In the chapter, we see records of David’s coronation as king over Israel, David’s victorious reclamation of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, along with records of the thirty mighty men who served in his army.
Interestingly, a common theme arises across these segments: devotion to the king.
The People’s Lack of Devotion to God
In verse 1 to 3, we see all the people of Israel acknowledge David as the rightful king of Israel. This came after a long civil war between the house of David and Judah against the house of Saul and the rest of Israel. For seven years and six months, David could only reign in Hebron. (2 Sam 2)
It was only after the death of Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, that the rest of Israel acknowledged the will of God and anointed David as king over all of Israel (2 Sam 4, 1 Chron 11:2). The people’s words reveal something interesting. In verse 2 they said:
“Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’”
From their words, we see that the people of Israel could remember how it was David who had led the people even during Saul’s reign. Moreover, the people of Israel had known that it was God’s will to anoint David as king over all of Israel! Yet, when Abner took Ishbosheth around Israel to be anointed as king, all the tribes except Judah accepted Ishbosheth’s kingship. In fact, Ishbosheth reigned for two years over Israel barring Judah (2 Sam 2:10)
The Bible is not explicit about why the people accepted Ishbosheth’s reign. However, based on what is known, we can see that the people were not truly devoted to God’s will.
David’s Devotion to God
On the other hand, we see the example of David.
Despite reaching the supposed end of his arduous journey to become the king of Israel, David did not let this victory allow him to grow complacent and lazy.
This is seen in how the first recorded action of David after he was crowned king of Israel was to conquer Jerusalem, the only city that the tribe of Judah was unable to drive out (Jos 15:63). It had been many years since God’s command to the Israelites to drive out the Gentiles from the land of Canaan. Thus, David could have easily brushed this off as a low priority task to be done later.
After all, he was now the king. There was no one higher than him in status or power to boss him around.
Yet, David did not see it that way.
Instead, he embodied the unprofitable servant mentioned by Jesus in Luke 17:7-10 and saw God as his King. Being devoted to his King, David prioritised the will of God above all other matters. Even God testified that David was a man after God’s own heart who will do all of God’s will (Acts 13:22).
The Mighty Men’s Devotion
Lastly– the devotion of David’s mighty men to David their king.
These mighty men fulfilled their duty as warriors in David’s kingdom by accomplishing extraordinary feats on the battlefield. Whether they were defending a barley field against a wave of enemies or holding their ground alone against 300 hundred soldiers (1 Chron 11:11-14, 2 Sam 23:8-12), we cannot deny that these mighty men defied the odds to bring victory to their king.
Moreover, these mighty men were with David throughout his arduous journey to kingship. Thus, behind these victories are the blood, sweat, and tears shed as they weathered the same unforgiving landscapes and stood beside David through countless battles.
What gave them the strength to endure such hardships when they could have chosen to live a simpler, easier life?
It was their great devotion to David.
We see the extent of their devotion in 1 Chron 11:16-19 where even without a command, three mighty men chose to risk their lives in order to obtain the water from the well of Bethlehem as their king desired. Not every soldier would be willing to go to such great lengths to please their leader.
Just as David had the heart to please the Lord by carrying out the Lord’s will in totality, these mighty men had the heart to please David by carrying out his will and fulfilling his desires.
Conclusion: Our devotion to our king
David and his mighty men were fully devoted to their kings.
Their king ruled as king not just physically, but also in their hearts. Hence we see that their lives were directed by the will of their king. They prioritised the will of their king over that of their own desires and even lives.
On the other hand, the Israelites displayed partial loyalty, only submitting to God’s choosing of David when they had exhausted all other options.
Today, God is our king.
But there are many things that threaten to take away our devotion from our king.
One of which is the world’s attempt to deceive us that “I myself am king”.
We are often told that we are the ones in control of our own lives. Or that we should live according to what brings us the most joy. Some may even go as far to say that no one should be allowed to dictate how we live our lives because our lives are our own.
Meditating on the full devotion of David and his mighty men, let us examine our hearts to see whether we have been fully devoted to God– putting God’s will above our own desires.
Reflection Questions:
Has God truly been the king of my life?
How might we unknowingly be not fully devoted to God?
What is one thing we can do to be more devoted to God?
