Yashov-am and El-azar

The Three Who Heard the Voice of the One

(1 Chronicles 11:10-19, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 5, 2017)

[10] Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. [11] This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

[12] And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. [13] He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. [14] But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory.

[15] Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. [16] David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. [17] And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” [18] Then the three mighty men broke through the camp 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. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the LORD [19] and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

David's Mighty Men

David was not alone throughout his struggle to gain the kingdom and to keep it. During the next three weeks we will be looking at chapters that speak of his mighty men. Even though God created the world by speaking everything into being, He who needs no help from anyone loves to work through a society of those who fear His Name.

The Lord can make even the wrath of His enemies praise Him (Psalm 76:10), but He has a special love for His elect, His chosen people, who cry out to Him for help and are willing to be used by Him for His purposes. David, as his life prefigured the coming of Jesus, had a society of men around him, men who were often supported by families and by communities.

They Took a Stand and Defended the Kingdom

What did these mighty men do for David? We are told that they strengthened David, that they were important in him becoming king over all of Israel, and that this was all done according to the Word of the Lord. Each of those three points are worth considering. 1) They gave David strong support: The strongest and wisest men know that they cannot go it alone. They find the team that God has given them, such as it is, and they receive the strength that others supply. 2) They were important in David becoming king over all of Israel: David might easily have been the favorite of his own tribe, Judah, but the Lord had better plans for him. God used these men in order to bring about the glory days of Israel under David and his son Solomon. These men loved the kingdom, and they were willing to sacrifice for it. 3) They made good use of the Word of God: Not everyone cares about what God has revealed through His special Word. Some people from all kinds of backgrounds and with a great variety of different abilities share this gift from God: His Word settles their hearts and leads them forward in courageous living. The fact is that God had revealed through His authorized ambassadors like Samuel that David the shepherd-song writer who killed the massive Philistine would be king.

Today we are looking specifically at three among the mighty men who were exemplary. We are told in later verses that though other men performed amazing deeds of valor and strength, they “did not attain to the three,” so it was quite an honor to be included in the three. Two of the three are mentioned by name here, and the third in the parallel verses in 2 Samuel. The names of the two Yashov-am, “the people will return” and El-azar, “God helps (decisively).”

Of the two mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11, the first and chief of the three is Jashobeam. His claim to fame? In one battle he killed hundreds of Philistines with his spear. That's all. But you need a mighty man to defeat the enemy, he was number one. The other of the three mentioned here was Eleazar, and his exploits were similar. On one occasion when everyone else was running away from the battle, he stood his ground seemingly alone, and he won the victory for David, again against the Philistines. Two great men, wildly outnumbered, standing their ground...

They Risked Their Lives to Please the King

One other memorable episode is recorded for our consideration. Three men overheard David say something and they took amazing steps to see that the longing of David's heart was fulfilled. Remember that Bethlehem was David's hometown, and at that time the town was in the hands of the Philistines who were fighting against the men of Israel. David said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem!”

Well, they did it, though once again, they were vastly outnumbered! They heard the voice of their beloved king and they took action. They had to break through the camp of the enemy, draw water from the well that was by the town gate, and then bring it back to David without spilling it all over the ground. What did David do when he saw such a display of devotion and love? He spilled it on the ground. Why? First, he “would not drink it.” It was too great a gift for that. He saw beyond them, beyond himself, beyond Bethlehem, and well beyond the water, to the Author of every good and perfect gift. He loved God more than anything, and so he poured out the water to God as a drink offering to the Almighty. That is what a real leader does.

The best king over God's covenant people does not live for himself. He gives everything up to the will of the Almighty. Worship is more to him than drinking the best water. His life is an offering to the King of heaven and earth. He sees the blood that his men risk in order to fulfill his word, and he concludes that such a gift is too precious to drink. It must be given to God.

This is the way that we need to see the entire ministry of Jesus and especially the cross. Wildly outnumbered behind enemy lines, He gave everything to the Almighty. He heard the voice of His Father, and inspired by purest love, He fully obeyed. This is our life too as His warriors.

The King of the Kingdom and His Faithful Servants

1. Don't be unduly moved by crowds of people, and 2. Be greatly moved by the Word of God. Let us remind ourselves that we are standing on the shoulders of “a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1 and 2 Kings 6:15-17) who would not throw away the Word of God to save their lives. Yashov-am, “the people will return” and El-azar, “God helps (decisively).”

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 33 – We Hope in Jesus

Gospel Reading—Matthew 10:1-4

[1] And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. [2] The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.