The Mighty Men of David

A good friend of mine in Mississippi often reminds me of the Mighty Men of David. While reading a book this evening about the persecuted church in North Korea, the Mighty Men of David were mentioned right off the bat.

Who were they? They were men who defended David. They did miraculous things in battle. One Mighty Man of David was worth hundreds of other soldiers.

One soldier in particular caught my attention as I read it. Not much is said other than he stood his ground when everyone else fled. 2 Samuel 23: 11-12 reads:

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. ¹² But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

Indeed, I am actually beginning my third book about the persecuted people of North Korea and their suffering under the Kim regime. I have been so moved by their struggle that I keep reading more and more about their courage. The commentary about Shammah read as this:

Shammah defeated the whole Philistine army over a pea patch! Why? Because they were God’s peas. We learn from Shammah the biblical concept of the warrior spirit, “If it is God’s, it is worth fighting for.” The church in North Korea is willing to risk everything simply because it is right to do just that. (Back to the Jerusalem of the East: The Underground House Church of North Korea, 2011)

The suffering of the people of North Korea is immense. Our students deserve to know the value of freedom and the cost should they lose it. They also would benefit from understanding that sometimes things are worth fighting for, even if it is just a field of lentils.

Like God took the loaves and fishes and fed the five thousand, God can take our small offerings of courage and multiply them by a thousand fold if He chooses.