1 Chronicles 12:1 – 40 The Mighty Men Join David at Ziklag
“Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle; they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin): Ahiezer their chief and Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh.
These Gadites were army commanders, the least of whom was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.
Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”
Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.
Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”) When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. They helped David against the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and commanders in the army. For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.
David’s Army Grows at Hebron
Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD: From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.
From Simeon: 7,100 mighty men of valor, ready for battle. From Levi: 4,600, including Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family.
From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time.
From Ephraim: 20,800 mighty men of valor, famous among their own clans. From the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king. From Issachar, men who understood the times and new what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command. From Zebulun: 50,000 fit for service, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, who with one purpose were devoted to David. From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders, accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear. From Dan: 28,600 prepared for battle.
From Asher: 40,000 fit for service, prepared for battle. And from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war.
All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king. They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them. And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.”
The longer Saul’s persecution of David continued, the more ridiculous it became and the more men deserted from Saul’s forces. Notice that many of the fiercest warriors who joined David were from Saul’s own tribe of Benjamin. God was continuing to give David favor with the men of Israel; now look at the quality of the men joining David: archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin; They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: These Gadites were army commanders, the least of whom was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.”
Recently, the term “bad ass” has come into use in America to indicate someone or something that is powerful and performs well. These guys who were joining David were definitely all bad asses, the best of the fighting men of all Israel! And these men were not merely over – muscled lunks; “they knew times and seasons and knew the best course for Israel to take.” God was moving in the hearts of the Israelites and they recognized that it was time to crown David as king.
APPLICATION: Have you ever realized that God’s timing is split – second? C.H. Spurgeon once wrote a sermon in which he said that when it was time for the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, nobody could delay their leaving for as much as a single second beyond the time of God’s choosing. Now God has ordered David to move to Hebron and has also moved in the hearts of all these battle – hardened soldiers so that they are gathered there to crown David as king over Israel. If these men have so much perception, why haven’t they gathered around David sooner? God has allowed these men to gather gradually, but now King Saul and his sons are dead. There is nobody left to rule Israel, apart from David. It’s time to bring in the man whom God has fitted for this day.
God knows how to throw parties! Look at all the men who turned up from all parts of Israel and the people who spontaneously provided for them. These men were all “of one mind to make David king.” Through the years, there would be many more celebrations in Israel, but this one was one of the best because God was moving in people’s hearts. But some day, God is going to throw a party that will put all other celebrations in the shade.
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:51 – 58)
When Jesus returns in glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he will come in a cloud of blinding light with warrior angels to attend him. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more dark nights of the soul. Those men gathered in Hebron to crown David as king had a wonderful time, but their joy will pale in comparison with the joy of Jesus on the faces of those who love Him.
The men of Issachar knew times and seasons and knew the best course for Israel to take. Do we know the best course for our lives? Now is the time to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Now is the time for us to confess our sins and to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We can only act in the “now;” we have no other time promised to us. If the current pandemic has taught us little else, it should have taught us that any of us can sicken and die at any time. Don’t delay! Be like the men of Issachar and make right decisions. Follow Jesus!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. We do confess that we are sinners and that nothing we can do is good enough to pay for our sins. But we thank You for sending Jesus to die for us, so that we might have eternal life in heaven with You. Let all who read these words come to a saving knowledge of Your Grace. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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