While, of course,
David was a type of Christ, his mighty men were also a type of Christ. As a former infantry soldier myself, these men always inspire me. They are listed in the second book Samuel, where it says, "These are the names of the mighty men whom David had:"
Josheb-basshebeth
"Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time;" (2 Sam 23:8).
That's pretty amazing for one man to kill eight hundred men of the enemy's army in one encounter. Only through the Lord could he do so.
Eleazar
"And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain." (2 Sam 23:9-10)
Now there's a courageous man! They taunted the Philistines who were gathered for battle. Though all the other Israeli soldiers had withdrawn in fear, and were likely taking cover from the enemy, he arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand froze to his sword. That's carrying out the wrath of the Lord with great zeal. Later the others came out from their hiding places, but only to strip the dead and not to fight the Philistines. Notice how the Scripture gives God the glory for it saying, "the LORD brought about a great victory that day." It was supernatural, and not by Eleazar's own strength.
Shammah
"Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory." (2 Sam 23:11-12)
He was another courageous soldier. He took his stand against the enemy in a field. He defended it and struck the Philistines. Once again it says, "the LORD brought about a great victory," so that God and not man gets the glory for what He did
Three of the Thirty Chief Men
"Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem."
"David had a craving and said, 'Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!' So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; and he said, 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?' Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did." (2 Sam 23:13-17)
David merely expressed out loud a longing for water, and although he did not give an order to someone to bring him that water, it seems as though for these three of the Thirty chief men, David's wish was their command. They went behind enemy lines into the Philistine stronghold at Bethlehem, drew out the water, passed back though the enemy with it, and took it to David.
However, as far as David was concerned, that water was as if it were the blood of those men who fetched it for him at the risk of their lives. He would not dare to drink that water any more than he would drink their blood. Instead he poured it out before the Lord. Those were real mighty men to do such a thing, and David recognized that.
Abishai
"Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three." (2 Sam 23:18-19).
Scripture says Abishai was the most honored of the Thirty mighty men. He single-handedly killed three hundred men with a spear.
Benaiah
"Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.." (2Sa 23:8-23).
Benaiah was truly another mighty man. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also struck down a huge Egyptian by snatching the spear from his hand and killing him with it, though he himself had only been armed with a mere club. How did he get the spear from that huge Egyptian and kill him with it? It was by the power of God. Likewise he went down into that pit on a snowy day and killed a lion that was perhaps posing a threat to him and his fellow soldiers. He alone was brave and strong enough to kill it. Although he was as famous as the Three mighty warriors, he was not included among them. But he did get put in charge of David's personal bodyguard, which is a great honor.
The Thirty
David's mighty men were known as The Thirty, even though there were actually a total of thirty-seven in all, including Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, and all the men named above. Their names are listed at the end of 2 Samuel 23 as a memorial to their faith, strength, and courage. Let me say once again that it was not by their own strength that they did these great exploits, but by the mighty power of God.
"It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them...I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame." (Ps 44:3,6-7, NIV).
Types of Christ
I have no doubt these men were types of Christ, and I'll explain to you why. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of a male child being born to a virgin, who would be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." (Is 7:14). Here is the description Isaiah gave of this male child:
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this." (Isa 9:6-7)
The virgin's Son would be called "Mighty God," which is "El Gibor" in Hebrew. The word "El" literally means God. This name, El Gibor, may also be translated, "God-man," "Mighty Man of war," or "Mighty Warrior." I like all of them, and I think they all describe the Lord Jesus Christ well. But the two translations I want to focus on here are "Mighty Man of war" and "Mighty Warrior."
The Holy Spirit spoke through the psalmist describing Christ like this:
"Gird Your sword on your side, O
Mighty One;
clothe Yourself with splendor and majesty.
In Your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let Your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
Let Your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath Your feet." (Ps 45:3-5, NIV)
The apostle confirmed in his letter to the Hebrews that this psalm is Messianic (cf., Ps 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9), so we are on solid ground to understand that the above verses refer to Christ. In fact, in Psalm 45:3, the title by which He is addressed as "Mighty One" is the same Hebrew word "Gibor" that was used in the ninth chapter of Isaiah, which I mentioned earlier. Therefore, Jesus is a Mighty Man of war like David and his mighty men were, but in a much greater way.
Triumph Over the Devil and His Angels
You see, He took on the devil and defeated him. "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him" by the cross (Col 2:15). He made a public spectacle of the devil and his angels. He now holds the keys of death and hell (Rev 1:18). Just when it looked to the devil like he had won the battle by having his agents nail Jesus to the cross, the devil must have really gotten very scared when Jesus uttered those last words, "It is finished," and gave up his spirit, which was immediately followed by the veil of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, a great earthquake, rocks being split, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep being raised (Mt 27:51-52). Hallelujah! He's a mighty warrior.
