1Ch 12:8-18 | KingComments | STEP | The next group of men who are said to come over to David are eleven Gadites. They have separated from their home area and their family in the east side of Jordan to be with David. David is then “in the stronghold in the wilderness”, whereby we can think of the cave of Adullam ( ), where David and his people have hidden from Saul. David will also have been very pleased with the arrival of these men. The description shows that they have an impressive record of military service. However, it is not just a description of past activities, but they are still fully available for war. They come in full armor to David. Their appearance to David is like the appearance of eleven lions. The fact that they look like lions does not only say something about their courage, but also about the fear they instill. Their speed is also described visually. They are “as swift as the gazelles on the mountains”. They are not only fast in the wilderness, but also on the mountains. They know how to overcome ‘mountains’ of difficulties or great resistance with great speed. We are dealing here with men who have an impressive power ( ). Each of these eleven men is worth in strength at least as much as a hundred other men, while there are also men worth a thousand other men. With eleven of these men, you have a large army at your disposal. These men have not only great strength but also impressive courage. The proof is that they crossed the Jordan during spring tide ( ). The roaring water has not stopped them from going through it. They have overcome insurmountable difficulties to be with him who is irresistible to them. Not only have they defied natural elements, they have also driven out enemies who found themselves in both the west and the east. It didn’t matter where those enemies were. Their courage and their strength have proven themselves in several areas. The character of the Gadites should characterize us believers, more. This character appears among those who are irresistibly attracted to the Lord Jesus. He who sees and loves Him is able to do great acts of faith, and can fight for Him and His kingdom. This happens in this time, the time of the church, not with carnal weapons and carnal courage, but with spiritual weapons and with spiritual courage. It is about God’s power that is accomplished in weakness and about the mind of the Lord Jesus which overcomes the greatest opposition and opponent.

‏ 1 Chronicles 12:8-18

Gadites

The next group of men who are said to come over to David are eleven Gadites. They have separated from their home area and their family in the east side of Jordan to be with David. David is then “in the stronghold in the wilderness”, whereby we can think of the cave of Adullam (1Sam 22:1 ; 4 ; 5 ; 1Sam 24:22b), where David and his people have hidden from Saul.

David will also have been very pleased with the arrival of these men. The description shows that they have an impressive record of military service. However, it is not just a description of past activities, but they are still fully available for war. They come in full armor to David.

Their appearance to David is like the appearance of eleven lions. The fact that they look like lions does not only say something about their courage, but also about the fear they instill. Their speed is also described visually. They are “as swift as the gazelles on the mountains”. They are not only fast in the wilderness, but also on the mountains. They know how to overcome ‘mountains’ of difficulties or great resistance with great speed.

We are dealing here with men who have an impressive power (1Chr 12:14). Each of these eleven men is worth in strength at least as much as a hundred other men, while there are also men worth a thousand other men. With eleven of these men, you have a large army at your disposal.

These men have not only great strength but also impressive courage. The proof is that they crossed the Jordan during spring tide (1Chr 12:15). The roaring water has not stopped them from going through it. They have overcome insurmountable difficulties to be with him who is irresistible to them. Not only have they defied natural elements, they have also driven out enemies who found themselves in both the west and the east. It didn’t matter where those enemies were. Their courage and their strength have proven themselves in several areas.

The character of the Gadites should characterize us believers, more. This character appears among those who are irresistibly attracted to the Lord Jesus. He who sees and loves Him is able to do great acts of faith, and can fight for Him and His kingdom. This happens in this time, the time of the church, not with carnal weapons and carnal courage, but with spiritual weapons and with spiritual courage. It is about God’s power that is accomplished in weakness and about the mind of the Lord Jesus which overcomes the greatest opposition and opponent.

Benjamites and Judeans

Still others come to David when he is still in the stronghold. Again, it is about “sons of Benjamin” (1Chr 12:16; 1Chr 12:1-2), together with descendants of “Judah”. When they come to David, he goes to meet them. He is careful in their case and wants certainty about their motives. He wants to know if they come to him “peacefully”, to help him, or if they want to betray him to his adversaries (1Chr 12:17). In the first case, they can count on him to be one of heart with them. They then fight for the same good cause. If the latter is the case, they must know that there is no wrong in his hands and that God will then give him justice by punishing this evil.

