Also Psalm-like, this penultimate
chapter records David’s final song-like words, followed by a record of David’s
‘mighty men’.
The LSB encourages us to consider
that David’s success was largely down to the ‘mighty men’ that followed him. It
also suggests that these men, unlike Joab, were not motivated by their own
goals, nor was David using them for his own purposes. Partly what made David a
great leader is that he desired to see these men reach their full potential,
like Barnabas, who frequently introduces figures who later become historically
significant in Acts. We tend to focus on the big players, like David, Solomon,
Paul the Apostle etc. and we gloss over the supporters in the background.
However, there are no insignificant figures in God’s eyes. Do we see ourselves
as less significant than the Christian ‘celebrities’? Or more significant than
others in our church?
So often we skirt over lists of
names, but God has inspired the authors of the Bible to place them there for a
reason. God cares for the individual, as much as the community. Also these
lists, much like the list in Hebrews 11 or the genealogies in the Gospels,
remind us of all the faithful who have trusted God in the past and blazed a
trail for him. Will we be inspired by them, or rush past them to get to the
next story?
(Christ Church