Triumph Over the Beast, False Prophet, and Kings of the Earth
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| "Behold, He Comes" by Danny Hahlbohm, Inspired Art |
The apostle John saw our Mighty Man of War leading the armies of heaven in His future return to earth, and here is how he described it:
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'" (Rev 19:11-16)
If there was still any question in your mind that Jesus is a man of war, I trust it has vanished, and that you can now see it plainly. Scripture says that with eyes like a flame of fire He makes war, riding on a white horse with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, with which He will strike down the nations.
John also saw how the beast and kings of the earth as agents of satan would make war against the Lamb in the last days. But notice how the birds of the air are going to be called in advance to come feast on their flesh, because they are doomed to lose before the battle even begins.
"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.'"
"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Rev 19:17-21)
Here you have the beast who has been given authority to make war against the saints and to conquer them, which is the same beast who rules the whole world during the Great Tribulation in the final three and a half years of this age, and the same beast of whom they will say, "Who can make war against the beast?" And men will worship him. But even though he will gather all the kings of the earth with all their armies full of mighty men, which will number in the millions, led by their great commanders, they will be no match for Jesus Christ the Mighty Warrior.
Their fate is sealed before the battle begins, and notice how effortlessly the Lord defeats them. Scripture says it so nonchalantly, so calmly as a matter of fact that the beast and the false prophet were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. It's so easy for the Lord to do this. He won't even bother to kill them but throw them directly into the lake of fire while they are still alive. Defeating the largest army the world has ever known will be equally as easy for the Mighty Man of War, who will kill them all with the sword which comes from His mouth. He can do all that without even breaking a sweat! Hallelujah! It's just as easy for Him as taking a ride through the park on His horse. How foolish of them to think they can make war against the Lamb and have even a remote chance of winning.
Final Defeat of Satan
The devil is destined to go through so much humiliation at the hands of Jesus. He is the loser in every single instance. I have already discussed how he was defeated at the cross, how his beast and false prophet will be defeated along with all of the kings of the earth and their armies. Then Scripture speaks of the devil being locked up in the bottomless pit for a thousands years, at the end of which he must be released for a short time (Rev 20:1-3). That's more humiliation for him. But prison won't reform him, and as soon as he is let out, he'll be back to his same rebellion against the Lamb.
"When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Rev 20:7-10)
The devil will gather the nations together for war and they will surround the camp of the saints in Jerusalem, the city the Lord loves. In number they will be like the sand of the seashore, but once again quite effortlessly the Lord will burn them all up with fire that will come down from heaven. Then He will have the devil thrown into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. That is their final, humiliating defeat, which will continue all throughout eternity. Hallelujah!
Types of the Saints
Not only are David's mighty men types of Christ, they are also types of the saints, specifically the Spirit-filled disciples of Christ who have been
baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are to be mighty men and women of God. We are soldiers of Christ (2 Tim 2:3).
You see, we are in a battle, too, against the forces of darkness, except they are not flesh and blood, which is why we must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:10-12, NIV).
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:3-5).
God always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession, so that we are victorious, if we are born of God (2 Co 2:14). "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 Jn 5:4-5, NIV)
Perhaps you may be wondering if you could ever do the kind of exploits that David's mighty men did. Of course you can -- by faith! Remember, you can to do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). When you are crucified with Christ, you no longer live but Christ the Mighty Warrior lives in you (Gal 2:20; Jn 17:26; 2 Co 13:5; Col 1:27). He said you shall do the works that He did and even greater works than those (Jn 14:12). He has "given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Lk 10:19, NIV). If you are an obedient disciple of Christ, "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom 16:19-20, NIV).
Closing Words
I hope this little study has helped you to see that David's mighty men were types of Christ the Mighty Man of war, who will come back soon, riding on a white horse, leading the armies of heaven. We worship Him, El Gibor, our Mighty Warrior, who conquers all our enemies. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor 15:26).
David's mighty men are also types of us the saints. Being a mighty man or woman of God is not easy, but it's possible through Christ. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the full armor of God. Exercise your faith in the Son of God, discipline yourself through prayer, fasting, and the reading of the Word, then put the Word of God into practice.
Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.
Attribution notice:
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB,
copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures
where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by
permission. David's Mighty Men painting by James Tissot, 1836-1902. The "Behold, He Comes" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.
Author's note:
Also see
David as a Type of Christ,
Adam as a Type of Christ,
Isaac as a Type of Christ,
Noah's Ark a Type of Christ,
The Temple as a Type of Christ,
The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ,
The Typology of the Tabernacle, and
Hagar and Sarah as Types. My daughter Charity has written a beautiful poem about
The Rider on the white horse. You can access the Main Directory for
Biblical Typology, or my complete
blog directory at "
Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "
Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_______________________________________
Len Lacroix is the founder of
Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
