What We Value Most Shows….

I’ve read this story many times, and I’ve always thought it was bizarre. Why would David request to drink from the well in Bethlehem? Why would His 3 mightiest warriors risk their life for a cup of water? Why would David refuse to drink it, dishonoring his greatest warriors the honor due them? It all doesn’t make sense, thinking about it from a worldly perspective, but then I think a little deeper into the story (with spiritual eyes). The water was just that, water. It was of no value unless you were dying of thirst. Since David’s 3 mightiest warriors risked their lives to obtain it, its value was that of 3 brave, loyal soldiers lives. That meant it’s value went from nothing to invaluable. And since it was the most valuable to David, he decided to offer it to the Lord as a liquid offering. This didn’t dishonor his men’s effort, it showed them what kind of person they risked their lives for. Well, in actuality these mighty warriors already knew what kind of man David was, one after God’s own heart. This made their journey and David’s act of honoring God even more special. It was so special that it is written down for us to read almost 3,000 years later. When you honor God by giving your best, what you value most, it shows Him and others what you value most, Him. When God requires the Israelites to dedicate their firstborn, and give the (best) first fruits of their harvest, and to teach His Word to their children, it shows God must be first. Even when Jesus went through the Temple with a whip chasing out all of the money changers and animals, this showed that people weren’t giving God their best, they were purchasing mediocre from someone else trying to make a buck. David’s example here clearly shows us what a heart for God truly looks like. Does your best look like this? If not, why not? God deserves our best.

13 Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty–an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. 14 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.15 David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 16 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 17 “The Lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. 2 Samuel 23:13-17