Week of June 8 – June 14
For Death or for Life - Man as Battle Buddy
But Ittai answered the king, “As the lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be." - 2 Samuel 15:21
One of the fastest ways to find out who your true friends are is to walk through a crisis.
When things start to unravel, when criticism comes and circumstances turn against you, many suddenly find reasons to distance themselves. Believe me, I have experienced that personally. When I publicly took a stand for Christ and the heat came from the media, a lot of so-called friends headed for the exits. Precious few stood with me until God intervened and I was exonerated.
David was experiencing a severe crisis in 2 Samuel 15. His son Absalom had spent years stealing the hearts of the people of Israel. The conspiracy had grown strong, and David was forced to flee Jerusalem. The king who had once led armies to victory now walked barefoot and, weeping out of the city he called home. Friends were abandoning him. Trusted advisors were defecting. His kingdom appeared to be slipping away.
As David reviewed the men accompanying him into exile, he noticed Ittai the Gittite.
Ittai's presence was remarkable. He wasn't even an Israelite. He was a foreigner from Gath; the very region associated with Israel's longtime enemies but a place where David had served as a mercenary. Ittai had only recently arrived with six hundred men under his command. Humanly speaking, he had every reason to leave.