David is not naive. Nor should we be naive when people we do not know tell us that they want to serve and worship the Lord together with us. It is our responsibility to test what motivates them. David acknowledges them as belonging to the people of God by speaking to them about “the God of our fathers”, that is, their common God. These are people who belong to God’s people, but of whom we must be certain that they really stand right toward God.

After the testing words of David, the Spirit of God comes upon Amasai. Literally it says that the Spirit clothes Himself with Amasai (cf. Jdg 6:34). Then he pronounces things that testify of great willingness to help David, to serve in the great army. David recognizes that it is really the Spirit Who speaks through Amasai and he accepts him and his men and makes them captains over the band. Through the Spirit Amasai expresses that David is acknowledged as the rightful king. This is also what the Holy Spirit wants us to do, that we confess the dominion of the Lord Jesus in our lives.

The words Amasai speaks on behalf of all, testify to their great attachment to David. Through Amasai they declare that they belong to David and that they want to be with him. They wish him peace. By connecting to him as helpers, they know that they share in that peace. They also confess that God is the source of that peace, for because God helps David, that peace is present.

The testimony of Amasai is beautiful: “[We] are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse!” In this we find two aspects that we can apply to our relationship to the Lord Jesus and our confession thereof. We may say to Him that we are connected to Him. This means that we are His, we belong to Him. The second is that we are with Him. This means that we follow Him on the path of humiliation.

The first aspect is linked to the name “David”. David means ‘beloved’. The Lord Jesus is the Beloved of the Father. The second aspect is connected with the way of humiliation, which is expressed in “son of Jesse”. ‘Son of Jesse’ points to the humble origins of David. Is it also our confession that we are with the Lord Jesus as the One Who suffered, was rejected, and was crucified?

In a striking way both aspects are expressed by Paul. He indicates our position when he says: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). This relates to our connection to the Lord Jesus. But this testimony of our connectedness in position is also connected with the place of rejection we take. This is immediately followed by Paul when he says: “If indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him]” (Rom 8:17).

Here we find two rules that are fundamental to our faith:

1. our confession, this is what we say and

2. the practice of our life as Christians, this is what we show.

If the Spirit brings us to this confession and practice, we long for peace on earth, as Amasai then proclaims: “Peace, peace to you, and peace to him who helps you; indeed, your God helps you!” (1Chr 12:18).

Peace and the desire for it occupy a large place in this history. This too is connected with the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of peace. This is what every believer desires profoundly. This is the peace which the Spirit, Who is on Amasai, bears witness to. If we accept to follow a rejected Lord and share in His rejection, this peace is there for us too. Then we will experience what the Lord Jesus says to His disciples: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27a).

At Calvary, the place of the deepest humiliation, that peace has been established. One of the great features of the Lord Jesus is His peace in all His doings. He had this peace because He trusted His God and Father completely. How we can stand in this peace, we can only learn from Him. In all circumstances we need to remain in this peace in our doings. Each one of us can work this out because the Spirit dwells in us.

After the confession of Amasai David takes him and his men up and gives a task to them all. When we give ourselves completely and entrust ourselves to God, He notices it too, and He entrusts us with a task. Only in this attitude are we fit to fulfill a task for Him and He would like to use us if the Spirit can work in us in this way. We also see that David himself, and no one else, takes them up. If we translate this to the Lord Jesus, it is the same. The men who are subjected to David, become captains. It’s about serving David actually.

In what Amasai says to David by the Spirit, we recognize what the believer says to and about the Lord Jesus when he is led by the Spirit. Words spoken out of love for the Lord Jesus come from and through the Spirit and that in the time of rejection. Those who believe and are guided by the Spirit choose His side. They first say that they are of Him and then that they want to be with Him.

Many Christians unfortunately only say that they are of the Lord Jesus and do not show that they are with Him. Always being in His company can sometimes cost too much. Whoever wishes peace to the Lord Jesus, wishes it also to himself and will receive it, for God is on the side of the Lord Jesus.