Thank God for Abishai
2 Samuel 21:17
Intro: One of the greatest mistakes a church member can make is to think they are not important or cannot be an asset. We need a church full of Abishai’s.
I. His Availability – 1 Samuel 26:6
The first mention of Abishai, he was volunteering for a dangerous mission with David.
What a blessing it is to have some people nearby that you can call on when there is a need.
- Someone you don’t have to talk into it.
- Someone you don’t have to bring up to speed with the current situation.
- Someone you don’t have to explain everything to.
- Someone that you can trust to go with you and help you.
- Someone that is eager to serve and fight without even knowing all the plans and details.
II. His Awareness
- 2 Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
He was close enough to David to see him when he waxed faint.
He saw David struggling.
He knew something was wrong.
He had a good enough relationship with David that he picked up on it when David wasn’t well.
NOTE: What’s bad is when those in the camp identify more with Ishbibenob than they do Abisha!
Many times the man of God is waxing faint because somebody in the church is acting more like a Philistine than an Israelite!
They are the cause of the stress and the weariness.
God forbid that anybody WITHIN the church is contributing to the weariness and fainting of God’s people!
Thank God for the Abishai’s that are aware and perceptive.
- He didn’t go on hearsay; he knew David first-hand.
- He didn’t rely on others to tell him how David was doing, he saw it for himself.
- He didn’t hear it through the grapevine; he was close enough to detect something was wrong for himself.
I Thessalonians 5
- 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
- 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
2 Timothy 1
- 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
- 17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
III. His Allegiance
In our text, Abishai didn’t abandon David when he needed help the most.
And instead of turning his back on David, and trying to replace him, or finish him off, he stayed with him.
He stayed and was there for him in his hour of need.
- Proverbs 25:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
Abishai didn’t follow David because he was perfect. He wasn’t.
He followed him because he was God’s anointed. (SEE 2 Samuel 5:1-3)
He had seen David in his prime; and he was seeing David at his weakest.
David was human. He made mistakes.
But Abishai didn’t expect David to be superhuman.
When he saw him waxing faint, he didn’t use that as an opportunity to take advantage of him.
David had experienced a lot of hurt in his life.
1. David had been chased for years by Saul, a man he loved and had ministered to.
2. Absalom stole the throne from him and he had turned the hearts of the men. (SEE 2 Samuel 15:13)
3. In 2 Samuel 20, a man named Sheba turned the hearts of every man in Israel away from David.
NOTE: It was Abishai that David turned to in 2 Samuel 20 to help minimize the damage.(See verse 6)
You can say what you want to, but churches that lack men that stand with the pastor are rare.
- 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
IV. His Assistance
He didn’t wait to be asked.
He didn’t wait to be drafted.
He didn’t wait for the phone to ring.
He jumped at the chance to help and assist David.
He had wanted to help David in the cave with Saul, but David held him back.
David wouldn’t turn him loose on Saul, because Saul was God’s anointed.
Abishai had followed David’s leadership and trusted David with that decision.
But in this story, things were different.
I’m sure Abishai had dreamed of his chance to kill a giant.
He had heard the stories of David killing Goliath. Now it was his turn.
Conclusion: Why is Abishai so important? Notice what they said in verse 17:
- 2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
They were all fighters; they were all soldiers and warriors.
But they referred to David as “the light of Israel.”
Why? I’d guess it was because though they knew HOW to fight, it was David that reminded them WHY to fight.
It was David that had coined the phrase, “Is there not a cause?”
It was David that had bolstered the confidence of Israel when their hearts shook with fear.
It was David that had fought his first giant while others told him “…thou art not able.” (I Samuel 17:33)
It was David that had recruited them, taught them, motivated them, led them.
They didn’t treat David like an expendable crewman.
They were in the battle because of David.
They were fighting giants because of David.
If it hadn’t been for David, they would have been servants to the Philistines way back in 1 Samuel 17.
They were not quitting the fight; they planned to keep fighting. Notice their words in verse 17:
- Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
They just didn’t want David fighting giants that they were able to fight!
What am I saying tonight? I’m simply saying, Thank God for Abishai!