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THE MIGHTY MAN ELEAZAR
II Samuel 23:8-10
Sunday Morning Sermon
March 21, 1999
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
This morning I want us to look at a few of the mighty men of David. And from these men, we can learn several things that will help us live a better Christian life.
In VERSE 8 we can see there was a man named Adino who killed 800 men with his spear at one time. Can you imagine a soldier who killed 800 men with his spear? What a man! 800 men killed with one spear?
In VERSE 9 we find a man named Eleazar. Let's read that verse again.
VERSE 10 is our text verse for this morning and I want us to concentrate on the middle phrase:
“...and his hand clave unto the sword...”
Here is Eleazar, one of David's mighty men, one of three men who were going to fight the Philistines
by themselves. The Bible says that the men of Israel were gone away.
Eleazar rose up - and we need to rise up - to fight the enemy of God, just as we need to do.
He fought the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword. He fought so hard
that his arm was sore from holding his sword.
And when the battle was over, the Bible says that his hand clave to the sword. That means that his hand wouldn't let go of his sword. He had been fighting so long and so hard that his hard had almost molded to the sword.
Some of you may have worked in the garden hoeing weeds, or maybe some of you have hoed cotton in the fields.
You remember how that when you got through, your hands were so tired that they sorta molded to the hoe handle. Even when you let go of the hoe, your hands still molded themselves into the shape of the hoe handle.
Eleazar was in a battle for the Lord and he fought until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the
sword. He couldn't let go of the sword.
There are three things I want us to learn from Eleazar, one of David's mighty men:
1. HE TOOK A TIGHT GRIP ON THE SWORD
Remember the hoe handle? What happened if you just barely grabbed it and worked for a few minutes? That's right, it would eat your hand
up real quick.
I see Eleazar there in the battle and he knew it was going to be tough. He said to himself, "I've got my work cut out for me, I better get a good grip."
Eleazar knew that he would have to have a tight grip on the sword if he wanted to win the battle.
The same thing applies to us today. We need to take a tight grip on this sword, the word of God.
As a matter of fact, God's word itself tells us to get a tight grip on the sword.
HEBREWS 4:12
“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Today, March 21, 1999, (July 19, 1987), we need to take a tighter grip on the word of God more than we ever have before.
Eleazar had to take a tight grip on the sword and we need to take a tight grip on this sword - the
Bible, the King James Version.
My favorite verse is II TIMOTHY 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workmen that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
We need to learn more of the word of God. We need to take a tight grip on the word of God.
May I also add that we need to stand up for the word of God. We need to stand up for what is right and wrong.
If it's wrong to steal - then let's fight stealing.
If it's wrong to lie - then let's fight lying.
If it's wrong to smoke - then let's fight smoking.
If it's wrong to drink - then let's fight alcohol.
If it's wrong to commit adultery - then let's fight adultery.
If it's wrong to do drugs - then let's fight drugs.
We need to stand up for the word of God. We need to take a tighter grip on the sword.
2. HE WAS IN A BATTLE
Eleazar was in a battle - we are in a battle.
Eleazar was in a battle against the enemies of God and we are in a battle against the enemies of God.
The very instant you accept Christ as personal Saviour, you are in a battle.
Eleazar knew he was going to be in a battle so he prepared by taking a tighter grip on the sword.
He knew the battle would be tough, he knew it would be hard, he knew it would be one of the most difficult things he ever did.
The Christian life is a tough life.
Satan is a powerful enemy. And we need to realize we are in a battle.
Listen, I've said it before, Satan already has the people in the DONKEY-HONKS, he already has the people living in sin, and now he wants you.
Eleazar was in a battle and we are in a battle.
3. HE HAD A SPIRIT OF SELF-
FORGETFULNESS
Eleazar had to forget about himself.
If he had stopped and thought about the battle, he would have left. Eleazar was one of three men about to fight a whole army.
He could have stopped and said, "No, it's not worth it!"
"It will cost me too much."
"Adino, do you think I'm crazy?"
NO, Eleazar realized that there was a battle and he knew it had to be fought. He had a spirit of self-
forgetfulness.
SELF-FORGETFULNESS: a lost art in the Baptist churches today
"Well, I got my feeling hurt."
"I sure do have a life full of problems."
"The preacher preaches too hard."
"The preacher preaches straight to me."
The problem with Baptist churches today is that too many members have never developed SELF-FORGETFULNESS.
Do you want to develop a spirit of self-forgetfulness?
Then why don't you make up your mind to go see Mrs. Price or some other shut-in every day, seven days a week.
"I don't have time." Proves my point exactly!
Why don't you come down here to the church and straighten up the songbooks?
Do you want to have a spirit of self-forgetfulness? Then do something for others.
The best Sunday School teachers in the world are the ones who have a spirit of self-forgetfulness.
The best Sunday School teachers are the ones who realize that the problems of their students are lots bigger than their own.
Eleazar had a spirit of self-forgetfulness.
We need more Eleazars today. We need more Eleazars who will learn the word of God and live it.
We need more Eleazars who will realize that they are in a battle. We need more Eleazars who have a spirit of self-forgetfulness.
Let's pray.
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