An ancient superhero group called The Three – 2 Samuel 23:8–39, Part 1

Who is your favorite superhero? I asked that question as an intro to my sermon this past Sunday, and I gave people in the congregation a chance to answer. The first one said, “Dr. Strange, because he harnesses power for a different dimension.” Another said “Captain America, because he is a regular soldier.” A third said, “My grandson, because he is so kind and good.”

All excellent answers. As I mentioned in the previous post, there were ancient superheroes in the Bible. We meet them in 2 Samuel 23. 

I began the Life of David blog series months ago, and what a life David had. We first learned about the prophet Samuel who led the nation until Israel asked for a king.  Then we met the first king, Saul, who was mostly a mess.  Because Saul was a wreck, God sent Samuel to anoint David to be the next king.  But it wasn’t as though David instantly ascended to the throne.  It took years, maybe a decade or more, and lots of drama, until David was King of Israel. Then we watched the many ups and downs of his monarchy, some of the downs his own fault.  Now David is nearing the end of his life, and we learn about some of the heroes that supported David.  When I say, “heroes,” I mean it.  These are guys are like ancient superheroes.  Their feats of bravery and victory are amazing. 

First we meet a group called The Three in 2 Samuel 23:8–12.

Josheb killed 800 men with a spear, in one encounter.

Eleazar struck down so many Philistines, his hand stuck to his sword.  And that was after his troops retreated, leaving him alone.  Have you ever used a tool so fiercely and so long your muscles cramp in place around the handle?  I’ve experienced that splitting wood a few times.

Finally, the last of the three was Shammah.  Alone, he stood in the middle of a field and struck down Philistines.

Can you see why I suggested that they are like ancient superheroes?  Their exploits are the stuff of Hollywood blockbuster movies.  Their victories sound fitting for Iron Man, Batman, Captain America, or Thor. 

But let me backtrack. The Three are not superheroes.  They don’t have magical powers, and they don’t have super suits and special weapons.  There is, however, a very specific reason for their victory.

That reason is in a phrase that is repeated in 2 Samuel 23, verses 8–12.  It is such an important phrase, the author repeats it, meaning that the author does not want his readers to miss this phrase.  See the repeated phrase? 

We’ll talk about it in the next post.

Photo by César Hernández on Unsplash