CHAPTER 12

(1058 B.C.)

THE ARMY OF DAVID

¹Now these are they who came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. (This is a glorious Chapter, as Israel finally begins to do Gods Will. It begins with Davids darkest days. It closes with unimaginable victory. The present need is helpers of the war, for we are engaged in a war [II Cor. 10:3; I Tim. 1:18, 6:12; I Pet. 2:11]. However, this war must be fought Gods Way, and it is a war of Faith, and that exclusively!)

²They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Sauls brethren of Benjamin. (Even though these were Benjamites, and consequently from Sauls Tribe, still, they knew the anointing of God rested on David, and not on Saul. How much faith did it take for these men to forsake Saul and come to David? How much faith does it take today for men to forsake mans religion and come to David, even though he is a fugitive, but has the Anointing of the Holy Spirit?)

³The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,

⁴And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,

⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,

⁷And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes (deer) upon the mountains (in the spirit world, these men were so anointed by the Holy Spirit that their faces looked like lions, and their swiftness was as deer; what do we look like to the spirit world?);

⁹Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.

¹⁴These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

¹⁵These are they who went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west. (The Bible says, back up in the Eighth Verse, that the Gadites [from the Tribe of Gad] there separated themselves unto David. There has to be a separation from mans way to Gods Way. There would be hindrances to stop them, such as Jordan overflowing its banks; however, they did not allow this to stop them, and neither must we allow hindrances to stop us.)

¹⁶And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold (where David was camped) unto David.

¹⁷And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If you become peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you: but if you be come to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

¹⁸Then the Spirit (Holy Spirit) came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Yours are we, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band (the phrase, Yours are we, David, and on your side, must ever be the statement of any Child of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ; as Amasai burned his bridges behind him, so to speak, we, as children of the Living God, must do the same in our service for Jesus Christ; Amasai was not looking back; we must not look back either).

¹⁹And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads (some of Manasseh coming to David implies, at the same time, that some did not come; regrettably, that seems to always be the case!).

²⁰As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh.

²¹And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.

²²For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God (this was Gods time for Israel; David was His man; consequently, all who were in the Will of God came to David; otherwise, they were out of the Will of God).

²³And these are the numbers of the bands who were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the Word of the LORD. (They were not coming to be armed; they were ready armed. So many today in modern Christendom are not armed and, therefore, are of no consequence to the Work of God.

As well, they knew their mission. They were called of God. So many in the Church presently do not know their mission. Our mission is to take this kingdom of Saul [the world] and turn it over to our Heavenly David, because it is according to the Word of the LORD.)

²⁴The Children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.

²⁵Of the Children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

²⁶Of the Children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

²⁷And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

²⁸And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his fathers house twenty and two captains.

²⁹And of the Children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.

³⁰And of the Children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

³¹And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king (these individuals were expressed by name, and wanted everyone to know that they had come to make David king; they were not ashamed of their mission; they wanted all to know their purpose; these are the type who make a full consecration).

³²And of the Children of Issachar, which were men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment (if we follow the Holy Spirit like they were then doing, we will, as well, have understanding of the times; only those who truly follow the Lord will know what the Church ought to do).

³³Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart. (Far too many Christians cannot keep rank simply because their hearts are divided between the world and the Lord Jesus Christ, or else between denominational religion and the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter the danger in battle, these men from Zebulun could keep rank.

The double heart is also the bane of all of Christendom. The heart is divided between Christ and other pursuits. Our hearts must be single, meaning that all its devotion must be to Christ.)

³⁴And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. (How is it that only 6,800 of Judah came [Vs. 24], and 50,000 of the Tribe of Zebulun came? The numbers denote accuracy and fidelity to present-day spiritual facts. Although David himself was of the Tribe of Judah, still, Judah would little respond. Benjamin, Simeon, and Levi were associated with Judah, as well, and the record will show small response. Likewise, these were the Tribes that crucified the Son of David, our Lord. So the seedbed of that crucifixion, which would take place about a thousand years later, was already being planted.)

³⁵And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

³⁶And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

³⁷And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.

³⁸All these men of war, who could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king (Israel, at this time, is finally marching in tune with the Holy Spirit).

³⁹And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.

⁴⁰Moreover they who were near them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel. (Now there is fellowship, there is plenty, and there is joy, all because Israel is now in the Will of God. It should be noted that in the entirety of this Chapter, the seven-and-a-half year reign in Hebron of David over Judah is not referred to once. It was Gods Will for David to be king over all Israel, not just Judah; likewise, the Lord must be King over all our lives, not just part.)