Ten Men: The Rich Connections Every Man Needs (A Study of King David)ਨਮੂਨਾ

Warrior Brothers (David & His Mighty Men)

David is not the person you would have chosen to be king. He was an unlikely choice, and so were the men whom God had sent to him. They were the leftovers of society. David was initially gifted with men who were projects more than they were warriors. They were more of a threat to themselves than the enemies of Israel.

First Samuel 27:2 tells us David’s ragtag ranks swelled to 600 men. These men could not pay their bills, were in distress, and, the Bible says, were “discontented” (1 Samuel 22:2 NLT). The Hebrew word mar nephesh means bitterness of soul. These men had been mistreated by others and had brought much of it upon themselves. David was, by now, a fugitive. He was a “cave dweller,” and he had invited thousands of “problems” into the cave with him. Yet out of this unlikely group, some of the fiercest warriors and greatest leaders Israel has ever known would rise. They may not have looked or smelled like anything good, but in the middle of the Judean wilderness, David had the men he needed.

This is what was happening early in David’s time of hiding from Saul in the wilderness. The people the culture had overlooked—the lowest of society, the nobodies—were gathering around the future king. People of position had too much to risk, but these men had a recklessness that, if tamed, could be greatly used by God. They were up for the fight ahead. David had found his warrior brothers.

Once David was backed by an army, he became productive on a whole new level. Even with King Saul trying to kill him, David and his men bravely fought the battles of Israel. Unlike Saul, David did not placate his men or bow to their fears. Instead, he called them to a higher level and pushed them to obey God. We can only imagine the bonds created in these early victories, the stories that only they could tell. This is how brotherhood is formed. This is how men become dangerous.