This paragraph could be a Hollywood movie, which would (in these fallen times) ruin it: the scriptwriters would want at least one warrior chick if not a couple of guys in love with each other becaue narrative.
Which misses the point. This was an act of raw courage and skill: the odds were against three getting through the Philistines. A modern analogy would be if a cheif from ISIS wanted the challenge coin of a colonel running a US base and guarded by at least a company. The technologists of that time were not the Israelites: they were the Philistines.
And so this passage stirred me when I was a little boy and read it for the first time. It still does.
And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD and said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
There is a fashion at this time that we should be pacifist, non violent, likeable, gentle: that we should never be angry: never defend home and hearth, never sing that God has made me skilled for war, nor that we have seen the coming of the wrath of the LORD.
That the military should be ignored, defunded: that we shoul dbe able to live as people of goodwill. The local example was that skilled politician and evil fool, Helen Clark, who once said that “NZ has a benign strategic environment” and removed the srike planes from the airforce, or the twits in Canada who think their army is for peacekeeping.
As if there are not enemies: indeed it not at times our governments are enemies of righteousness. And as if courage is not valued, manliness is demeaned, and the effeminate promoted. (I am ignoring the current situation in the US military at present, where all of the above happen, despite them fighting (and losing) Fourth generation wars.)
The ancients knew better. They were aware that the barbarian would besiege their gates. They valued the skills of the warrior, and the courage of the militia. None were exempt: all had to serve. Or the nation would perish.
If not from the enemy without, from making the young men of the nation an enemy within. Our elite is not functional. David’s mighty men were.
In addition to the fact that many modern churches have a culture that results in the emasculation of the men therein.
Total agreement.
Any idea how to change that? So that the churches enhance masculinity rather than destroy it in men?
1. Get rid of female elders.
2. Rediscover male teenage groups that include the outdoors. The scouts are now fatally compromised: we need a new solution.
3. Ensure all teachings in women’s ministry are vetted by the elders.
4. Covenantal marriage contracts with nasty prenups as standard — including having lawyers who will sue the crap out of any family court judge that abrogates them.
5. Pull all kids out of US state schools. And Canadian ones, they are abusive.
6. Set up apprenticeships and training schools that are faith based, with morals and faith clauses for all academics. Boycott all others.
We should set up a parallel and sustainable system now, and be prepared to flee if the law cannot allow us to live sober, godly and upright lives.
Trouble is judges can throw out prenups:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZCE9ASqlqE
Yes. In NZ they even do this to Muslims. But you need to have the gumption to appeal this all the way to the supreme court as freedom of contract and freedom of religion: and if you lose to start a revolution or a mass emigration.