Take your Bibles and turn with
me to the book of 2 Samuel chapter 23. 2 Samuel 23. I was reading a few days ago
and came across this passage of scripture and couldn't get
it off my heart. and therefore felt that this
is the passage that I want to try to deal with today. It's
an amazing passage of scripture, and it is a passage that exhibits
the love spoken of by the Lord. In John 15, 13, greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Now, King David is fighting,
just hold your place, just turn back a couple of pages, 2 Samuel
21 verse 15. I want to just give you a little
history very quickly upon what's going on here. 2 Samuel chapter
21 verse 15, the scripture says, The Philistines had yet war again
with Israel and David went down and his servants with him and
fought against the Philistines and David waxed faint. David is weary. And turning back to 2 Samuel
23, obviously This is the passage that we've
looked at often. 2 Samuel 23 verse 1. Now these be the last words of
David. Obviously this passage of scripture,
we're going to be in chapter 23, just a few verses after that,
so obviously David is near the end of his life. Those weren't
exactly the last words, but they were toward the end, because
there were some things said after that. But I want us to look at
this passage of Scripture. David is king. He's toward the
end of his life. He's fighting the Philistines.
He's weary. He's tired. And I want to read
verses 13 to 17 of an event that is an amazing passage of scripture,
and I pray that the Lord give us some understanding in it.
We're looking for the gospel. We're looking for Christ, the
glory of Christ. 2 Samuel 23, verse 13, and three of the 30
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. And David was then in a hold. And the garrison of the Philistines
was then in Bethlehem. 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. And the three mighty men break
through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well
of Bethlehem that was by the gate, took it, brought it to
David. Nevertheless, he would not drink
thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. 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. Now, as a young man, young shepherd,
David was from Bethlehem. That's where he's from. He sat many times and drank from
this particular well by the gate and refreshed himself with that
water, but those days have long since passed. Now here he is,
he's king, a king that's bearing the brunt, humanly speaking,
of the kingdom, the cares, And Bethlehem is occupied by the
Philistines. But David, according to verse
13, 14, David was then in a hold. He was in a stronghold. He's
in this cave. And verse 13 said that three
of the 30 chief, David had some mighty men that were with him.
We just read, just last message, One of them, Abishai, that was
one of his mighty men. He had 37. 37 mighty men. And whenever Shimei came out
and started cussing David, Abishai said, who is this dead dog that
curses my master, curses the king? You mean take his head
off? Abishai was one of those mighty
men. Well, these three mighty men right here, three of the
30 chief went down. And it tells who they are. I want you just back up with
me just a little bit. And I want you to look at the
mightiest. I'm going to show you that these
three we're going to consider right here. These were the mightiest
of the mighty. The scripture says in 2 Samuel
23 verse 8, these be the names of the mighty men whom David
hath. The tachmonite, now that word,
that title right there, it means thou wilt make me wise. The tachmonite that sat in the
seat, chief among the captains, the same was Adano, Adano. Adano means his ornament. This man Adano, the Esnite. Now listen what this man did.
This is the three, again I'll show you in just a second. These
are the three mightiest of David's mighty. He lift up his spear
against 800 whom he slew at one time. Now that's what he did. He went against 800 men and killed
them. And then the next one, verses
9 and 10, it says, and after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo,
the Aholite, One of the three mighty men with David, when they
defied the Philistines that were 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. Here was a second
one. His name was Eleazar. His name
means God has helped. And then lastly of these three
men, verses 11 and 12, it says, after him was Shammah, the son
of Aji, the Hororite. 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. are the three men. Now let me
show you. Hold your place there and read
1st Chronicles. Turn to 1st Chronicles. Start
going back toward Psalms, toward the middle. You want to come
to the Chronicles. 1st Chronicles 11. 1st Chronicles chapter 11,
verses 11 and 12. The scripture tells us about
these men. 1st Chronicles 11, verse 11.
