Our verse begins, “Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king…” It goes on to name his leaders, his fighting heroes & others who fought side by side with David to bring victory over their enemies.
There is a striking contrast between what we saw in Israel under Saul and what we see under David. Saul struggled with a divided nation. David enjoyed a nation united under one God and under one King. This made all the difference.
Many years ago, just before the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the British naval hero Lord Nelson learned that an admiral and a captain in his fleet were not on good terms. Sending for the two men, he placed the hands of the admiral and the captain together. Then, looking them both in the face, he said, “Look—yonder is the enemy!”
Such an act might be good for many of us Christians. We all too often live like we are under Saul’s reign rather than under the reign of the “Son of David.”
Chuck
“He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” Titus 2:14