DEVOTION TO AUTHORITY

2 Samuel 21:15-17 (KJV)
Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

Little else is known concerning the timing of this passage beside what we find in this one place.

· It obviously happened when David was older and swinging a sword was more taxing work than it had once been.
· It is also obviously a time when the merits of David's leadership had earned him love and favor among his men.

David had been, since early on, a man of war, though not necessarily one who had chosen that way of life - it was thrust upon him.

First, out of devotion to his God and love for his country.
He could not stand by and allow the Philistines to dominate Israel for the fear of Goliath, regardless of his size.
Secondly, out of the circumstances of his day.
Israel was still a young nation and had not driven the Canaanites from the land.

David's preference, I am sure, would have been to be:
· A poet
· A musician and
· A writer of his meditations toward God
Those things he did as a solace from the battle, he would surely have loved to have done as an occupation had life permitted it.

In our day they teach us to find out what we really love and try to earn our living doing that.

In a more practical day they taught young people to do the needful thing instead of the pleasant thing.

And it shows.
It is difficult today to find anyone who will commit to the needed thing.

David had led the nation in enough battles to have won his name as a man of war.
But his body began to wax feeble and, though he did not flee from the fight, the time came for a younger man to take up that mantle.

Abishai was that man

The men of David, his advisors, and his compatriots on the field insisted that David hang up his own sword with the words, … Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.[1]

They refer to David as "the light of Israel."

There are a number of implications in the phrase.
One commentary says
"Good kings are in Scripture justly called the light of their people, …because the beauty and glory, the conduct and direction, the comfort, and safety, and welfare of a people depend upon them."[2]

David had certainly brought "beauty and glory" to Israel.
David's kingdom was one with a "heart after God."
· He refused to defend himself
· He restrained any sort of vengeance among his followers
· He insisted that His nation wait upon God

David had provided conduct and directionto Israel
He was successful, at least to a degree, in bringing unity among twelve divided tribes.

David had supplied comfort and safetyto Israel
Though they did battle enemies, his forces were such that the enemies were always suppressed and the citizens remained safe in their homes.

Another commentary[3]says
"David had become the light of Israel from the fact that Jehovah was his light ….. David's regal life and actions were the light which the grace of God had kindled for the benefit of Israel."

There were three great qualities demonstrated by Abishai and the men of David.

First
I. THEY RECOGNIZED THE LIGHT
2 Samuel 21:17 KJV
…. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

It wasn't just Abishai, it was his whole following that saw David as "the light of Israel."

I understand that not all leaders are godly people.

But the principle of leadership is so important in our lives that we could not well survive without it, even when it is not the best leadership.

A. Danielserved an ungodly king, but loved him
Daniel 4:9-19 KJV
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

Daniel 4:27 KJV
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

Later on
B. Nehemiahtreated the king of his day in the same manner of respect though that king was not a godly man.

C. Josephhonored the Pharaoh of Egypt in much the same manner.

These all recognized the divine appointment of authority and saw the necessity of the "light" that authority brings, even when we cannot support the spiritual convictions of those authorities.

As we approach what I believe are the last days, Christians above all others in the world, need to be leaders in recognizing the light of authority and leadership.

The men of David recognized the light.

Secondly they
II. THEY RESPECTED THE LIGHT
…Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle…

They had a genuine love for their king that wasn't based upon power and might.

The Bible calls Christians sheep.
It is simply not in the nature of sheep to attack their shepherd.
· They will sometimes stray from the shepherd
· They will sometimes ignore the direction of a shepherd
But they do not attack their shepherd, even if he leads them astray.

On the other hand wolves are always looking for the opportunity to attack their own leaders.

In a pack of wolves they fight to determine which is the alpha - the toughest one.

Once the alpha is established, all of the wolves submit to the him, but they are also always looking for the slightest weakness of the alpha.
· When he gets injured
· When he gets old
· When another wolf grows bigger and more aggressive
The wolves pounce on the alpha and a new one is enthroned over them.

Some churches look more like wolf packs than flocks of sheep.

Abishai and the other men of David could have easily let Ishbi-benob take David out of the picture and one of them take over the kingdom.

But they saw in David something greater than a good soldier and man of war.

They saw him as their God ordained light.
· The guide of the nation
· The moral captain of their ship

He was not a perfect man and, at this stage in his life, he was not as strong of a man,
But he was still the God ordained man.

The men of David recognized the light
The men of David respected the light

Finally
III. THEY PROTECTED THE LIGHT
2 Samuel 21:17 KJV
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

Notice two phrases:
· Abishai… succoured him and smote the Philistine
· The men of David sware unto him…Thou shalt go no more out …to battle

· They protected David
· They defended him
In his weakness

When there was an enemy strong enough to take him,
· They surrounded him
· They helped him and
· They took out the enemy for him

Conclusion:
We are living in the last days.

The Word of God has accurately prophesied what it would be like in these days when men will be:
· Lovers of evil rather than good
· Despisers of dominions and
· Disobedient to parents

The Bible said it would be this way.
But that in no way implies that Christians should surrender to it.
· To our dying day
· To the day when Christ comes to set up His own kingdom on this earth

We can stand beside “the light”
We can defend those who guide us

We can swing our own swords for the cause of God ordained authority.

It begins in the home, with parents who teach their children to obey and respect them.

It has to happen in the pulpitswith preachers who will call their people to submit to Christ's rule in their lives.

But it is really up to you.
· You are the Abishai's.
· You are the "men of David" in our time.

Each one of you - it is up to you - to stand up with those who give light to our way and
· Recognize them
· Respect them and
· Protect them

A heart after God is a heart of devotion to authority.

[1]2 Samuel 21:17 KJV
[2]Matthew Poole
[3]Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, Johann (C.F.) Keil (1807-1888) & Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890)