I wonder why the account of David’s mighty men is preserved in Scripture for us. What can you glean from these? If you have any ideas, please share them with me. Perhaps they are here to demonstrate to us what kind of leader David was, to sort of develop this character who was not only a giant of the Old Testament, but also one of the “Greats” of history. He inspired such loyalty from his men that three of them risked their lives to get a drink of water for him during a battle. However much he wanted the water, he did not want his men risking their lives for such a mission, and he showed that he meant what he said by pouring the water out rather than drinking it. He wasn’t demonstrating ungratefulness, but a great respect for their lives. He thus demonstrated that he was a leader who valued his subordinates as individuals and did not see himself as more important than them. He gave credit where credit was due by sharing the exploits of these men and identifying who were “the three” and who were part of “the thirty,” but note that Scripture does not give credit where credit wasn’t due. It was clear that some of these men were superior in might to others, and all received the recognition that they deserved.
This account also shows that David was not the kind of leader to recruit men out from under the king while he was not serving as king; these men came to him. He may have started out leading the rabble of society, but good men wanted to serve under him. Under God’s orchestration, the best of men came, in time, to serve under him.
By the time David was crowned king of all Israel, all of Israel were glad to accept him as their king. They acknowledged that this was God’s choice for their king, and they were wholehearted in their support for him. The result was that all of Israel was unified under David’s rule, and there was joy in the nation for it. There were no more reservations about David’s being the true king of Israel. This is an important fact to establish; David was neither a usurper of the throne, nor was he ever seen as a usurper.
The capturing of Jerusalem and establishment as Israel’s capital is another key event in this passage that we shouldn’t fail to note. David made his residence in the fortress within the city and called it the City of David.