In 1 Chronicles 12, although David was still a fugitive, he had already been anointed by Samuel (1 Sam 16:1-13) and had become king (1 Chron 11:1-3, 12:1; 2 Sam 2:1-2,7).
A wise king chosen by God
David stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness when he was still escaping from Saul and that was the beginning of his army when the four hundred men gathered to him (1 Sam 22:1-2, 23:14).
The gathering of David’s army happened because the people then were unhappy with the ruling of Saul. Saul had grown to become an unreliable king because of his jealousy and insecurity seeing how David had acted wisely and was well-loved by the people (1 Sam 18:16,30; 1 Sam 22:1-2).
Then, mighty men from Saul’s tribe joined David’s army and his army grew to hundreds of thousands, all of whom put their trust in him (1 Chron 12:2, 23-37).
Gibeathites and Gibeonites are part of the Benjamite tribe since both were part of the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, so we know that even the people within the same tribe as Saul could not accept him as king (1 Chron 12:2; Joshua 18:28). Gad is one of the tribes of the 12 sons of Jacob (Gen 30:9-11). Moses had blessed the Gadites with the imagery of a lion who tears arms and this explains the mighty Gadites who had ‘faces of lions’ and were ferocious in battle (Deut 33:20; 1 Chron 12:8).
At this juncture, although David had a status of a fugitive, he had many who were willing to entrust their lives to him and to follow him till they saw him become king. This was possible only because of the LORD our God, who gave David the wisdom and leadership qualities that won over the hearts of his followers (1 Sam 18:16,30; 1 Sam 22:1-2). Have we considered what leadership qualities God would desire for us to have to serve Him better?
Team spirit
Some of these strong men crossed a dangerous river to look for David (1 Chron 12:15; Joshua 3:15). They knew what was at risk and it was not their own lives, but the kingdom which was at stake.
When David met them, he spoke blatantly to them about his feelings (1 Chron 12:17-18). He wanted them to come clean with their intentions before he accepted them. This is David’s demonstration of his sincerity and wisdom in ensuring that he and the men will be on the same page before allowing them into his safe space. Such communication should not be seen as a sign of vulnerability but a desire to build trust amongst one another.
When we co-work with others in church today, let us also communicate sincerely with those around us before diving into the work because it is wiser to clear things up and be of the same mind before executing what is planned together; else we would be dealing with internal problems more than actually working on the edification of the church itself. This is beneficial to the unity of the church and helps us all to draw closer to God.
“The Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: ‘We are yours, O David; we are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.’” God’s spirit had landed upon Amasai who led the men to meet David and he proclaimed endearingly how much they had desired to be with him to support him because of his current circumstance.
This teaches us that we should be fearless in expressing how we feel about supporting one another in our servitude to God, especially with the right heart. This is how God wants us to work together to serve Him in His church. Without honest communication and a desire to aid one another eagerly, some might become disheartened and fall away from the thought that they are serving God alone. Therefore, building rapport amongst brethren is crucial for the unity of the church, to achieve a functional and loving church.
God’s faithfulness
Through the struggles of David’s run, we saw how God had sent more people to aid in the growth of his army where more people such as of the tribe of Manesseh entered into the army of David and the army grew very great, ‘like the army of God’. The idea of God’s army surrounding him and protecting him must have been very comforting for David since he had been blameless but yet was chased down by an unreasonable and ruthless king Saul. From here, we know that even if we had done the right things, unfortunate situations can still fall upon us and we have no control over them. It can be quite disappointing and discouraging. However, we have an everlasting King who is sitting on the right hand of the throne of God and He would judge fairly and righteously as He deems fit on the last day (1 Corin 1:5). As our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our hearts will be reassured of His providence and faithfulness – that He takes into account all things that happen to us.
The rest of 1 Chron 12 tells us the coming of more people to help David, to make him king over all Israel. This is the power of the LORD where His people will be supported with more help if we choose Him over all other alternatives. This ties in nicely with ‘seeking the kingdom of God first’ over all other things (Matt 6:33) since God is the God of the earth who has control over everything and can supply you with every kind of necessity in life. That is the God whom we believe in. So, have faith and keep working hard for Him.
Reflection questions:
Check my heart: Have I ever had the thought of not wanting to work with this particular brethren in church? Why?
How can I do better in helping others instead of waiting for others to help me?
When I’m put in a situation where I can choose between doing the good and the bad, what would be my choice?
