Sunday September 4, 2010

2 Samuel 23:8-23

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encoounter. Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite.  As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered [at Pas Dammim] for battle.  Then the Israelites retreated, but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword.  The LORD brought about a great victory that day.  The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.  Next to him was Shammah son  of Agee the Hararite.  When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel.s troups fled from them.  But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field.  He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.  During harvest time, three of the thirty chief wariors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.  At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.   David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”  So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David.  But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD.  “Far be it from me, LORD, to do this!” he said.  “Is it not the blood of men who went at the ristk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.  Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.  Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.  He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.  Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? he became their commander, even though he was not included among them.  Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits.  He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warrriors.  He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.  And he struck down a huge Egyptian.  Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club.  He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.  Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.  He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three.  And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Hebrews 11:24-27, 32-12:3

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He regarded disgrace for the  sake of  Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible… And what more shall I say?  I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women recieved back their dead, raised to life again.  There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging,  and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.  They went about in  sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect… Thereford, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sate down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.