Men of Valor: Eleazar

by David Chadwick

Eleazar, the son of Dodo, is our next man of valor. As a side note, Dodo is not a name I would recommend naming your next child!

2 Samuel 23 gives the account of his story.

Also called “a man of valor,” Eleazar was another one of the three mighty men in King David’s inner circle. He, too, was a Benjamite, from the tribe of King Saul. Like Jashobeam, I wonder if he had to decide where his loyalties would lie, either with David or Saul and take a stand.

Eleazar was most known for fighting against the Philistines, along with Jashobeam and Shammah, the other two of David’s three mighty men. While fighting for so long with such intensity against the Philistines, he “stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword” (2 Samuel 23:10). This brought about their victory!

I love the fact that Paul refers to the Word of God as a sword (Ephesians 6:17). In Eleazar’s story, even in the midst of his fatigue, it was almost as if his hand became a part of the sword to win the battle. Because of that, Eleazar went on to be the key for that victory! I pray that all of us, and with the work of our hands, will become one with the sword, the Word of God, obeying its every command, so that we too may reign victorious in the battles of our lives.

Eleazer was also among the three who broke through the Philistine lines in Bethlehem to get a drink of Bethlehem’s clear, clean water for King David when David was camped in the caves of Abdullam.

David was so moved by their efforts that he, in humility, poured out the water as a drink offering to God. He said, “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” He refused to enjoy the water while his friends risked their lives for him. David was showing true servant leadership, not desiring to use his men for his glory but to serve them for God’s glory.

A loyal, good, and competent friend is more valuable than gold! Eleazar was that kind of friend to David.

The world needs more men of valor like Eleazar who fight for one another, protect one another, and seek to honor one another and the Lord!

My prayer for you men, today is this: may the God of all hope inspire you to develop hearts of loyalty. May your valor be displayed through your willingness to stand up for those around you.

May you always be a man who chooses to stand with conviction for God’s truth over popular opinion. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, amen!

Men of Valor: Jashobeam

by David Chadwick

Jashobeam. Also known in 2 Samuel 23 as Josheb-Basshebeth, his name means “the people return” or “dweller among the people.” He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 27. He is today’s man of valor.

Jashobeam was one of King David’s three mighty men. A close friend and bodyguard to the king, he truly was one of the friends David could trust and return to again and again during times of joy and sorrow. He was also in charge of the first division of 24,000 men.

As Jesus had an inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John), so did King David. Could it be that this is a model for us all when it comes to friendship and relationships? To look at three very close friends whom we can trust explicitly with our hearts? I certainly think there’s a lot of wisdom in considering who these people are in your life and recognizing the faithful few who you can go to and trust for wise advice, encouragement, counsel, and wisdom.

I would also go on to argue that if you’re married, your spouse should be one of these three! Men, nothing can replace the closeness and intimacy you will find with a godly wife who you are able to turn to in good times and in bad times.

Let’s get back to Jashobeam. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was the smallest tribe of all the 12 tribes. But did you know this is the tribe from which King Saul came? Most assuredly, he made his loyalty known when he chose David to be the next king over the man who came from his same tribe.

Jashobeam’s father was a descendant of Korah, one of the chief architects of the rebellion against Moses in Numbers 16. Jashobeam’s father and patriarchy in his family heritage must have clearly decided to reverse the curse and not follow in the rebellious ways of his father and produced a proud son who was extremely loyal to his leader, the king.

David likely loved his loyalty to him as king and depended upon him greatly in his inner circle for wisdom, advice, and counsel. He is described in the Bible as a “man of valor.”

The world needs more men of valor like him!

Men of Valor: Jephthah

by David Chadwick

The book of Judges is a story of the rise and fall of Israel. Over and over again, they would disobey God, worship false idols, then fall into the hands of a foreign, oppressive enemy. They would then cry out to God for help and he would raise up a judge to deliver them and establish order once again. People like Gideon, Samson and Deborah took their place in God’s story to recalibrate the nation after chaos, delivering God’s people from evil.

Judges 11 tells the story of Jephthah, another judge over Israel and our next man of valor. In this chapter, the Israelites were becoming overwhelmed by the Ammonites, a very strong nation. Jephthah is described in Judges 11:1 as “a mighty man of valor.” He became Israel’s leader and rallied the Israelites to fight against the Ammonites. Through his leadership, they ultimately became free!

My favorite part about Jephthah’s story is that he was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute, which should remind all of us that we serve a God who can take anyone’s background and turn things around.

The book of Deuteronomy talks about the impact that sin can have on generations to come. But Jephthah shows us that even if our parents made grave errors, we can reverse the curse. We do not have to live in their mistakes or under their bondage.

Our God is a chain-breaking, miracle-working God. He specializes in redeeming hopeless situations, restoring broken moments, and reestablishing order out of chaos.

Today, choose to be a Jephthah! Change what has been done to you and chart a different course for your life. Don’t be a victim. You don’t have to remain the same.

And, who knows? Maybe God has called you not just to be a mighty warrior within your personal story, but to change the lives of those around you!