that trouble is coming and not fleeing that trouble. [Our Lord in the Garden]
 
Fortitude – Remaining under pressure [Our Lord on the Cross]

What kind of men were they:  
I Samuel 22:2 - And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
 
            Distress – In a strait – extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain
In Debt – They owe people money
Discontent – Angry, bitter [At who or what we do not know]
 
No attempt to sanitize this, but these men were disagreeable to say the least. They had the power to say “No”, to assert their will – sometimes winning and sometimes losing.


Fighting Alone  
I Samuel 23:9-10
I Samuel 23:11
I Samuel 23:20-21
 
All men fled the Lord in His time of need.

1. Honor – High Respect; Great Esteem

I Samuel 23:18-19
I Samuel 23: 22:23
 
 
Honor and Glory and Blessing unto Christ – Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

1. Brothers and Friends

 
Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
 
II Samuel 23:24 - Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
 
II Samuel 2:32 - And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
 
Brother to Christ – Hebrews 2:11-12 11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Friend to Christ – John 15:13-15 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Fathers and Sons  
II Samuel 23:20 – The things you cultivate now will determine the kinds of men you will raise.
 

Giant killers
Beniah 23:21 A goodly Man – I Chronicles 11:23 A man of great measure [A Giant]
David – I Samuel 17

Who led them
David Giant killer
King of Israel
Man after God’s own heart
 
The kind of man one needs to be in order to lead such men – to be a leader of men.
 
Christ the kind of man to lead us
      Holy – Never sinning
      Wise in confounding the Pharisees
      Faithful in never leaving us or forsaking us
      Courageous in enduring the cross and the Father’s judgement 
      The Messiah Warrior

How lust destroys mighty men – Uriah II Samuel 23:39

How Christ can save you from your sin.  

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