and 12. This is the number of the mighty
men whom David had, Shabaam and Hachmanite, the chief of the
captains. He lifted up his spear against
300 slain by him at once. After him was Eleazar, the son
of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. He
was one of the three that we were just reading about. So these
three men now have found themselves, and there they've come down,
the three mighties. And knowing that all Scripture
is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the message. Let us consider Him in these
blessed words. In considering him, I'm going
to just admit something to you right here. As I was studying,
seeking the Lord's message for this particular passage of scripture,
I will admit to you right now there's some things that I have
seen and I mentioned I started to break it up into two different
messages, but I said, I won't exhaust it. I'm going to stay
right here. But I pray that the Lord give us a glimpse of the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in this passage of scripture.
We read what happened. These three mighty men, the mighties
of David's mighty. And David is here in a hole. He's in a stronghold. The Philistines
are out there. He's at war. He's tired. He's weary. Toward the end of
his life, But here's David, a blessed picture and type of the chosen
vessels of God's mercy. He's tired. He's weary. He's
faint, the scripture says, but he's in a stronghold. Boy, what
a key point. He's in a stronghold. David,
like all of God's sheep, we come to the end of this life. We were
out here working a while ago, yesterday. All of us were admitting, you
know, we're tired. We get tired. We're tired. You're
trying to do some things. It's hot. And we can talk about
how things used to be. I tell you, I used to be able
to do this 18 hours a day. I can't no more. Not anymore. David's tired. But he's in a
stronghold. And he, like all of God's people,
he's found in the stronghold of Christ himself, the cleft
of the rock. He's found and kept by God's
good pleasure, according to God's covenant of mercy. He's God's
garden, hedged about. He's in this cave. And David
has of the mighty, he has here the three, according to Young's
literal concordance, these 330 chiefs. It's 2 Samuel 23, 39,
it says these were the three of the 30 chief. And Young's
literal concordance says three of the 30 heads, three of those
who were the chief, the heads, the captains, the mighties. Now, in all of these three heads,
these three men, these three captains, these three mighty
men, these three who were victorious. We read
that. They were victorious in obtaining
that which David longed for. It was the desire of his heart. And in those three mighties,
I behold, I see a picture in those three, right there, of
the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Word made
flesh. He who is revealed to be the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. Somebody would say, I don't see
how you see three men as being a person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I can see that. I rejoice in seeing what these
men do. David couldn't. Ain't no way.
He's weary. He wore out. But there was three
men. And of these three men, these
were the mighties. of his mighties, of his mighty
men. One of them killed 800 men. One of them started killing men
until his hand was just weary and he did not turn loose that
sword. These men, they were men. And
they're David's friend. And they're going to watch out
for him. And here the scripture sees, I see these three mighties. I think about this passage of
scripture, Isaiah 40, verse 13. Listen, I mean, Isaiah 9, 6,
I'm sorry. Concerning the glory of the Lord
Jesus. For unto us a child is born.
He's a man. Man, flesh. A son is given. Son of God. And the government
That is, now look these words up so we can get them. And the
government, the empire to prevail, the government shall be upon
his shoulder. He'll burden it. He'll bear the
burden. And his name, his position, his
honor, his authority, and his character shall be called, called
out, addressed, properly addressed. Wonderful. This is his name,
wonderful. That word wonderful, it means
a miracle, a marvelous thing, a wonder. Counselor, he who deliberates,
guides, and purposes. I see in the character of counselor. Scripture declares in Isaiah
40, I'm sorry, Romans 8, 14, they are led by the Spirit of
God. They're the sons of God. The Lord in spirit, the mighty
God, powerful, champion, chief, the everlasting Father, the Father
of eternity. What do we call Him? We call
Him exactly what the Spirit of God says He calls. He's God.
