From a Tokyo hotel room in the middle of the night, I ponder how to introduce this humble writ. I’m a former fighter pilot and an airline pilot, not a writer. I know it’s to be short, hard hitting, and to the point or most men won't read it. I also know that’s not like me. The Holy Spirit will have to help me ... help I feel He’s promised. Although I don’t know where or how to start, I do feel like David when he penned, “My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I recite my verses for the King.”
That theme would be men, friendship, leadership, and how that applies to living life in our day and culture. And of course, this is largely defined by your relationships and your relationship with God - your own “Fear of the LORD.” Just as it was among David and his Mighty Men.
Do you know about David’s Mighty Men? I predict a few of you do, but most of you don’t. I’ll sum it up for you here, then add some fascinating and pertinent details in the following pages. They were, I believe, the most courageous and effective special forces warriors in all of history. They started out as “misfits and rebels,” fleeing from Saul, King of Israel around 1000 B.C., as was their leader and anointed successor to the same throne, David. The sum of their exploits and names are found primarily in two Bible passages, II Samuel 23 and I Chronicles 11. The genesis and journey of their lives together are found with their names and deeds interlaced with David’s story as it unfolds on the pages of history and the Bible, in the mountains of Israel.
Kings and conduct relating to the same are more important to you than you may know. This is still true for our times, as I intend to show. David and his Mighty Men wrote the book on this subject, 1000 years before the King of Kings, the Son of David, appeared in the Roman Empire as prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures, born in David’s town, Bethlehem.
A little history study will show you that David’s day was very much like our own. So we can learn much about our times and how to conduct ourselves from this study of the past. I remember a quote from my college Western Civilization book, “History teaches us that man learns nothing from history.” While there is a lot of sad irony and truth to this, it doesn’t have to be this way. Churchill said, “The farther backward you look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”
It’s my hope and prayer that this short look at David and his Mighty Men will inspire you, inform you, and embolden you to be a man in your realm today. A man of relationship, friendship, leadership, humility and courage -- like the sons of Issachar coming to make David King in Hebron, “men who understood the times, and what Israel should do.” There is something here that deeply touches a man’s soul. I think it’s what we all aspire to; something about our destiny; what we’re born to do.
There’s something else we’re born for: relationship. It’s an inward need and a most fulfilling result. While the Bible is a great work on history, science, religion, philosophy, psychology, etc.. it’s primarily a book about relationship. From Genesis to Revelation, it’s a story about a King and His bride, Christ and the Church, God and Israel. It’s a story and textbook about one of life’s mysteries and treasures: friendship. Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants ... Instead I have called you friends.”John 15:15
I’m very grateful for my parents who taught and modeled much about friendship to me and my siblings. I’m grateful to have been raised and formed in Christian community for the same reasons; having an ever increasing desire for fulfillment in friendship.
Certainly also, David the shepherd king of Israel, along with his Mighty Men, teaches us much about friendship: how to be a friend, how to value a friend. The lows of poor friendships, the highs of great friendships, the courage and necessity to risk friendship. Indeed, I once noticed this insightful passage, from which springs the title of this little book. After a long list of David’s officers, confidants, stewards, advisors, generals, and rulers ... there is named ... “Hushai the Archite ... the king's friend.” I Chronicles 27:33
“The king’s friend.” May this writ give you a vision for becoming a better “friend of the KING.” And for becoming a better friend to all those in your realm. It will be an important part in the accomplishment of your mission and the enjoyment of your life’s journey.
Besides understanding our times and how we should live; besides understanding how to relate to authority and the King; besides understanding the power and importance of friendship; I want to say something about just being a man. Being a man under God.
One of my spiritual mentors, Charles Simpson, said in a sermon about Moses, “God’s plan isn’t a plan; it’s a man.” He gave several other examples from Scripture and history, then went on to say, “the purposes of God are carried on the shoulders of sanctified men, not on an oxcart or any creation of man. This is a reference to the “ark of the covenant.” Indeed, again, David taught us that, did he not? It was a lesson bitterly learned from the death of a friend.
