1 Chronicles 12:22
For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.
Sermons
A Great Work Needs Great HelpJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 12:22
David's Mighty Men: the Gadites, Benjamites, and JudahF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 12:1-22
The Service of the Supreme KingW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 12:1-15, 19-22
One Increasing, Another DecreasingR. Tuck 1 Chronicles 12:22, 23














The way in which David was prepared for the sovereignty over Israel is very remarkable. He himself was disciplined by adversity for days of power and prosperity. And the people were gradually, during the later years of Saul's life and reign, made ready for the transfer of their allegiance to his nobler successor. His life as an outlaw was one of many dangers and perplexities and straits. But during this period many able and valiant men became acquainted with the daring and sagacious chief, learned to trust in him, attached themselves to his camp, and qualified themselves for posts of honour and authority in the kingdom that was to be founded by the son of Jesse. It was "at that time," that, "day by day, there came to David to help him, until it was a great host [or, 'camp'], like the camp of God."

I. IN ACCOMPLISHING A GREAT WORK, PROVIDENCE MAKES USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL AS THE CENTRE OF INFLUENCE AND AS THE LEADER OF OTHERS. Israel was to be consolidated into a mighty nation, and God chose David to do the work. He qualified him by his Spirit; gave him valour and prudence and the power of attracting others and attaching them to himself. And when God would restore humanity to its intended purpose, and establish his kingdom upon earth, he "set his King upon his holy hill of Zion." He chose to accomplish the great end by means of the Son of man, David's Son and David's Lord.

II. GOD GATHERS MEN AROUND THIS INDIVIDUAL BY THE ATTRACTION OF SYMPATHY AND FELLOWSHIP. David's fellow-countrymen recognized in him the qualifications necessary for a leader, a commander, a king. The valiant and capable, the flower of the youth, were drawn to him by the bends of a mighty attraction. He could never have done the work entrusted to him if he had been left alone. But he found lieutenants, counsellors, friends, with whose help everything became possible which was possible to man. This was an emblem of the power which Christ possesses to attach men's souls to himself. "I," said he, "if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto myself." It was so at the beginning. The apostles were Christ's lieutenants and captains in his holy war. The early history of the Church tells how capable and devoted men were raised up, to teach and preach, to organize and administer, to write and expound, to suffer, to witness, and to die. And from that time there has never been an era in which noble, brave, self-denying men have not been drawn to the Saviour by the magnetism of the Spirit's influence, and qualified to render service to the Church and to its Lord.

III. THESE HELPERS COME SUCCESSIVELY AND CONSTANTLY, AS NEED REQUIRES. David's confederates came in successive bands, as emergencies arose in which they were needed. His heart must have been cheered as they came, unexpectedly and yet most welcome, "day by day." A gradual and constant accession was thus made to his following, and to his power to rule when the right time came. It is the same in the kingdom of Christ, which "cometh not with observation," but the history of which is, nevertheless, one of incessant progress. In many ways God is bringing souls to the camp of his Son. And his warriors shall be numerous as the dewdrops of the morning, as the stars in the heavenly host of God.

IV. BY THE AGENCY OF NUMEROUS AND MIGHTY HELPERS THE GREAT WORK IS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. The preparations made, according to the text, issued in the establish, ment of a throne and dominion. And Christ's kingdom is to come on earth, not by the agency of angels or by the instrumentality of miracles, but by the consecrated adhesion of devoted, fearless, and self-denying spirits. In every congregation may many come, day by day, to Christ, to help him in his kingdom and his warfare! - T.

And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
I want to run a parallel between the case of David and that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I. HERE IS A VERY COMMENDABLE EXAMPLE. Many of these men of Judah and Benjamin went to join themselves to David.

1. Because they bad heard that he was the Lord's anointed If Jesus be God's anointed, let Him be your beloved.

2. Because of his personal excellences.

3. Because he was so misrepresented and abused by his enemies.

4. Because they believed that he had a great future before him.

II. A. CAUTIOUS INQUIRY. See what David said to them.

1. He set before them the right way; He said, "If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you." Here are three questions —(1) Do you come to Christ and accept Him?(2) Do you come with a desire to maintain peace among your Christian brethren?(3) Do you come with the intent of helping the Lord Jesus Christ to spread abroad His truth?

