True Value

One of the most striking examples of devotion in the Bible is found in II Samuel 14:17. David and his men were holed up in a cave at Adullam, virtual prisoners as they hid from enemy forces that were determined to kill David. The Bible says in verse 15, “And David longed, and said, ‘Oh, that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.” David was home sick. Saul had been pursuing him relentlessly to kill him. Even though David had been anointed to be king, that time had not yet come. He was probably just thinking out loud and longing for a bit of home, not unlike any soldier on any battlefield today might say.

But his dutiful men heard him. Their devotion and loyalty to their admired leader kept them alert to his every word or action. He did not know they would pick up on his sigh of lament and do the unthinkable. Verse 16 says, “And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate, and took it and brought it to David.” David, a man of deep devotion to God, was moved by this unexpected, selfless, heroic gesture. Knowing the cost of what the water represented, he deemed it too precious, too priceless, to drink. In an ultimate show of what it meant to him, the verse continues with the words, “nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.”

What must the men have thought? They had risked their very lives for this token of devotion to their leader! They could only listen in humbled awe as David lifted his voice in prayer as recorded in verse 17, “And he said, ‘Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?’ therefore he would not drink it.” As part of the ritual of Hebrew sacrifices, they never consumed the blood, but poured it out before God. David was offering to the Lord this water which represented the lives of his men.

Another time, David wanted to buy a threshing floor to erect an altar to the Lord (II Samuel 24:18). The owner, Araunah, offered to give it to David, along with oxen for the sacrifice and wood for the fire. But David insisted on paying for it. He said, “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.”

Thoughtful gift givers keep their ears open, attuned to a dropped remark or casual mention of something liked or of interest to a dear one. “How did you know I wanted that?” the recipient often exclaims in surprise. Because someone was paying attention. Can we do any less for the desires of our Lord, no matter what the cost?