ON THE VANGUARD

DEVOTION AND CRAMPED HANDS
“…but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.”
II Samuel 23:10

I love finding the little known stories in the Bible that pack a punch. The story of David’s thirty-seven brave warriors happens to be one of those. In fact, when I first read it I had to do a double take to make sure I was reading it right. Let me help paint the stage for you. David had a group of men known as his mighty men, and according to I Chronicles 11:10, gave his kingship strong support to extend over the whole land. They were all trained warriors and were devoted to David. If someone or something was in the way, they removed it. One of these mighty men was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite. The Bible does not say much about Eleazar, but it says enough to make me think. Eleazar’s claim to fame was a tired hand. The Philistines were being taunted for battle at Pas Dammim. However, Israel retreated as they got close to a barley field. Eleazar did not retreat with the rest of Israel. No, he held tight to his sword, placed his feet firm in the ground, and began striking the oncoming Philistines. II Samuel 23 records that he fought so fierce that his hand froze and cramped around his sword. When the day was finished, David and his men received God’s victory.
The whole section concerning Eleazar happens to be just a few verses, but still I see something in there that we need to grasp. DEVOTION. Eleazar, as well as the other thirty-six men, were devoted to the king. Webster’s defines devotion as:
Religious fervor; the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal.
David’s men were loyal to him. They not only helped him get and keep his kingly status when others challenged David’s authority, but they also laid down their lives for the king. Even in this example we see that where so many shrank back, these men stood their ground.
Devotion is something that many Christians lack. For instance, Exodus 20:3 shows the first commandment as, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Devotion would say through action that nothing is more important than God. Devotion would resist temptation and flee evil. Devotion would not let things like gluttony, porn and lust, money, or any other idol come before God. But that is not true of our culture; at least it was not for me. For years I called myself a follower of God because I had prayed the sinner’s prayer, but my lifestyle was not portraying God as God. My idol was pornography. My god was lust. The object of my affection was what made me feel good. I was loyal and dedicated, but not to God, but rather to my god.
I don’t know where your devotion lies, but I can only pray that like me you have seen the light. I pray that you have made God your God and that now you are devoted to Him. With the same tenacity that Eleazar had as he held on to his sword to defend his king, I pray that you are holding your ground when evil and temptation come at you to distract you from God. Know this, life is not easy. Our devotion will forever be challenged; sin will always be crouching at our door. But, here is our hope spoken from Jesus, Himself. “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).