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.