This is what we call Him. What's his name? Unto us a child
is born, a son is given, the government be upon his shoulder. His name, his name shall be Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,
the Head, Captain, Keeper, Steward of Happy, Friendly, and Welfare. He's all and in all. I see in
these three mighties, I see a picture. of the Lord Jesus Christ, Almighty
God, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, all and in all. Here's the unexplainable triunity
of God. Our God revealed and known in
the glorious persons of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Somebody said, well, you're going to have to explain the triunity
of God to me. Well, you just I'm not going
to get it from me. I'm not going to explain anything.
I'm going to tell you this is what God says. And I cannot explain
Him, but I declare Him to be as He says He is. And I believe
Him. Scripture says, when Jesus was
baptized, he went up a great way out of the water, and, lo,
the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove and lighting upon him, and, lo, a
voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. One God revealed in three persons,
and Isaiah says this is His name. Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. That's His
name. And these three mighty men, back in 2 Samuel 23, they
went down, look in verse 13, and three of the 30 chief went
down and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of
Adullam. They came down, went down. Here
they went down, in the scripture of this account, 1 Chronicles
11, 15 says that they went down to the rock. They went down to
the rock. Here it says they went down under
the cave of Adullam. They went down where David was.
He was in a stronghold. He was in a safe place. He was
born to the rock, founded in Christ. And they going down as
David's mighties. Here is the holding of the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, according to God's covenant of mercy, who
humbled himself as the servant of Jehovah, the one who was upheld
by his father. He came to his elect, those in
whom his soul delighted, made himself of no reputation, took
upon him the form of a servant made in the likeness of men,
And these three mighties, these three mighty men, they were there
for their king. They were there for David. And here comes these three mighties. And whatever it takes to save
him, and to provide for him, and to deliver him, that's what
they're there for. And you're going to have to get
through them. to get to him. And that's the way it is with
us. And they were there because the
troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim, in
the valley of giants. These Philistines that represent
the strongholds of Satan that God alone pulls down in the deliverance
of his sheep, these strongholds of spiritual ignorance, carnal
wisdom, and lust of these eyes, and pride of life, the cares
of this world. It said in the garrison there
were some out there in front of David, and then on the other
side was Bethlehem. There was a garrison, the scripture
says, of Philistines in Bethlehem. So here's where we are. Here's
David, he's in a stronghold, and these three mighties are
there. They're for him. And the scripture says in verse
15, and David longed. And he said, oh, that one would
give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which
is by the gate. David expressed his heart. Surely he thought back. I remember
when I was a boy. When things were a whole lot
simpler. I'd go out there and tend the
sheep. He had animals, lions, bears
come up. I'd give him deliverance over.
But he thought about home. Thought about the way he was.
Boy, growing up. And it was, the scripture says
in verse 13, these three, the three of the 30 went down and
came to David in harvest time. It was hot. It was hot. And he's
tired. And he's thirsty. But he's thirsty
for water from one particular place. Oh, that one would give me drink
of the water of the well of Bethlehem. One by the gate. I'm sure water. Somebody said, well, you could
just about drink from any well. You know, a believer, he desires
to drink from one well. From one well. Christ himself. Oh, that one would give me to
drink from the well of Bethlehem. That well that David spiritually
thirsted for was that well that set forth the Lord Jesus Christ. The well by the gate, by the
door, opening into the house of bread. That word gate right
there is from a root word that means to split or to open. And David thirsted, surely he
thirsted spiritually for him that would come into this world.
and give his life, lay down his life for the sheep. And that drink from that well
spiritually, the only thing that spiritually satisfies is the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, that blood that washes the needy
sinner white before God. Blessed man, eat of my flesh
and drink of my blood. And our Lord said, if any man
thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water. And with the desire that David
had, a desire to drink of that well, of that well in Bethlehem
by the gate. It was a specific well. And the
scripture says in verse 16, he expressed his longing and I don't
doubt immediately those three men with purpose because of love
for him It said, and the three mighty men break 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. I think about those
three mighties. They heard their king say, I
wish I had a drink of water from this well, this particular one.