You can’t separate David from his actions, or his friends from their actions. Nor can you separate yourself from your actions. In the end, you are what you do. What you believe is what you do. Jesus said, “by their fruits you shall know them.” It’s not by what they say, but by what they do.
James the brother of our Lord, and head of the early church in Jerusalem, said it this way. “... someone may well say, you have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” And even more bluntly like this, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead....”
I like to say it like this, “Faith works!” It’s easy to remember and true.
What you say and do describes your character, but as stated above, more so what you do. I suggest that’s important to God. He cares. He watches. He’s looking for a few good men. And He’s looking for a few good friends, suitable friends for His Son, the King: “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His..”II Chronicles 16:9 NASB
To understand a little better the value of friends and men to God, note a couple things the Holy Spirit says in the Scripture about David. One, David “was a man after God’s own heart.” Two, “After he accomplished the purposes of God in his generation, he slept.” Those are two amazing commendations! “A Heart like His,” as Beth Moore has titled a book. And “accomplished God’s purposes in his generation ....” Fulfilled his destiny! Pleased God!
God takes pleasure in a man who’ll be a man. God wants to take pleasure in you. As David told his son Solomon, successor to the throne, “... now show yourself a man.”
“But that was David,” you say! “I’m just me, and I’m coming from way back in the pack toward anything like that!” I’ll just remind you that James, the brother of Jesus, said by the Spirit, “Elijah was a man just like you....”
Also, a man who committed adultery with the wife of a trusted friend, then had his friend killed to avoid exposure of his sin, had much to learn. That would be David. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
As we take this short journey with David and his Mighty Men, remember with me the joys of manhood, friendship, and a life lived with God. It’s a high calling. It’s the high road. Let’s take it!
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Forgive the long blog post, but Colby encouraged me to do this for those who didn't get a copy or might have lost it. Craig, Joel, and others did an excellent job introducing this series last Thursday night at the steak dinner. Our CCF men and friends will be discussing FRIENDSHIP, LEADERSHIP, & UNDERSTANDING OUR TIMES AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING monthly for the next few months. I'll be doing a 20-25 minute teaching each time tying the topics listed to David and his Mighty Men (IISam23, I Chron11), an unusual "Band of Brothers" with lessons for our day and our lives. We intend to have this information to you each month for the teaching the following month. The next meeting is the first Tuesday in August (2nd) where we'll discuss this blog article and more. Look forward to seeing you there! Dwayne
Are you winning or losing most of your spiritual battles? Are you down more than up? Do you feel frustrated, going in circles, your experience full of stops and starts, a constant guilt-failure cycle? That's not God's plan for you. You can live a stable, consistent life! But it will require life stabilizers like: (1) Decisiveness. Israel wanted to have it both ways: God's blessings, yet the right to disregard His Word. Freedom to live like heathen nations, yet be His special people. But Joshua declared it unacceptable. "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Jos 24:15 NIV). The church a Laodicea also wanted it both ways, but God pressed them: "You are...neither cold or hot... make up your minds" (Rev 3:16, 19 CEV). God require a direction chosen, a goal set, and mind made up. Wavering classifies you as double-minded and guarantees you will "[not] receive anything from the Lord" (Jas 1:6,8 NIV). (2) Faith. You are called a "believer" because faith must characterize not just some, but every area of your life. "Without faith it is impossible (not unlikely, improbable, difficult) to please God" (Heb 11:6 NIV). Faith is not what you study on Sunday morning, it's what you do 24/7! The Bible says: "My righteous [ones] will live by faith." You say, "Where do I get faith?" By meditating on, and living in God's Word (See Ro 10:17). Who possesses faith? The spiritually exceptional? No, "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Ro 12:3 NKJV). That includes you! Faith, not feelings or circumstances, is what makes your life stable!
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