2 Samuel 23:16–17: “So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. And he said, ‘Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?’ Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.”

July 2nd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This chapter records the names of David’s mighty men and recounts some stories about them. One story is from David’s exile, when he had to flee King Saul who was trying to kill him. In these verses, 3 of David’s men overheard him longing for water from the well of Bethlehem, where he was born and grew up. It was probably a scorching, dusty, midsummer day as David remembered the cool water from the village well of his youth. Since David had been a shepherd, we can assume he had often stopped his herd of sheep at this well. He was probably also a little homesick when he thought of it. Certainly he had not given orders for his men to bring him water from that well, nor had he intended for anyone to be prompted by his words to attempt to get him some. But these 3 brave men took his longing seriously and broke through enemy lines to draw water for David from the well of Bethlehem. They then marched back to bring it to him. It must have been 25 miles or more, round trip.

Because David’s men brought him water at the risk of their own lives, he considered it to precious to drink himself and instead poured it out as an offering to God. This was David’s way of saying, “Only God is worthy of this kind of sacrifice.” This gives yet another insight into the life of this “man after God’s own heart.” David held his men in such high esteem that it is no wonder these “bad guys” of Israel loved their king.

We serve the King of kings who, even more than David, holds every single person in the highest esteem possible. We have such value in our heavenly Father’s eyes that He paid the most expensive ransom ever paid for the life of a human being—His Son. Jesus Christ died a horrible death on the cross on our behalf. Therefore, the most valuable thing in the whole world is your life and mine!

“LORD, we worship at the foot of the cross by which You redeemed us all.”

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2 Samuel 23 KJV

¹ Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, ² The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. ³ The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.  ⁴ And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. ⁵ Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things , and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. ⁶ But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: ⁷ But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. ⁸ These be 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 spearagainst eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.    ⁹And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, oneof 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: ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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 lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.  ¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. ¹³ And three of the thirty 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.  ¹⁴ And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. ¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! ¹⁶ And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them , and had the name among three. ¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. ²⁰And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:   ²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.  ²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. ²³ He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the firstthree. And David set him over his guard.   ²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, ²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, ²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, ²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, ³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,  ³¹ Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, ³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, ³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, ³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, ³⁵Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, ³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, ³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, ³⁸ Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, ³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.