“…Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…as a sacrifice to God.”

The king was older now.  Weariness was increasingly creeping up on him.  He needed more rest as the long days wore on.  He had ruled Israel now for forty years, and is strength was gradually failing.  The close of David’s life is recorded at the end of 2 Samuel and the beginning of 1 Kings.  As life winds up, it is good to reflect on great moments—exciting events in the life of a family, great victories over enemies or the blessings of good fortune.  It is the same when a leader retires, whether he/she is a coach, politician or corporate executive.

So David is preparing to die, and it is time to reflect, especially on some of the triumphs.  And a portion of 2 Samuel 23 reads like a verbal highlight video of momentous victories in battle by his mighty men.  Undoubtedly a fighter named Josheb-Basshebeth achieved the most amazing feat.  He killed eight-hundred men in one battle (v. 8).  800!  Talk about a bodyguard!  No wonder David made him the chief.

But another interesting thing happened when “the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem” (v. 14). Bethlehem was David’s hometown, and because of the Philistine presence, he was hiding at one of his favorite sanctuaries, the “cave of Adullam” (v. 13).  David had been on the trail for a while and he was quite parched and thirsty.  Longing for a drink from his favorite watering hole, he said in his fatigue (v. 15), “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” Three of his mighty men heard him, and that was the only word they needed from their beloved commander.  Off they went on their mission.

I can see it on the movie screen: The three slip out of camp, possibly by cover of night.  They get as close to the Philistines as they can without being detected.  Then they spring their surprise, hacking, cutting, fighting their way to the well.  Enemy soldiers lay strewn in their path.  And they must move quickly before they are overwhelmed with enemy reinforcements.  At the well two of them continue to fight while the third pulls up a flask of water.  Then they fight through the last line of Philistines, make their way back to camp and present David with his desire.

Amazingly, David refuses to drink it.  Why?  “Far be it from me, O Lord, to [drink this]!  Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?”  So “he poured it out before the Lord” (vs. 16-17).  While the text does not say this was a sacrifice, it was, and we can see why.  In David’s eyes, the water symbolized the risk the three took to satisfy his desire.  And this was typical thinking in the Old Testament.  Sacrifice and symbol went hand in hand.  Many sacrifices were symbolic.  Lambs don’t take away people’s sins; only God can do that.  God doesn’t need what his people offer as sacrifices; we need to make sacrifices to remember his provision and blessings.  So sacrifice and symbol are closely woven together.  And that is what David says here.  The water came to represent the men’s sacrifice, and there was no way in the world he would satisfy his own temporary thirst with such a profound sacrifice.  So he did them the honor of taking their sacrifice and giving it to the Lord by pouring it out to him.

However, when Jesus died it was not just a symbol or picture or metaphor.  It didn’t represent something else; it was the real thing.  Jesus’ death, his shedding of blood, is the only sacrifice that actually works because it was “for us” and acceptable “to God” (Eph. 5:2).  His act was what all those other earlier sacrificial offerings pointed to.  Those were symbolic, his was ultimate.  It is no wonder why radical unbelievers say his death, like David’s sacrifice of the water, was wasted or foolish.  “Why not just drink the water and enjoy it?  Why not let Jesus live?  What’s the problem?”  That shows just how little they understand God’s ways and the predicament their sin has caused.  They simply don’t get it.

Another thing about Christ’s sacrifice is that it was motivated by love: “Christ loved us and gave himself up…as a sacrifice…” (Eph. 5:2).  In other words, he didn’t do it under compulsion or constraint; he wanted to do it, to be there, on the cross, for us.  His undeterred, undistracted love drove him there.

How do we stack up as “imitators of God,” living a life of sacrificial love “as Christ loved us”?