Connect the actions of the three men to Jesus' teachings on sacrificial love. Setting the Scene: 2 Samuel 23:13–17 • “And three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, while a troop of the Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.” (2 Samuel 23:13) • David, weary and homesick, longs for a drink from the well near Bethlehem’s gate—now occupied by the enemy. • The three mighty men break through the Philistine lines, draw water, and bring it back. • David, overwhelmed, refuses to drink; he pours it out “to the LORD,” recognizing the water as equivalent to their life-blood. The Heart of Sacrifice in Their Deed • Voluntary risk: They were not commanded—love for their king propelled them. • Total commitment: Their own safety became secondary to David’s need. • Costly offering: David treats the water as a sacred libation, for it was “as the blood of the men who risked their lives” (v. 17). Jesus on Sacrificial Love • “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) • “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) • “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16) Parallels Between the Mighty Men and Christ’s Teaching • Initiative of Love – Mighty men: love acted without command. – Jesus: commands proactive love—go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41). • Willingness to Risk Life – Mighty men: pierced enemy lines. – Jesus: faced the cross; urges disciples to “take up their cross” (Luke 9:23). • Costly Offering – Water equated with blood, poured out. – Jesus’ own blood literally poured out for many (Matthew 26:28). • Honor and Worship – David offers the water to God, pointing beyond himself. – Christ’s sacrifice ultimately glorifies the Father (John 17:1). Living the Lesson • Sacrificial love is active, not abstract—expressed in concrete, costly actions for others. • True honor comes when costly gifts are offered back to God, not hoarded for self. • The mighty men foreshadow the ultimate Warrior-Servant, Jesus, who breaks through sin’s lines to bring living water (John 4:14). |
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