2. He set before them the wrong way: "But if ye be come to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it."Some betray the Lord Christ to His enemies —

1. By giving up the doctrines of the gospel.

2. By their inconsistent lives.

3. By apostasy.

III. A CORDIAL ENLISTMENT. "Thine are we, David, and on thy side," etc.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

Man is not an independent being. He is dependent for his life, his thought, his feeling — dependent upon God his Creator and his Preserver. He is dependent for the comforts and conveniences of life — dependent upon his fellow-men. And he that seems perhaps to be the most independent amongst us, is after all the most dependent upon his fellows. Man was never made to be independent here. He was never made to be alone. Some such circumstances as these gave rise to the peculiar position of the son of Jesse, as we read of him in the text. David was then combating against a twofold enemy — Saul, the king, his predecessor in office, and the Philistines, the hereditary foes of Israel. Let us mark the concurrent circumstances of these times. David's cause was not the winning side when these secessions broke off from the strength of Saul and attached themselves to the cause of the son of Jesse. He was as yet in point of numbers and of strength in a very small minority. He was not in power; and, so far as human appearances went, he was very far from power. Every appearance was against him. He himself, though the captain of a band, was a fugitive. And Saul was in power, for Saul was king. David is possessed of but scanty resources, but Saul can command the ways and the means and the supplies of a kingdom. And yet these men come, and they volunteer their services to the son of Jesse. They came not to the throne of one that rules, but they came to the cave of one that hides himself. No marvel that David should have suspected their proper aim, and should have inquired, inquisitively, as to the motive of their coming, as to the object of their visit in this the day of his distress and of his darkness. And this accounts for his inquiry in the verse preceding my text. We would learn from this text the value and the estimate to be set upon Christian co-operation. The downcast and the down-trodden may be rallied by a sympathising word, and may be aroused; and thus arise to his work and to his labour from the very consciousness that he is not altogether alone. Christian co-operation was given to Elijah. The assurance that God one day gave the Tishbite, that there were still seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal, mightily reassured the prophet. And when we come to inquire into the circumstances of this case a little further, respecting David, we are enabled to find out what was the kind of help, the quality of the help that he obtained. This may be judged of by considering the time in which the help was vouchsafed. As I have said, it was not in the time of his prosperity, but it was some time anterior to that, and in the time of his greatest adversity. Now, it is a law, or axiom, a practical law, that those men are most to be trusted in prosperity that have stood the firmest in the day of adversity. And verily, in practice, these men receive the reward of their fidelity. These men came and chose not the winning side; but there was a mark about even that declining interest — "Thy God helpeth thee." That decided the question. If God be for David, what can Saul do against him? "If God be for us, who can be against us?" God is not forgetful of your work and labour of love which you have showed toward His name. Mark, for instance, His twelve — His chosen ones. They had attached themselves to the person of the lowly Jesus, when there was no mark of distinction, of royalty, of kingly power: at His call they obeyed. Never were there purer days in the Christian faith than when the Christian faith was persecuted. Thus was it with David's auxiliaries: they looked not to the present adversity, but to the future glory. "Thy God helpeth thee," was sufficient as an indication of what would be. These were powerful men. Their faces were like the faces of lions; bold as a lion; "and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains." They were able to ford the depths of Jordan at its full, and in its overflowing, and to rout their enemies to the east and to the west. Truly, with such auxiliaries, David might well thank God, and take courage. But this was not all. His hopes begin to brighten, his prospects begin to look up. Day after day added its gradual increase to his army, until by and by it became a mighty host like unto "the host of God." That is what the Scripture says. Each tribe sent its proportion. Thousands, tens of thousands, flocked to the standard of David, and enlisted in defence of the cause of the son of Jesse, until well-nigh half a million of men may be counted, from the enumeration of our context, as having resorted to his cause. This, from beginnings small, but good; this, from incipient stages scanty, yet hopeful. And all these men are well spoken of. They were "mighty men of valour"; they were "ready armed"; they were "famous throughout the house of their fathers"; they were no anonymous helpers, but it is said they were "expressed by name to come and make David king." And the value of that help was great because it was a right hearty help — such a help as we need, such a help as is indispensable if we are to be helped at all. We want no halfhearted men, but we want men of God — they are the best, they are the surest, they are the safest, they are the most and the longest to be depended upon. Our experience of human helpers has been a chequered experience. Some that began with us have not continued; some from whom we expected much, perhaps, have broken down midway, departed from us, and went not with us to the work; some that promised nothing, and from whom we expected nothing, have been the most ready, and have been the foremost to come and say, "Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers."

