1 Crônicas 11

1 Crônicas 11

Meyer - “Sometimes longings like his take possession of us. We desire to drink again the waters of comparative innocence, of childlike trust and joy; to drink again of the fountains of human love; to have the bright, fresh rapture in God, and nature, and home. But it is a mistake to look back. Here and now, within us, Jesus is waiting to open the well of living water which springs up to eternal life, of which if we drink we never thirst.” Instead, we should look to the Lord right now with confidence for the future instead of dreaming about the past. “Purity is better than innocence; the blessedness which comes through suffering is richer than the gladsomeness of childhood; the peace of the heart is more than peace of circumstances.” (Meyer) F B Meyer - 1 Chronicles 11:17 Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem! David had often drunk of this well. As a boy he had gone with his mother to draw its clear, cold water. It was, therefore, associated with the happy days of childhood and youth that lay behind the haze of the years. In the sultry afternoon, as, from the cave in which he was hiding, he looked across the valley where his ancestress Ruth had gleaned in the fields of Boaz, to the long straggling town of his birth, it seemed as though nothing could stay his passionate longing for a draught of the water of the well of Bethlehem that was at the gate. Sometimes longings like his take possession of us. We desire to drink again the waters of comparative innocence, of childlike trust and joy; to drink again of the fountains of human love; to have the bright, fresh rapture in God and nature, and home. But it is a mistake to look back. Here and now, within us, Jesus is waiting to open the well of living water which springs up to eternal life, of which if we drink we never thirst. Purity is better than innocence; the blessedness which comes through suffering is richer than the gladsomeness of childhood; the peace of the heart is more than peace of circumstances. We have solace in Jesus, which even the dear love of home could not equal; and before us lies the reunion with the blessed dead. How shall we thank Him who, at the cost of His own blood, broke through the hosts of our foes, and won for us the river of life; and who forevermore will lead us to the fountains, where life rises fresh from the heart of God? Listen to His voice as He bids us drink abundantly: “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Henry Blackaby - David's Mighty Men David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. 1 Chronicles 11:17–19 (NASB) First of all, there’s the obvious question: After these guys risked their necks to get David that water, why didn’t he at least drink it instead of wasting it? It seems that David was so humbled by the sacrificial gift of his loyal friends that he could not accept it for himself but instead he offered it to God. These three men thought so highly of David that they endangered their own lives to meet his needs. What kind of person would inspire such loyalty? These were the elite of the army. They were superior soldiers in their own right. They spent much of their time helping David flee from wicked King Saul. They didn’t have to do that. They could have joined Saul’s army. The pay certainly would have been better, and they could say they worked for a king, not a fugitive. What was it about David that moved his friends to sacrifice their very lives for him? We may agree that it would be nice to have the kind of friends David had, but what kind of persons would we have to be in order to evoke such loyalty? David proved by his reaction to their venture that he certainly did not take their loyalty lightly. He could not even bring himself to drink the water they had retrieved under such dangerous circumstances. He probably made a mental note not to voice his longings quite so readily in the future once he realized just how loyal his comrades were. Think about your own friendships. Are your friends willing to take risks for you? If so, do they know that you’ll appreciate their efforts? Do they have the assurance that you’d do the same for them? (Borrow The experience : a devotional and journal : day by day with God) Moody's Today in the Word - 1 Chronicles 11:17 Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem! David had often drunk of this well. As a boy he had gone with his mother to draw its clear, cold water. It was, therefore, associated with the happy days of childhood and youth that lay behind the haze of the years. In the sultry afternoon, as, from the cave in which he was hiding, he looked across the valley where his ancestress Ruth had gleaned in the fields of Boaz, to the long straggling town of his birth, it seemed as though nothing could stay his passionate longing for a draught of the water of the well of Bethlehem that was at the gate. Sometimes longings like his take possession of us. We desire to drink again the waters of comparative innocence, of childlike trust and joy; to drink again of the fountains of human love; to have the bright, fresh rapture in God and nature, and home. But it is a mistake to look back. Here and now, within us, Jesus is waiting to open the well of living water which springs up to eternal life, of which if we drink we never thirst. Purity is better than innocence; the blessedness which comes through suffering is richer than the gladsomeness of childhood; the peace of the heart is more than peace of circumstances. We have solace in Jesus, which even the dear love of home could not equal; and before us lies the reunion with the blessed dead. How shall we thank Him who, at the cost of His own blood, broke through the hosts of our foes, and won for us the river of life; and who forevermore will lead us to the fountains, where life rises fresh from the heart of God? Listen to His voice as He bids us drink abundantly: “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” 1 Chronicles 11:18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; brake (KJV): 1Sa 19:5 Song 8:6 Ac 20:24 21:13 2Co 5:14,15 poured (KJV): 1Sa 7:6 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD -