1 Chronicles 11:10-19 Remembering Our Heroes

We have all heard of military heroes. We have heard of heroes who made great sacrifices so that others could continue. The one characteristic of great heroes is bravery in the form of self-sacrifice.

These men who followed David had heard of David’s bravery as a young man earlier in his history when he went up against Goliath. They knew that David would be willing to make any sacrifice for the sake of the people of Israel.

“The following were the chiefs of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, strongly supported him in his reign to make him king according to the Lord’s word about Israel.” (1 Chronicles 11:10, HCSB)

Who were these chiefs of David’s warriors? They were heroes in their own right. Here we see three of the greatest heroes under David’s command. The Chronicler shows us three heroes and the events that made them great:

THREE HEROES WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR THE FUTURE KING

First, there is Jashobeam. His act of bravery was listed first.

Jashobeam

“This is the list of David’s warriors: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the Thirty; he wielded his spear against 300 and killed them at one time.” (1 Chronicles 11:11, HCSB)

Second, there is Eleazar. We see that he is listed in 1 Chronicles 11:12-14. He was one of the three great heroes and the reason he is hero is listed in these verses.

Eleazar

“After him, Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite was one of the three warriors.” (1 Chronicles 11:12, HCSB)

“He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle. There was a portion of a field full of barley, where the troops had fled from the Philistines. But Eleazar and David took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave them a great victory.” (1 Chronicles 11:13–14, HCSB)

Shammah

2 Samuel 23:11-12 add the detail of a third hero named Shammah. While Eleazar and David took their stand in the middle of the field and defended their ground, Shammah was also there. In 2 Samuel 23, we see that it was Shammah who defeated the Philistines during this battle.

“After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled in formation where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.” (2 Samuel 23:11–12, HCSB)

So the Chronicler introduces these heroes by showing us previous successful campaigns. They obviously were well known as mighty heroes after these battles. They probably even had nicknames.

Nicknames for the Three

What were their nicknames? Maybe they were known as “G. I. Jasho,” “Eleazar the Defender,” and “Shammah the Hammer.” We don’t know the nicknames, but we know that what they did was such a sacrifice that God wanted us to know about their bravery in this passage.

These three heroes were the top three successful leaders of the thirty warriors who went with David before he became King of Israel. What are these three heroes famous for? They are famous for risking their lives.

The Glorious Deed of the Three Mighty Men

“Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David was extremely thirsty and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 11:15–18, HCSB)

David was impressed by their act of bravery. He honored their bravery by not being selfish with their self-sacrifice.

“David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.” (1 Chronicles 11:19, HCSB)

The Three Mighty Men – The Three Heroes

2 Samuel 23:13–17 and 1 Chronicles 11:15-19 – Summary of “The Deed” of the Three Mighty Men”

“Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David was extremely thirsty and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.” (1 Chronicles 11:15–19, HCSB)

This is the story of a heroic sacrifice. David took a ragtag group of misfits and turned formed them into a formable militia. 1 Chronicles 11 lists thirty of these men. Both 1 Chronicles 11 and 2 Samuel 23 describe the exploits of three of these men.

HEROES IN OUR CULTURE

Their story is similar to other heroic stories. We see them in our movies. Whether it is this year’s blockbusters like “Iron Man 3,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Lone Ranger,” or “The Man of Steel.”

We hear about these stories in our culture. We talk about them in the news. We share their brave exploits in television and the movies. Whether it is the brave soldier, the heroic action figure, or just the adventurous clan who goes on a quest, they all represent the ideal of self-sacrifice. They are our firemen, the policemen, and soldiers.  We need to remember our heroes. It is important that we remind ourselves today about these kinds of people. Why? Because they represent a picture of God and what His Son Jesus did for us.

STORY:

A man was out with his wife and they got caught in a terrible hailstorm. This was a massive hailstorm. The hail was as large as baseballs. Under the deluge coming against them, the man realized that if he didn’t do something, his wife would be severely hurt. He quickly draped himself over his wife, covering her with his own body so that instead of the storm hitting his wife, it hit him.

The hailstones seemed to get bigger as the man bent over his wife, protecting her. The large balls came down harder onto the man. They hurt him badly. After a couple of minutes, his ears started bleeding along with some spots on his head. The man tried to lead his wife to safety, but the stones were coming out faster and harder. The pounding stones took their toll. Weakened by the onslaught, the man finally collapsed over his wife, only able to shield her from the danger.

After the storm was over, the man was left with scars from where the balls had battered away at him. The remnants of sores, cuts, and abrasions would forever be reminders to him of the day he saved his wife.

This is a true story. On the local newscast, the man’s wife was asked how she felt about their experience. She said, “Every time I look at that scar, on his head, on his neck, and on his ear, I love him more. Every time I see the scar, I love him more, because he sacrificed himself, for me.”

When you and I get to heaven, Jesus will be the only person in eternity with scars. He will have holes in His hands, holes in His feet, and a hole in His side. He will be your eternal reminder that the only reason you are there is that He stood in between the wrath of God and judgment headed your way. He covered you with His love and allowed none of the hail to damage you. He was disfigured for you. This is the love of Christ.

As we remember these heroes on Memorial Day, we also need to remind others of the greatest Hero who ever lived.

Memorial Day is a time when I take time to remember my heroes. This holiday is also a time when I am reminded that I am a hero to someone. But more importantly, I need to take time this Memorial Day weekend to remember the Greatest Hero who ever lived – Jesus Christ.

Jason Bonnicksen

MEMORIAL DAY: REMEMBER THE MARTYRS

It’s honorable and fitting this morning we remember the sacrifice of our nation’s great veterans, who gave their lives on battlefields abroad and here at home. By some estimates, nearly 1.3 million Americans have shed their blood and died for freedom’s cause. Still, as magnanimous as this number is, it pales in comparison to the number of men, women, and children who have given their lives for freedom’s eternal cause.

Michael J. McClymond, writing for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, wrote in its December 2002 edition: “The total number of Christian martyrs during the 20th Century is reported at 45 million.” He finished his though by defining Christian martyrs as “believers in Christ who lost their lives prematurely, in situations of witness, as a result of human hostility.”

You know, God only knows how many more have shed their blood for the cause of Christ in the last two thousand years. It’s fitting this morning we likewise remember their sacrifice. Still, more fittingly, it’s important we remember the One they believed in, who shed the purity of his blood for freedom’s cause. For without the sacrifice or our Risen Lord, we in American would not enjoy the freedoms we love and know so well.