I had forgotten that the kingdom was divided for a time when David first became king in Judah. We hear a lot about the divided kingdom after Solomon’s reign, but little about this division. Joab and Abner had quite a rivalry, and we never hear, at least at this point in our story, that David desired to overtake Ishbosheth and his kingdom. Why do you suppose that is? Could it be David’s humility? He had to be concerned with the Philistines within his borders, as they continually brought war against Israel. David is again a wonderful example of being content with that he has been given by God.
His troop had a hierarchy, and this shows us how important it is for us to have a hierarchy in our establishments, whether it be in government, in business, or in our churches. He had three mighty men that were before the rest, and then three others mightier than the remaining 27. These men were indeed powerful men. I picture Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, or Jason Stratham. They did amazing deeds in their lives, and headed up the rest of the army. We need leaders like that. Ones who will go to any length to support their king, including breaking through enemy lines to get a simple cup of water. I also admire their humility and temperance when David takes that water and pours it out. We never see them complain or get angry about the effort they put in, only to have their leader pour it on the ground.
We should strive to be men like this. Maybe not in physical strength, but in spiritual and mental strength. We should always be supporting our pastor, as long as he is following the word of God in his life and his preaching. We should be willing to do anything he asks of us, knowing that he hears from God. This includes going out of our way to supply something that he is in need of. I would like to be a mighty man to God for my pastor, but I must clean out the cobwebs in my life in order to do that. I need to be able to stand against the enemies in my life and, with great victory, defeat them. This way he stands protected from those things and can concentrate on leading the church. The same goes for my workplace. We are the children of God, and we are empowered by Jesus Christ! Nothing can stand against us that we do not allow to stand. May we be those mighty men in our places of influence!
God's Maintenance Man 