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Anything
for my King
II Samuel 23:13-17 and I Chronicles
11:15-19
As told by Loren Miller This is the story of a very famous man. I’m sure you know him. His name is…Yoshev-Bashevet [Yo-shev Ba-she-vet]. You do know Yoshev-Bashevet, don’t you? He’s a very famous man. He’s in the Bible. [These first few lines are said with a big, expectant smile. The smile disappears as it becomes apparent that no one knows him.] Maybe you know the king he served. His name was “King David.” You do know King David? Whew! That’s good to hear. Well, perhaps I should tell you a little about Yoshev before I get on with my story. Yoshev-Bashevet was a soldier in the land of Israel before David was king. He was known for his loyalty and he served in King Saul’s army with valor. He had followed his king in many battles against the Philistines. And he would do anything—anything for his king. Yoshev was there when David defeated Goliath. It had been a glorious day for Israel! After that day, David led the Israelites in many victorious battles against the Philistines. And Yoshev was proud to fight along side him. The Lord gave David great victories wherever he went, yet David never took any personal credit. He humbly said he was just a servant of God and of King Saul. In time, David became the king’s son-in-law. Therefore, it was a shock to everyone when they heard that David had to flee for his life, and he wasn’t running from his enemies either. The man who wanted to kill him was none other than King Saul. It was incredulous news and made Yoshev angry. David had done nothing but good for King Saul. Those who had fought with David knew his character and integrity. How could Saul possibly turn against David? Yoshev, along with two of his good friends, made a very important decision the day they heard about it. They decided that Saul was no longer their king. From that day forward, David was their king. They knew their decision meant signing up with an outcast! When they joined David, they would be opposing King Saul and there would be no going back. Still, Yoshev was certain God was with David and one day he would be the king of Israel. Therefore, Yoshev directed all his loyalty toward David. His expectations were simple. He wanted to serve his king! He would do anything—anything for his king. After they made that decision, Yoshev and his two friends set out to find David. They quietly made their way through the countryside towards the caves near Adullam where they had heard David was hiding. They made sure no one knew where they were going and that no one followed them. It was just starting to get light as the three men climbed the hill to the caves. The guard outside the cave squinted in the early morning light, trying to identify the men that seemed to be coming out of the shadows. This wasn’t an unusual event. Men kept trickling in to cast their lot with David. Mostly they were people like himself—men with nothing to lose. The guard stepped forward and called out, “Who’s there? Identify yourselves!” “We are friends of David,” Yoshev called back. “Tell him that Yoshev Bashevet is here.” But no one needed to tell David. He heard the guard’s shout and Yoshev’s response. David came out of the cave and hurried past the guard to embrace Yoshev and his two friends. David knew these men were loyal friends and valiant warriors. He was glad to have them on his side. He knew that Yoshev would do anything he asked, no matter how dangerous or how difficult it might be. Yoshev would do anything—anything for his king. The number of men with David continued to grow until there were 400. They spent their days practicing warfare and fighting imaginary Philistines. They talked about the great conquests they would have and boasted about the number of Philistines they could kill single-handedly on any given day. But the days turned into weeks and the men became bored and restless—especially Yoshev. He was itching for some excitement, for adventure, for a good fight. One afternoon, the men were sitting just inside the cave, taking a break during the heat of the day. As David sat there and looked out across the valley, his mind went back to his hometown of Bethlehem. He thought about how he took care of his father’s sheep. Life had been so much simpler in those days. His only enemies were the lion and the bear. He remembered how he would bring the sheep back at the end of the day and take them to the well just outside of Bethlehem. He’d make sure the sheep had plenty to drink, and then he’d draw up a bucketful of water for himself. He’d drink right from the bucket and let the water run down his chin and onto his chest. He had always thought it was the best tasting water in the world. Just the thought of that water made him even thirstier than he already was. David couldn’t help but say out loud, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Bethlehem.” Yoshev and his two friends heard what he said and gave each other knowing looks. Slight smiles moved across their faces. That night, after dark, the three men quietly left the camp and headed out on a great adventure. When they were some distance away from the caves, they felt free to break the silence. One of Yoshev’s friends laughed and said, “Who’s crazy idea was this anyway?” Yoshev said, “Don’t blame me. I saw that look on your faces.” Again they all laughed and pushed one another in fun. They were three men that loved adventure, but they were also men who – would do anything for their king. They knew getting water from the well near Bethlehem was not a simple task. An Israelite could not just walk up to the well and get water. The Philistines controlled Bethlehem and they had a camp outside the city. Getting to the well meant sneaking through, or perhaps fighting their way through, the Philistine camp. It was the middle of the night when the three men got close to Bethlehem. They left the main road and headed into the