2 Samuel 21:15-17
Verse 15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
While the Philistines had been quiet for a while it wasn’t that they had given up on ridding their area of the Israelites. They were likely waiting for just the right time to reengage their chief enemies. David gathered his men and headed out to the battle field. While it doesn’t tell us how long the battle went on, we can see David wasn’t the soldier he had been. Somewhere along the way of his reign he had started to age physically.
We can easily focus on David in his younger years as a shepherd boy, a teenage giant killer, a musician of King Saul, a man on the run hiding in the caves and mountains around the countryside of Judea, and then as the man who took over the throne after King Saul died in battle. Even when we see him watching his men go off to fight his son, we forget he was no longer the young man he had been.
The king had been aging and it was beginning to show. He no longer had the energy to run about on the battlefield carrying his armor and weapons. Running was likely more of a challenge both on his knees and feet but also on his heart. He may have found himself getting short of breath or just feeling quite weak. He wasn’t the young man he used to be.
One of the descendants of the famous Philistine giants found David’s growing fatigue as an opportunity to be a hero. If he took out King David he would gain a name as well-known as Goliath’s had been before a younger David took him out with a stone to the forehead. This was his chance to gain rewards any soldier would be desirous of.
Thankfully David had one of his mighty men near him that day. While Ishbi-Benob was planning on killing the king, Abishai saw what was happening and came to David’s rescue. This commander had been one of David’s top men for years and though his brother Joab often seemed to be the top commander, Abishai had been the one to show time and again his devotion to David. Whether a middle of the night walk into the enemy camp to retrieve a few items from King Saul or his willingness to take on this large Philistine, Abishai showed he knew David was God’s man.
Making It Personal
Who is that person who is always there for you even when you don’t ask? How did God bring that person into your life? Have you told that person what they mean to you?
Making It Personal Kids
Who is always ready to help you? Why do they help you? Do you help them?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for sending people to come to our aid. We don’t always like to think we need help, but You didn’t create us to live life by ourselves. Give us wisdom to live lives which show others just how much they mean to us and in so doing reveal You and Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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