(R. Maguire, M. A.)

I.INTELLIGENCE is required.

II.COURAGE is required.

III.UNITY is required.

IV.ENTHUSIASM is required.

(J. Wolfendale.)

People
Aaron, Aaronites, Adnah, Ahiezer, Amasai, Asher, Attai, Azareel, Azmaveth, Bealiah, Benjamin, Benjaminites, Berachah, Danites, David, Eliab, Eliel, Elihu, Elkanah, Eluzai, Elzabad, Ezer, Gad, Gadites, Gedor, Gibeon, Ishmaiah, Ismaiah, Israelites, Issachar, Isshiah, Jahaziel, Jashobeam, Jediael, Jehoiada, Jehu, Jeremiah, Jerimoth, Jeroham, Jesiah, Jesse, Jeziel, Joash, Joelah, Joezer, Johanan, Josabad, Jozabad, Kish, Korahites, Korhites, Levi, Levites, Machbanai, Manasseh, Michael, Mishmannah, Naphtali, Obadiah, Pelet, Reuben, Reubenites, Saul, Shemaah, Shemariah, Shephatiah, Simeon, Simeonites, Zadok, Zebadiah, Zebulun, Zilthai
Places
Anathoth, Gederah, Gedor, Gibeah, Gibeon, Hebron, Jordan River, Ziklag
Topics
Army, Camp, David, Host, Kept, Supporters, Till
Outline
1. The companies that came to David at Ziklag
23. The armies that came to him at Hebron

Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 12:19-20

     7266   tribes of Israel

Library
Drill and Enthusiasm
'[Men that] could keep rank, they were not of double heart.'--1 CHRON. xii. 33. These words come from the muster-roll of the hastily raised army that brought David up to Hebron and made him King. The catalogue abounds in brief characterisations of the qualities of each tribe's contingent. For example, Issachar had 'understanding of the times.' Our text is spoken of the warriors of Zebulon, who had left their hills and their flocks in the far north, and poured down from their seats by the blue waters
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Channel of Power.
A Word that Sticks and Stings. I suppose everyone here can think of three or four persons whom he loves or regards highly, who are not christians. Can you? Perhaps in your own home circle, or in the circle of your close friends. They may be nice people, cultured, lovable, delightful companions, fond of music and good books, and all that; but this is true of them, that they do not trust and confess Jesus as a personal Savior. Can you think of such persons in your own circle? I am going to wait a
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

God's Answers
GOD'S ANSWERS: A RECORD OF MISS ANNIE MACPHERSON'S WORK AT THE HOME OF INDUSTRY, SPITALFIELDS, LONDON, AND IN CANADA. CLARA M. S. LOWE "Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee." --1 CHRON. xii. 18.
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers

Beneath his Banner
"Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse."--1 Chron. xii. 18. Mechthild of Hellfde, 1277. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 'Twixt God and thee but love shall be; 'Twixt earth and thee distrust and fear, 'Twixt sin and thee shall be hate and war; And hope shall be 'twixt Heaven and thee Till night is o'er.
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

Epistle xxxix. To Anastasius, Bishop .
To Anastasius, Bishop [1602] . Gregory to Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14), because that great river which once had left the rocks of Antioch dry has returned at length to its proper channel, and waters the subject valleys that are near, so as also to bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, and some an hundred-fold. For now there is no doubt that many flowers of souls are growing up in its valleys, and that
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The King.
We have now to turn and see the sudden change of fortune which lifted the exile to a throne. The heavy cloud which had brooded so long over the doomed king broke in lightning crash on the disastrous field of Gilboa. Where is there a sadder and more solemn story of the fate of a soul which makes shipwreck "of faith and of a good conscience," than that awful page which tells how, godless, wretched, mad with despair and measureless pride, he flung himself on his bloody sword, and died a suicide's death,
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

Watching the Horizon
"Thy Kingdom Come." "Thou art coming! We are waiting With a hope that cannot fail; Asking not the day or hour, Resting on Thy word of power, Anchored safe within the veil. Time appointed may be long, But the vision must be sure: Certainty shall make us strong, Joyful patience must endure. "O the joy to see Thee reigning, Thee, my own beloved Lord! Every tongue Thy name confessing, Worship, honour, glory, blessing, Brought to Thee with glad accord! Thee, my Master and my Friend, Vindicated and enthroned!
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

'The Waters Saw Thee; they were Afraid'
'And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 6. And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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