THE TALE OF THREE KINGS

THE TALE OF THREE KINGS - AUDIO LINK 

Continuing with the topic of King Robert the Bruce of the previous devotional, I have come across the account where he and a few of his men became outlaws.  He was found guilty of killing someone in a church, a meeting place agreed upon, thinking that it would be safe.  However, it was a trap.  At that time Scotland had no king and the various clans vied for this prized position, resulting in civil unrest.  So Robert the Bruce and his men were constantly hunted down.  On one occasion they were hiding in a cave. 

I am reminded of another man who was also anointed as king and labeled an outlaw, David.  Whilst not the King at the time, in the eyes of the Most High, David was anointed as the King and Saul already disqualified. Anointed whilst a mere shepherd boy, David eventually became a mighty warrior in the army of King Saul, earning him the favor of the people, which caused Saul to think that David wanted his throne.  Nothing could have been further more removed from the truth.  Saul in his jealous rage declared David an outlaw, resulting in David fleeing for his life with his trusted men.  They too found themselves hiding in a cave.  This account is found in 1 Samuel 22.

1 Samuel 22

¹ David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

² And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

From verse 2 we can clearly see how much David resembled Yeshua, our great and compassionate King.  Robert the Bruce was not interested in the throne as much as he was interested in the freedom of his country from the tyranny of England.  It is told that he after his final victory of securing the freedom of England, even becoming king, that he never lived in a castle, but lived amongst his people. 

In verse 7 Saul asks his servants, his men, whether David will provide for them as he would, making them captains of thousands and hundreds, with fields and vineyards.  Would David cause them to possess land?  He then joins a pity party saying that not one of his men told him that David and his son entered into covenant, thus conspiring against him.  Not only that, but nobody was even sorry for him.  He then called for Ahimelech, the priest to whom David went to inquire the Lord on his behalf.  During a time of war the kings had to wait on the priests to make a sacrifice on behalf of them and to enquire whether the Lord God would indeed be on their side and whether they would be victorious.  This was the case with Saul who had to wait for Samuel before going into war, but then decided that he himself would make the sacrifice.   To this Samuel gave him a word from the Lord saying, “To obey is better than sacrifice”.  Ahimelech gave David bread, a sword and blessed him.  Of course Saul saw this as treason and confronted him and Ahimelech replied,

1 Samuel 22: 14 - 15

¹⁴ Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

¹⁵ Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

Ahimelech basically said that when he did all these things, it was in the service of the king.  He knew whom David served and how loyal David was to the king.  But Saul would have none of it and ordered not only that Ahimelech be slain with the sword, but all the priests as well, because of their loyalty to David. 

Let’s consider the types and shadows that we can glean from this account.  We read in Romans 8 that the flesh is in enmity with the Spirit.  That same flesh that desires that others would feel sorry for them and join in their misery.  The flesh that demands allegiance and that will slay the priests and prophets.  Therefore, we can safely say that Saul represents the flesh.  Saul also resembles the world that is antagonistic towards the righteous and lastly the anti-Christ that will tread underfoot the saints during the tribulation for 42 months.  The priests we can also liken unto the 144 thousand that will cause the world to be in an uproar during Jacob’s Trouble, whom the dragon (Saul) will pursue amongst others as well.

David in turn can be seen as the opposite, which would be our spirit whom the flesh so hates.  David was the son in law of the king, and when we are born again, we too become daughters and sons of the King.  Further, just like the flesh represents the anti-Christ, David represents the Christ.  Indeed Yeshua is also known as the Son of David, coming from his lineage. 

Saul’s men just flat our refused when it came to the slaying of the priests, not willing to touch a hair on their heads.  But, as usual, there is always that one person who aims to please and we read of Doeg, the Edomite, all too willing to wet his sword with innocent blood.  Altogether he slew 45 priests, together with the towns where they lived, their wives, children, sucklings, oxen, asses and sheep.  No bleating of the sheep in this account when it comes to what the flesh (Saul) wants. 

And is this not exactly how the flesh is?  It will spare itself from ultimate surrender and devotion to the Lord God.  It will forgive, but only so far.  It will help, but not suffer.  It will give, but only that much.  It will lay its life down, but not entirely.  Not even for God.  But when it comes to what the flesh wants, well, it spares nothing and no one. It demands 100% allegiance, devotion, acceptance and loyalty.  It seeks only its own.  It will not die for the King, because in reality it is its own king.

