1 Chronicles 11-12

1 Chronicles 11-12

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 11: David King of Hebron

                All the people come out to see David and tell him that they are with him, and that they will do according to what the Lord would have and anoint David king over Israel.  David makes a covenant with all the Elders of Israel. David tells them that whoever is the first to smite the Jebusites would be the chief captain. So Joab was the chief.  David dwelt in the castle and because he dwelt there the castle and everything surrounding it became the "City of David". David and his kingdom became greater and more powerful with the Lord by his side. He had many chief captains; Jashobeam, Eleazar, Dodo (who was one of the 3 mighties).

                Dodo was with David at Pasdammim and there the Philistines were gathered to battle where a parcel of barley was. But David and his men were able to kill the Philistines and the Lord delivered them.

                After this 3 of the 30 captains of David went down with him to the rock of David into the cave of Adullam, where the host of the Philistines were camped in the valley of Repham. So while there, David asked his 3 men to go in among the Philistines to draw him water from the well of Beth-lehem, that is near the gate. So they sneak in and get him water. But when he goes to drink it, David pours it out on the ground, and said;

                "...My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it..." (1 Chronicles 11:19)

                Abishai the brother of Joab was the chief of the three; because he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them. Because of this he was more honorable than the other two.

                Then there was Jehoiada the son of Kabzeel (who was a very valiant man), who has killed two lion-like men of Moab, he also slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day. He slew an Egyptian. Then there was the last of the three, who was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada who  was honorable, but hadn't yet attained the honor of the first two. So David set Benaiah over his guard. These valiant men of the armies were;

Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-ezer the Antothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite, Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.

Chapter 12: David's Mighty Men

                Men come to David in the area of Ziklag. The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah, Jeziel, Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, Berachah, Jehu, Ismaiah, Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Josabad, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah, Elkanah, Jesiah, Azareel, Joezer, Jashobeam, Joelah, Zebadiah, and the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.     

          

                Those men who fought in battle where men of war who could handle shield and buckler, and whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the roses upon the mountains.

                The sons of Gad (in order of birth); Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabud, Jeremiah, Machbanai. They were the captains of the host who went over to Jordan in the first month. They met up with David and David answered them and said unto them; 

"...If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it" (1 Chronicles 11:17)

                One of the chief captains, Amasai, then responds by telling David that they are on his side. There in Ziklag; Manasseh, Adnah, Jozaband, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zilthai and all the thousands that were with them fall under the control of David. These men helped David against the band of the rovers, these are the numbers of the men that were under David;

The children of Judah: 6,800

The children of Simeon: 7,100

The children of Levi: 4,600

The children of Jehoiada: 3,700

Zadok and his father's house: 22

The children of Benjamin: 3,000

The children of Manasseh: 18,000

The children of Issachar: 200

of Zebulun: 50,000

of Naphtali: 1,000 captains and 37,000 with spear and shield.

of the Danites: 28,600

of Asher: 40,000

                On the other side of the river Jordan were 120,000 men. All of these men came to Hebron to make David king over all of Israel! There was joy in Israel.