I was teaching an adult Bible class once and someone took exception to a military metaphor I had used. I responded, “My brother, I don’t make this stuff up, the Bible is filled with references to the military, and God has great respect for military men.” You don’t think so? The first recorded Gentile convert was a Roman centurion (Acts 10). Bible heroes Joshua and King David were military generals. And most of 2 Samuel 23 is a list and description of some of the exploits of “David’s Mighty Men.” It starts with “The Three:”

This is the listing of David’s top men.

• Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred—killed them all in a day.
• Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword! A big win for GOD that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up.
• Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for GOD! (2 Samuel 23.8 – 12, MSG, emphasis mine, bulleted for clarity)

Those were some tough guys!

Wait! There’s more. It’s not just “The Three,” there’s “The Thirty:”

Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three. (2 Samuel 23.18 – 19, MSG)

He killed only 300 in one day, not 800 like Josheb-Basshebeth, above.

And here’s my favorite:

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. (2 Samuel 23.20 – 21, NIV)

“In a pit with a lion on a snowy day” is a book by Mark Batterson. I recommend it. The subtitle is, “How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.” The book encourages us not just to admire these men but to emulate them:

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within!

What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure…your greatest fear? – From the Amazon description of Mark Batterson’s book, emphasis his

The text goes on with a list of “The Thirty,” which contains more than 30 names, ending with Uriah the Hittite. (2 Samuel 23.8 – 31)

Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. (Jude 1.3, MSG)