Eleazar the steadfast swordsman

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 26 JULY 2026 – PASTOR BRYAN CRUISE

2 Samuel 23 verses 8 to 12

 

Here in this chapter the dust literally still hands in the air. The Philistines war cry has sounded across the valley. They were determined to crush the Israelites. What did the Israelites do in response? They ran. They should have stood their ground but they fled the area. They scattered. All except 1 man. I want us to focus our attention on verses 9 and 10 this morning. In the mist of this retiring army one man stood his ground. He had no king’s crown on his head. He was not a giant slayer like David. He was simply a soldier in the battlefield. This chapter records David’s final testimony in the bible. Here we read of David’s warriors – men who fought impossible battles, who displayed extraordinary courage. Eleazar was the steadfast swordsman. 

First I want you to see his preparation for the battle. Eleazar’s name means God has helped or God is my helper. His name comes out of the shadows in verse 10. The Lord brought a great victory that day. His name preaches of the divine sufficiency of God. In 1 Chronicles 27 verse 4 we read “And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.” Eleazar’s father was Dodai and he was the commander of one of the 12 divisions of David’s army. He was in charge of 24,000 men within his division. So Eleazar was the son of a warrior. He came from a lineage of valour. Eleazar likely grew up around battle hardened men. His ability to stand alone was not spontaneous. It took years of training. He inherited the resolve of his father. He watched his father. Dodai’s greatest legacy was not the thousands of men he commanded, it was the one son he raised who refused to back down. Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God might not be in what you do but who you raise. Maybe you have children or grandchildren – what you say behind closed doors is so important. You can lead an army but it is your private faithfulness at home that is more important. So many carry sorrows in their own households. They may lead well in public but it is what goes on in the home that really counts. Dodai raised someone who could stand alone for his king. This detail hits hard when we ask – “where are the men, the fathers who are raising children who will stand alone?” Eleazar was a man who refused to let go. He had the sword of the Spirit and stood firm. He was nurtured, sharpened in the home of warrior. One of the reasons he could stand was because of the influence of his father. You have influence wherever you are today. Do you know that today? You might say to me “I am just 1 Christian. You don’t understand but tomorrow morning in my school, on the factory floor, in the canteen they will make jokes and jibes at me.” You have influence. Let me tell you this – people who pretend they don’t see you do see you. Whenever someone in the work place gossips about someone else – you are the one who speaks worthwhile truth. You are the person of godly influence. Eleazar did not fight bravely, he fought alone. In verses 9 and 10 we see his brothers fled. Whether it was due to fear, fatigue or faithlessness. They turned their backs on the enemy. It was abandonment. Whenever you lose your spot on the battlefield it means certain death. Eleazar arose to the situation. It was a challenging scenario in front of him. It was a solitary stand. It reflects deep loyalty to his King of kings. The word “arose” means so much more than standing up. It conveys a sense of rising with purpose. Stepping into the defensive. His action was purposeful.  It is the same verb in the Old Testament used to describe leaders to action. Genesis 22 verses 2 and 3 “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. ³ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.” Before Abraham took Isaac with him he rose up with purpose. Numbers 16 verse 25 “And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.” Whenever rebellion breaks out in the camp, Moses steps into a decisive role. Joshua 1 verse 2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” God called Joshua to arise with purpose. Everyone of those moments marks a moment of purpose. They chose to obey. They signify someone stepping into the frame. It defined them as believing, rooted not in ego but in faith. They believed that the battle mattered. They were standing for the kingdom. Eleazar did not do it because he was stronger than other soldiers. He was more convinced of the fight.  In 1521 when Martin Luther was summoned to recant his teachings, every bishop was against him yet he is recorded as saying “here I stand, I can do no other so help me God.” Eleazar stood. What happens when you stand for God? It was not because he didn’t fear, for I am sure he did feel it. There was a presence with him. 1 Chronicles 11 verse 13 “And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.  He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. ¹⁴ And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.” Barley was the humblest grain in ancient Israel. It was the food of the poor. John 6 verse 9 “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” The lad had 5 barley loaves. He was poor. This detail in our text, the fighting on the barley field. The ground seemed common to you and I. They were not defending a palace or a temple or the Israelite version of a treasury building. It was a barley field. If you had only one thing to defend and it was a barley field – who cares about that? Our man knew that it had been entrusted to Israel. It was not about barley but obedience. What you guard does not have to glamorous just God given. You teach Sunday School – who cares about that? You help at mums and tots – just a common thing. You are not one of the super spiritual. If you are given a field to defend in the kingdom of God then do it. Judges 7 verse 21 “And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.” This refers to Gideon’s 300 men – every man stood in his own place. Everyone had a place to stand. You cannot stand in my place and I cannot stand in yours. You have a place to stand for God.