Ahimelech’s son was one of the fortunate ones who escaped this slaughter.  He went straight to David, relaying the account of how he saw the slaughter of his whole family, everything he had and even his town.  David felt terrible that on his account this man lost everything and told him the following…

1 Samuel 22: 23

²³ Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

In the same way our King tells us, “Because you have lost everything for My sake, think not that I take this lightly, but come and abide in Me, even though your enemy will surely seek to take your life, for I am your safeguard”.

Moving on to 2 Samuel 23 we see David in another cave in Addulam.  Addulam also means the justice of the people, derived from the justice of Yehovah.  A very good place to hide in.  At this time David have had many victories with his mighty men whose praises he sings in this chapter.  He mentions three in particular that were the chiefs of his men and were the three that were with him in the cave at the time, whilst being surrounded by the Philistines.  These men were Adino, Eleazer and Shammah.  Names have specific meanings that bears great significance.  Adino in Hebrew means spear, Eleazor means God is my help and Shammah means lost, to lay desolate and astound.  From this we understand that the two things that were mighty in overthrowing the enemy were the spear, which resembles intercession and the help of God, represented by Eleazor, always in the word a representative of the priests. Eleazor is also in the lineage of Aaron, the first High Priest.  This brought on loss, desolation and astonishment in the camp of the enemy, represented by Shammah.  When you put this together with King David, you have the very important factor of priestly authority, which is crucial in battle and why the kings had to hear from the High Priest first before going into battle.  Holiness unto the Lord.  During the account of crossing the Jordan, the priests were the first to cross bearing the ark of the covenant.  They therefore represent the chiefs in a way.  Priestly authority is a topic I will discuss in later devotionals as well.  

This is what he had to say about his three mighty men…

2 Samuel 23: 8 - 12

⁸ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

And so we read of David and his three trusted chiefs hiding in the cave.  At one point David becomes so thirsty that it almost seems as if a sigh went from out of him saying, “Oh that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.”

Now, we have to see this in the light of in whose company he was seated...his mighty men of valor.  I can just see them looking up from whatever they were busy with, and the competition starting to brew amongst them as they "eyed" each other at this request.  Who will be the one to quench the thirst of the king?  Their ears must have burned at this sighing request.  The very next verse, so as to say immediately, these men broke through the hosts of the Philistines and brought their king his water.  David was so deeply touched and refused to drink it and poured it out on the ground as an offer to the Most High.  Contrast this with Saul’s men that directly refused to obey his order to kill and David’s mighty men who risked their lives for a sigh to bring a drink of water.  We can clearly see that David's men truly loved him.

Considering Saul, one can safely say that “A crown doth not maketh a king".  David only had to sigh and his men was not contemplating, walking or weighing their odds, but the word says they “broke through the hosts of the Philistines”.  Was it the water or the king that was their motivation?  The cause or the King?  Was it really that important?  Would it change history?  Was it noble and praiseworthy?  Well, if in today’s terms we had to look at this, it would be similar to be stranded on an island and seeing fresh water on the adjacent island…divided by the deep blue.  Turning then to your beloved friends you express your desire for water, looking to see who really loves you.  Needless to say that they would wish you well on your adventure to the other side.  The water is just not worth their lives.  But this is not how David saw it.  It was not in the deed, but the heart.  These were Bravehearts.  And just like Samuel was told by the Most High that He does not look at the outer, but the heart when he had to anoint the next king, so David knew that these men truly loved him devotedly.  Water was not important to them, the cause, the mission, the fight or battle.  Or, the ministry, the talent, the gifts…only what the King wanted.  If the battle, the ministry or the gift was the object of devotion, then how easily would one give up in perilous times?  How easily we would say, “This is not worth my effort, time, heartache and life!”

But herein was their wholehearted devotion towards David demonstrated.  They brought him water.  It is very easy to be devoted to something we do for the King, rather than being devoted to the King alone.  Yes, what we do, we do for the Gospel’s sake, but this Gospel is all about the King.  When we are devoted to ministry, talents or gifts, we serve our own cause.  Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6: 21). 

These men fought many a battle with King David.  When I think of these three men, they remind me of three very trusted friends of Yeshua that were in His closer circle, James, Peter and John.  They were all privy to see Him on the Mount of Transfiguration.  When it comes to military and warfare, only those who have proven themselves and have “moved up the ranks” so to speak, are allowed in the proverbial “Situation Room”.  Not every Tom, Dick and Harry can barge in and say, “I would like to have a say in this meeting!” 

