David's Worthies

If you want to be inspired some time, go to I Chronicles 11. The chronicler is describing David's assent to the throne of Israel, and pauses to recount a list also found in II Sam 23 - David's mighty men. Anyone who thinks that true Christianity produces insipid lives should turn to these rip-roarin' dudes! What a group! Professional commando-lion wrangling-heavyweight defeating champs!

Yet it took Matthew Henry (or M.H. as I sometimes call him) to get me to see that these 'worthies' aren't just locked into some glory days of the past. As the Mighty Men served David, so I should serve David's Son. Ahhh, there's the connection.

So let's dig a little deeper. On the outside, the deeds these men accomplished seem like the stuff of myth. Standing in a barley field and killing 300 Philistines?! Are you serious?? But M.H. reminded me of why these Mighty Men were mighty at all,
"In the wonderful achievements of these heroes the power of God must be acknowledged. How could one slay 300 and another the same number (v. 11, 20), another two lion-like men (v. 22), and another an Egyptian giant (v. 23), if they had not had the extraordinary presence of God with them, according to that promise, Jos. 23:10: One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God fighteth for you."

So true. As great as these men were, they were not so much extraordinary men of God, as men of an extraordinary God. Who in their right mind would follow a lion into a pit on a snowy day?! And yet if your great God gives you that strength, then who of the least of the earth couldn't do such great things for Him?

And lastly:
"That which made all these men honourable was the good service that they did to their king and country; they helped to make David king (v. 10)—a good work. They slew the Philistines, and other public enemies, and were instrumental to save Israel.... The way to be great is to do good. Nor did they gain this honour without labour and the hazard of their lives. The honours of Christ's kingdom are prepared for those that 'fight the good fight of faith,' that labour and suffer, and are willing to venture all, even life itself, for Christ and a good conscience.
It is by a patient continuance in well-doing that we must seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; and those that are faithful to the Son of David shall find their names registered and enrolled much more to their honour than these are in the records of fame."

Huzzah! And so it returns back to Christ, who blesses our labors, both the flashy and little patient ones, by sanctifying them to Himself. Today let me be a 'worthy' of Christ, and see what works, great or small, He will design to bring great glory to Him.