His persistence in the battle.  Our text emphasizes Eleazar’s exhaustion. “He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.” He kept going past the point of human strength. This speaks of Eleazar’s tenacity.  His ability to fight when everything in him wanted to quit. He pressed on. God’s greatest victories come after you struggle. No doubt you have read stories of missionaries who have buried children overseas. Or know the single mother who drags herself and her children to church every week. Or widows who sit alone in the same pew singing the hymns yet is unwavering. Or the man who works various jobs yet he comes early to church to help set out the chairs. Or the woman who has chronic illness yet lifts up others in prayers. People like these press on weary but they don’t let go. Verses 9 and 10 speak of brutal endurance. He fights until his hand grows weary. His hand clave to the sword. That word “clave” comes from the Hebrew word dabaq. It means to cling to, to hold fast. It is used in other places. Genesis  2 verse 24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Deuteronomy 10 verse 20 “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” This word is always used to signify a relentless covenant attachment. Eleazar had a spiritual tenacity. Steadfast. Whenever faith is tested you cling to the sword. You cling to the sword of the Spirit, God’s word – Ephesians 6 verse 17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”  The sword is the only defensive piece of equipment. The Greek word for the “word” is logos. It is used in 1 John. Paul does not use that word rhema. Not the written word but rather the spoken word. The word of utterance. You not only need the written word but also the spoken word. In any situation bring one verse into your mind that brings confidence to your situation. You need to know the promise for the situation. In Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by Satan, he replied “it is written.” Jesus gave a specific word for the temptation. He knew what to say in the specific situation and he used it precisely. The Christian who neglects to read scripture goes into battle with a dull sword. A sharpened sword hidden in the heart, polished by meditation is deady to the believer. A believer must be skilled in scripture. The devil is not impressed by dusty bibles but by a believer who can show his loyalty to his sword. As you and I go into another week we will wield against the sword against the world. We are scripture poor. Colossians 3 verse 16 “let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Thirdly, his portion after the battle. The final sentence in verse 10  is both glorious and humbling. Eleazar is the only man who has fought the battle. He has faced it alone. He swung the sword and endured. The glory did not go to Eleazar but to the Lord. The writer of the book wants you to know God did this. Not techniques of human intervention. Harmony between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. The Lord is the one who brought the victory. Proverbs 21 verse 31 “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” On the day of battle you are the one who participates in the battle yet the Lord gives the safety and victory. God does not need me today. He works in spite of me. The mighty warrior depended on the mighty God. There is an interesting phrase – “and the people returned after him only to spoil.” The very people who ran away at the start scared and afraid, when they saw the Philistines were defeated they ran back again. The individuals who didn’t risk anything, who didn’t drop any blood, showed up at the end. The spoils were taken from the defeated army. The reward of the victory. Only one man fought to secure the reward – Eleazar. It is fitting that we close with this one sentence. It whispers the gospel more than the account of military might. It is a shadow of Calvary. It is pointing to a greater battle. The loner stand of Eleazar. He fought alone and everyone reaped the benefit. Christ fought alone at Calvary. We reaped the benefit. We received the spoil of a fight we didn’t participate in. All others forsook him. Our Saviour clung instead to a cross. With hands pierced he bore the wrath we deserved. We were undeserving of the spoil of victory – forgiveness, adoption, reconciliation with God. You and I come to Calvary empty handed. We receive a treasure we did not earn. The spoil with the strong. For he has poured out his soul unto death. You contribute nothing to your salvation except faith in Christ. Christ fought the battle for you. All you do is come to Christ with empty hands, come and say to the Lord how sorry you are for your sin. Turn from your sin, trust in Christ for forgiveness. Receive it rich and free. You do not contribute to the fight. You come empty and receive the spoil. The resurrection triumph was the church. We are the beneficiaries. God is still looking for swordsmen. Men and women who are steadfast in the fight. Believers who will stand their ground when others retreat. To cling to Christ when the cost is high. Endure in faith when no-one else will. Will he find a swordman in you today? The field is lonely. The battle is costly. Your hand will grow weary. The King is worthy. The sword is sufficient and God the Lord will bring about a great victory.