Psalm 25: 14

¹⁴ The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

This “secret” in the Strong’s Concordance is H5475 and it means counsel, circle of friends, familiar conversation, in close deliberation, intimacy.  Also from H3245 which means to sit together, closely seated, intensively, to instruct and take counsel.  You get my point.

This devotional is not about whether you are placing your ministry, talents or gifts above Him.  If you do, you need to repent and set your priorities right.  However, it is more about with what heart you do what you do.  Brother Lawrence, a 16^th century monk, said, “Do all for the love of God”.  In all your doing, whether it be ministry or cleaning house, looking after the children or at work…the life you live…who are you living it for?  Just because you are in His service does not mean that you automatically are doing it for Him.  For all you know you could be more devoted to the cause than the King and not even be aware of it.  In fact, leaving King Robert the Bruce out of the picture, which King are you truly serving?  King Saul or King David?  Are you divided in your service?  Is it still your ministry, your house, your children, your family, your talents and gifts?  With what attitude or disposition do you serve your family or your boss?  Because as long as you are divided in your devotion, you will not be counted among those who are seated within the secret counsel of the Lord, willing to break through the Philistines for a cup of water. 

Many a time I have heard of great proclamations amongst the brethren of how they would die for Him.  How they are willing to do the uttermost for Him whom they love.  Of course I do not doubt the love, and neither did Yeshua when He asked Peter after his denial whether He loved him.  In fact, those questions were for Peter’s sake.  Peter had to be revived after the hard facts stared him in the face, that in himself he would deny the Lord God in a heartbeat.  He was not a brave heart.  But Yeshua was not finished with him yet.  Peter said he was willing to die for the Lord, but in the end he could not even acknowledge him.  This is true of all of us.  In Peter’s denial he came face to face with the Saul in him.  At the beach waiting with a meal, he found pardon with King David, Yeshua.  All of us need to know that true devotion cannot be established unless the Saul in us has been exposed as the murderer, thief and liar that it is.  Yeshua knew that Peter would deny Him and even told him so.  This was for his benefit, but also for ours.  The utter devastation Peter felt after this denial was the shock of his ability to flat out deny him at the time He needed him the most, in light of just how much he loved the Lord Yeshua.  All the sheep were scattered.  I submit to you that at the worst of times when you deserve only judgment, when his spear and Spirit have brought you to utter devastation, there is nothing more sweet than mercy.  When you hate yourself as Yeshua requires of us, that is to say, not love yourself, believe in yourself, accept yourself and truly see the Saul in you, knowing you deserve nothing but the best seat in hell, and He tells you He loves you unashamedly…well, there is just nothing more humbling than that.  When you treat Him as an adulterous whore by your straying to hold on to other lovers, and by all accounts should be stoned, and He says, “You are Mine”, then what comes from you in the depths of your heart is a devotion birthed out of the reality of who you truly are, Saul, and the King whose love covers a multitude of sin.  David said in Psalm 40…

Psalm 40: 7 – 13

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

⁸ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

⁹ I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.

¹⁰ I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

¹¹ Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

¹² For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

¹³ Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

What you do and are willing to do for your King are birthed out of reality.  Not beautiful words and good intentions.  They are birthed in the anguish of devastation where you meet your Saul face to face.  This is something you have to ask Him to show you.  It has to be something you long for.  You need to desire that He spares you not.  And only at His time when you come back to the shore after a night’s turmoil at sea, will He meet you with a meal to strenthen you and remind you that He knows you love Him.  Peter was a fisherman when He met Yeshua, but became a shepherd of His sheep when He truly met the King he was with for so long and never truly knew.

King David at the cave poured out water, but Yeshua at the night of His betrayal, presented His disciples, and us, with a cup filled with wine.  He is that cup poured out for us.  In the word we read of different vessels.

2 Timothy 2: 20 - 22

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

²¹ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

²² Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

We are these vessels that now in turn pour out our lives as a drink offering to our King, just like the mighty men did for King David.  But in order to do so, we need to break through the Philistines in our lives.  Those giants that will do anything to prevent us to become vessels of honor devoted to their King in all they do.   

