seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Chronicles 12:19 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”) 20 When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.(b)
b. 1 Chronicles 12:22 Or a great and mighty army
This is from the easy English site.
While David was living in Ziklag, David went with Achish to join the Philistine army. The other Philistine leaders saw David with Achish. And they refused to let him go with them to fight against Saul (1 Samuel chapter 29). As David returned to Ziklag, some men joined him from the tribe of Manasseh. This was before the battle on Mount Gilboa in which Saul died (1 Chronicles chapter 10).
The 7 leaders who came each had 1000 soldiers in his command. They joined David’s army. Each day more men came to David so that his army became very large.
The 7 leaders who came each had 1000 soldiers in his command. They joined David’s army. Each day more men came to David so that his army became very large.
It wasn't a draft these men were signing up for.... It wasn't a call to arms.... It was David... David was drawing them without even trying.
Verse 22 snagged my attention this morning.... an army like God's. Was that a righteous army? I'm not so sure about that....I don't think all these men were good family men who left their fields to stand for the new king. David wasn't on a throne.... he was in hiding while men started arriving. Good men do join the military to support their country.... but Saul was still king... he hadn't fallen on his sword yet.... these men were joining David.... not Israel's army. These men were in it for the cause.... Saul was insane.... there had to be a coup.... but Saul was the first king....
This is from enduringword.com.
Until it was a great army, like the army of God: Under the hand of God and His servant David, these mighty men – who began as disaffected people with no where else to go (1 Samuel 22:1-2) – developed into an amazing force. David and his mighty men needed each other and were each nothing without the other.
This is from biblehub.com.
The host of God. A forcible comment on the metaphorical use of this phrase is found in 1 Samuel 14:15; Authorized Version, "a very great trembling" is the translation of Hebrew "trembling of God." The for with which this verse commences probably explains the call there was for many and able "captains" for a host becoming daily larger.
First of all... there are two things that popped up while reading the biblehub commentary.... first... with so many men... the ground might have shaken when they all marched.... maybe that's the picture.... men as far as the parade grounds will hold.... and more joining the line to sign up. On top of that.... David was anointed by God [through Samuel who actually poured the oil] to be the next king. Saul, the pretty boy rich kid from a good family.... was insane.... throwing knives at defenseless musicians.... God wanted him out.... God only made him king to show the Israelites how miserable it would be to have a bad king... but they insisted anyway.... so God is building an army around David to shove ol' Saul out.
The second thought that buzzed through my head is the story of the dead bones.... Ezekiel 37. The story takes place in the Valley of Dead Bones. God wanted an army.... he told Ezekiel to tell the bones to come to life. There was a rattling of bones.... then skeletons..... then bodies on those skeletons... bingo an army ready to serve....
If God can make an army out of old dead dry bones.... how much easier would it be for Him to whisper in the mind of valiant men.... causing them to join David... the next king...
So... it says this is like an army of God..... It's like God's Army... God's Army is the one that fights powers and principalities in the background while we stumble along trying to be smart humans..... David's army was compared to that army. It kept growing daily too.... No wonder Saul didn't like David.