Buddy, they moved. They got up and they broke through. The scripture says we're more
than conquerors through him that loved us. Psalm 44 5 says, through
thee will we push down our enemies. Through thy name, we'll tread
them under that rise up against us. These Philistines had set
themselves against God's people. These Philistines represented
all that opposes Almighty God's saints. Scripture says in Romans
chapter 8, I'll read this for you. Romans chapter 8, verse
35, 39. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Now listen, that whale represented
Christ. These men, these mighties represented
Christ. The whale represented Christ.
The water represents that blood. That's what David longed to drink. I want to drink. I want to remember
spiritually. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Your tribulation, or distress,
or persecutions, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
It is written, as it is written, for thy sake we're killed all
the day long. We're counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we're
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I'm persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. These three
mighty men. Again, a picture and title of
the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
scripture says they broke through and they got to the well. And
they took it, they took the water out of it. They took it, that
water that set forth, that refreshment, the blood, and they brought it
to David. And what a picture of God's mercy
and compassion to undeserving sinners. It brought that water.
And David, he got the water. He got the water that he longed
for. And he knew, he saw in time, there were some that attained
this that I could not have attained. God's people long to drink of
Christ and they know by the grace of God now, I could have never
attained that. I could have never had the pleasure
to drink of that precious water, that precious blood that flowed
from his side. To be able to contemplate the
refreshment whenever the Spirit of God comes to God's people
and regenerates him, shows him who they are, who he is, what
he's done, what he's been pleased to do. He loved them, gave himself
for them, and they brought him that water. And when he saw that
water, the scripture says, nevertheless, he would not drink thereof, but
he poured it out unto the Lord. 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? David said, I'm
holding this water right here. This is the blood of these men.
Life's in the blood. The blood is the Lord's. He said,
this is the blood. This is what it cost. What did
it cost, our Savior, that we might drink? His blood. The shedding of His blood. These
men broke through. They laid down their lives, whatever
it took. They bust through the line of
the Philistines, they got to that well, they drew it out and
they brought it to them. And David admitting, I'm not
worthy to drink this. I'm not worthy. This is the Lord. I'll tell you what I thought
about this morning. This was the same as that alabaster box
that was a precious, precious ointment. A year's worth of wages. That woman took it and broke
it and anointed it. And those disciples that got
on to her, and the Lord said, you leave her alone. She did
what she could. She's anointed me. She's honored
me. And when he saw that water, and
he realized what these men did to get him a drink of water,
he said, the one that this is worthy for is the Lord. It was
a libation. I looked at it. It was an offering,
a liquid offering, unto the Lord, who is worthy of all the honor
and the glory and the praise. These three men, who pictures
our precious Savior, they were willing to supply. They were
willing to. He said, Old Doc, get a drink
of water out of that well. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world as the substitute, the willing substitute, the willing
servant of Jehovah. I laid down my life for the sheep. They were willing to do it. And I tell you one thing, based
on what their account of what these men did, humanly speaking,
one of them went up against 800 guys and killed them all. One
of them sat there and started killing men till his hand was
so weary he never turned loose of that sword. These were mighty
men. Not only were they willing to
do it, they had power to do it. The Lord said, I have power to
lay down my life and I have power to take it again. All power is
given unto the Son from the Father that he should give eternal life
to as many as the Father has given him. These men were willing.
These men were able. And they did it because they
loved Him. They loved Him. They loved David. Our Lord Jesus
came into this world because the scripture says, For I have
loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have drawn
you, betrothed you to Myself. He loved us. Oh, the debt of
gratitude that we owe unto Him. who is worthy. God commendeth
his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. I pray that God give us some
sight to behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here was
a vessel of his mercy, David, picture of all of us. Here was
these three mighty men, mighty men, and all three of them, I'm
not even going to separate them. All three of them, they thought
they all had one purpose. I'm here for him. They had one
love. I love him. They had one desire.
I'm going to serve him. Here was the servant of Jehovah
who gave his life for us. I pray God bless it to our hearts
for his glory and our good. Amen. OK, Gary.