Bulletin Articles
Eleazar, the son of Dodo
The second half of 2 Samuel 23 records the insane military achievements of David’s special forces, aka The Mighty Men. Just a few chapters earlier we read about other giants from Gath that his men defeated in battle. David was a true “influencer.” With his huge heart that sought after God, he led a handful of ragamuffins that joined him at the Cave of Adullam (1 Sam 22) to tremendous military heights. Take Eleazar, son of Dodo, for example:
"And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel retreated. He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.” 2 Samuel 23:9-10
Have you ever held something so tightly that you couldn’t let go of it? Maybe you lifted something so heavy that your fingers wouldn’t straighten up after you set the item down? At first there’s a mini panic, but after a couple minutes, the blood is flowing and the muscles relax.
Now imagine this fella, Eleazar, who stood his ground against the Philistines, swinging left and stabbing right, for long enough that his hand wouldn’t unfold from the hilt of his sword. His endurance and faith were impressive enough that it was highlighted by David and written down for us to read 3000 years later. What do we make of this?
Our war is spiritual; our daily battles are not of this flesh. And thanks be to God for the armor He provides us and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) May we ever be like Eleazar, the son of Dodo—with hands stuck to our swords after a lifetime of fighting the good fight. Let’s be influenced by Eleazar to rely on the word of God in times of trouble. If we never give up and never let go, God, too, will bring about a great victory.
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