“he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness of rain that brings the grass from the earth.”
~ 2 Samuel 23:4
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have heroes? A hero can be someone who has been brave. David had heroes. David was a brave guy himself. The names of the 37 guys who David named as being his heroes were recorded in 2 Samuel 23 by the historian who took on finishing the missive – that is known as the Samuel Book, that Samuel began to scribe. David wanted the world to remember at least 37 guys who were willing to stand alongside him – who were willing to give up their lives for him and for his people group – who were the Israelite people group of guys and gals – who were God’s specially chosen guys and gals. The last guy who David noted in his list of 37 guys is Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was killed as he heroically fought in David’s army as it attempted to defeat an enemy Ammonite people group army. Uriah had been deliberately put – per David’s request, at the battlefront in hopes that Uriah would be killed. David had had an immoral tryst with Bathsheba – Uriah’s wife. When Bathsheba became pregnant with David’s kid and because she and David knew that Uriah would know that her baby could not be his kid because he had been out fighting the enemy Ammonite people group army, David panicked as to what to do and . . . Uriah’s name means Jehovah is my light or Jehovah is my flame. Uriah – who was from the Hittite people group, married an Israelite people group gal – Bathsheba. Even though Uriah was not an Israelite people group guy – one of God’s specially chosen guys, Uriah was willing to die for his wife’s people group of guys and gals. After David accepted that he had done wrong to Uriah, David wanted the world to know how much he valued Uriah and for what Uriah was willing to do for his wife’s people group of guys and gals even if it meant dying – which is what happened.
Three guys – Josheb-Basshebeth, Eleazar and Shammah, stand out to David as being the bravest and toughest dudes of the 37 guys. Josheb-Basshebeth was the chief dude. Josheb-Basshebeth used his spear to kill 800 guys in one battle. Eleazar – after his army buddies took off running like scared jackrabbits after they had taunted enemy people group Philistine soldiers, held his ground – killing Philistine people group soldiers with his hand clamped tightly to his sword. Shammah – after his army buddies took off running for their lives leaving him alone in the middle of a bean field, defended his ground – killing the Philistines people group soldiers who wanted to kill him. David also wanted remembered three unnamed mighty warriors who during a harvest time met up with him at Adullam cave where he was holding his own against a band of Philistine people group soldiers. These Philistine people group guys had a garrison in the town of Bethlehem. After David mentioned how thirsty that he was and how much he would enjoy some water from the well that was located near the town of Bethlehem’s gate, the three guys risked their lives to break through a line of Philistine people group soldiers to draw water out of that well to bring to David for David to drink. In spite of the fact that David became so upset with the three guys for having risked their lives by having bravely drawn water for him from the well that was located near the town of Bethlehem’s gate that he threw the water on the ground, David would remember these three mighty warriors among his list 37 of heroes. The list of 37 guys who were David’s heroes also included Abishai and Benaiah. Abishai become a commander in David’s army after he used his spear to kill 300 enemy guys. Benaiah was a valiant fighter who killed two of Moab people group’s best fighters and a huge Egyptian dude. Benaiah only used club when he fought the Egyptian guy.
What would a guy or gal have to do to become a hero to you? For a guy or a gal to become a hero to you, does the guy or gal have to be willing to give up his or her life to defend you? For a guy or gal to become a hero to you, does the guy or gal have to do something special that would result in a better world for you? For a guy or gal to become a hero to you, does the guy or the gal have to be willing to be different? Your grandpaa has heroes. Your grandmaa is on top of your grandpaa’s short list of heroes. Your grandmaa is a helpmate to your grandpaa. When your grandpaa has decided to go here or there or . . . your grandmaa always gives her very best in whatever situation that she finds herself. John Tarzwell is a hero to your grandpaa. Even though John when he was a little kid had most of his toes scalded off after he pulled over a pot of boiling water over unto his feet, John would wear open sandals. John was on the 39 member South American Mission summer team that your grandmaa and grandpaa were on that went to Colombia for over seven weeks the summer of 1976. Your grandpaa and John became friends. John grew up in Wynndel, British Columbia. John graduated from Peace River Bible School in Sexton, Alberta. Your grandmaa and grandpaa visited John after he married Leeanne. After your grandpaa spoke during a recruiting stop in Sexton in a Peace River Bible School chapel service, the President of Peace River Bible School stopped your grandpaa to ask your grandpaa if he was talking about John when . . . the President of Peace River Bible School told your grandpaa that John would knit during his classes. John and Leeanne would go as OM missionaries to Bangladesh where John helped with different things. After John and Leeanne had two boys, they went to Pakistan as OM missionaries to help with Afghanistan refugees. Because they could not get visas to stay, John sent his eight month pregnant wife and his two kids back to Canada. John was scheduled to fly to Canada a couple of days later. Leeanne would not see her husband again. Verse 4 introduces Who the ultimate hero would be, “he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness of rain that brings the grass from the earth.”’ This ‘hero’ would be Jesus.
2 Samuel 23 (652)