lowlands that surrounded this town. The village of Bethlehem lay before them as a small crown on a hill. Around about it, they could see the tents of the Philistine camp. Quickly and quietly, the three men made their way up to the camp. Everything seemed calm and quiet and their own breathing sounded loud in the stillness. As they made their way through the camp, they could hear the sound of horses and donkeys. But mostly they heard the sound of snoring coming from the tents of the Philistines. They kept a close eye out for any guards, but there didn’t seem to be any. At long last, they made their way through the camp and to the well on the other side. Yoshev’s friends stood guard as he carefully lowered the bucket. As the bucket neared the water, the rope suddenly slipped in his hands and the bucket hit the water with a splash. The three men froze for a long moment as the sound reverberated in the night air. But no one stirred in the camp. Yoshev quickly brought the bucket back up and filled the empty skin he had brought along. Once it was full, the three men looked at it again – and smiled. It was like gold, because their king wanted it – they would do anything for their king. The three men began to make their way back through the Philistine camp. They were about half way through the camp when they came past a tent and almost ran into a Philistine guard. Yoshev’s training and experience kicked in. Without even thinking and in less time than it takes to tell, Yoshev drew his sword, which found it mark, and the Philistine collapsed and fell with a heavy thud. Another soldier stuck his head out of a tent and yelled, “What’s going on out there?” The three men began to run as other soldiers began to wake up. Soon they had a real fight on their hands. The night air was filled with the sound of clashing swords, with shouts and groans and curses as the three men fought their way out of the Philistine camp. Yoshev fought with a smile on his face. He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time! Finally, the three men reached the edge of the camp, leaving behind a trail of dead Philistines. They began to run and Yoshev looked back to see a dozen Philistines hot on their trail. They ran back across the valley and found a high spot where they could defend themselves. Yoshev didn’t think it seemed quite fair—only 12 Philistines against the three of them. Once again the night air was filled with the sounds of battle. It didn’t go well for the Philistines. Soon 10 of them lay dead on the ground as two others ran back to their camp. Yoshev and his friends watched them leave, then hurried on their way. When they felt they were a safe distance away, they stopped to catch their breath. One of them said, “Did you see the surprised look on that guard’s face before you dropped him?” Yoshev laughed, “He couldn’t believe we were actually there.” The laughter continued as they recounted the rest of the battle and how the three of them easily handled the dozen Philistines. Suddenly, the smile disappeared from Yoshev’s face. He had just remembered the water. In all of the excitement, he’d forgotten about it. He put his hand down to his side and let out a sigh of relief when he found out the precious skin of water was still there. Yoshev patted the skin and smiled as the men stood and began the journey back to the caves. He would do anything—anything for his king. The sun was beginning to rise as the three men climbed the hill back to the caves. David had just gotten up when he saw some men coming up the hill. He squinted in the morning light, trying to figure out who it was, but then saw it was Yoshev and his friends. As they came close to him, he demanded to know where they had been and why they had left without permission. Yoshev and his friends looked at each other, – each man with a slight smile on his face. Then Yoshev looked at David. “Yesterday, you said you wanted someone to bring you a drink of water from the well near Bethlehem.” David slowly nodded as Yoshev’s statement began to sink in. Yoshev removed the skin of water from his belt and held it out for David. “We went to Bethlehem last night. As you requested, here is water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem.” David stared at the skin, – then at each of the three men. It seemed too incredible to believe. David knew about the Philistines at Bethlehem. He knew it was impossible to get to that well without a fight. Knowing all that had made his desire for the water that much stronger. David was overcome with emotion. He hadn’t given an order to get the water! It was just a whim – a desire! Again he looked at the skin of water he was now holding. This was not just water. It was the very blood of these men. They had risked their lives to show their loyalty to him. He was not worthy to drink it, nor would anyone be. Slowly, David turned to the side, lifted the skin of water towards heaven, and cried out, “Lord! Should I drink the blood of men who put their own lives in jeopardy? Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing!” Then David opened the skin and poured the water out on the ground as an offering to the Lord, – that precious water—the very blood of the three men. David and the three men stood silently and watched as the water soaked into the ground. (Pause and “watch” the water soak in. This is a holy moment.) Then, the three men bowed their heads in reverence, and without saying a word, they turned and headed into the darkness of a cave to get some sleep. Yoshev lay in the blackness, a smile on his face and a feeling of great satisfaction in his heart. He knew David had been overwhelmed by their loyalty. It didn’t matter what David asked him to do. No matter how great or small the request, no matter how dangerous or how difficult it might be, it was an honor to serve him. Yoshev was a very loyal man. And he would do anything—anything for his king. |
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