Looking at what these mighty men, these BRAVEHEARTS, did for their King, which is to fetch water, we see in what they did that they served their king.  Father reminded me of Jacob and his four wives.  Yip, you heard that right.  His two wives, Leah and Rachel, had servants that Jacob married.  These servant wives birthed part of the 12 children of Jacob’s lineage.  They were servants.  And I cannot help to think that they may actually present the “workers”, those servants who in the time to come will fetch some water for their thirsty King.  We read in scripture Yeshua telling His disciples…

Mark 9: 41

⁴¹ For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

In My name means not only in His authority, but for Him. 

Matthew 25: 34 - 36

³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Please read that whole chapter at your own leisure as He was talking about the servants that He will return to during the tribulation.  In the comfort of our homes we struggle with this at times when we are told to walk another mile with those who harm us and to turn the cheek.  Please remember that the Lord God is not just talking to us about now, but about the time to come.

Even though he was referring to children, we need to also see it eschatologically as the Servant Bride giving the children a cup of water in the time to come.  What we realize from this is that whomsoever we serve, we in fact are serving a cup of water to our thirsty King.  Which in turn He takes that very cup of water and pours it out unto the Father as a drink offering.  Why?  Because by extension, when we serve, it is He as His body, we His hands and feet, pouring out His devotion to the Father.  It is holy unto the Lord.  Every cup of water in whatever form is holy unto the Lord God when done in devotion to the King.  I desire that devotion, that service, to be pure and undefiled.  In Philippians 2 we read…

Philippians 2: 5 - 9

⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

I always think of the moment He visually and practically expressed this to His disciples, by taking off His garment (His divine attributes), and made himself a servant. He who is the Creator, bowed before man who is dust, and washed the dust off their feet.  In fact, that moment was the full expression of the Suffering Servant.  He was the servant of the Most High God.  Not just in the death He died, but the life He lived.  The Apostles refer to themselves as servants of the Lord God in their letters.  In today’s terms we see this as a high position of being in some shape or form used by the Lord mightily.  But they knew the context, because they saw and felt those very hands that would be pierced for them, washing their feet.  They were servants in every sense of the word, just like their King. 

So when our King sits with His mighty men in the cave and sighs for fresh water, the BRAVEHEARTS, are not those who boast, but those who serve.  Why? Because that is the heart of the King they carry into battle.  And He calls them Mighty Men.  How you serve and why you serve determines whether you truly have the heart of the King…and that matters in battle.  His balances are not the same as ours.  It is all together other.  For as high as the heavens are from the earth so His thoughts and ways are higher than ours.  That's quite a distance.  Meaning, He simply does not look and think on things the way we do.  If you have any other disposition or way of looking at things than His way, you are deceived.  

A servant has no rights.  The same is true of a soldier.  He is under orders.  He serves under a higher authority than himself.  Nothing is an inconvenience.  I bet it was no inconvenience to David’s Mighty Men to get the water from the well?  It is not like they said, “Ahhh Jeez!  Really? Now?  Oh, okaaaay!”  No.  They broke through immediately….for their King.  The reality is that I can see that which happens to me as an opportunity to get the King His water or as an inconvenience.  It is easy to do something consistently with the right attitude when it is convenient, maybe praiseworthy or appreciated.  But to do something that is inconvenient, meaning it will cost you, will be unappreciated, a waste of “your” time, or really a spanner in the wheel of your perfectly planned day or night, and do that as for the King, is a whole different ballgame.  If we struggle now, and we say we are called to work for Him, how will we do it when we have only one apple, having not eaten for two weeks, and someone else comes your way?  How about one blanket on a hard floor?  What about your sleep you hold on to?  Your peace and quiet which you craved?  All these “inconveniences” are now for our benefit to fit us for the time to come.  But if we fail to change our disposition from civilians to soldiers and see the value of a cup of water in the same light as He does, we may very well be disqualified in the race.  I am very sure that our King Yeshua was often inconvenienced, but He was not His own.  He belonged to another.  “The Spirit of God will not allow you to use your body for your own convenience”, says Oswald Chambers. “Beware of not going to the funeral of your own independence.”

I cannot say that I believe that my King allows only that in my life that has been ordained by His divine wisdom, but feel inconvenienced by it.  Then, even though it is true in theory, I am not living in the reality of what I confess.  In a soldier’s life there is no such thing as inconvenience, just a matter of who you serve.  It is a matter of which King gets the water.  

Yeshua said no man can serve two masters.  

Which King do you serve?