Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. – 1 Chronicles 12:8

Today's Scripture Reading (July 4, 2025): 1 Chronicles 12

Over the past couple of years, we have seen excellent examples of men and women who have believed in something so strongly that they voluntarily put themselves in harm's way on foreign soil. When Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, a number of the captives were students attending a concert, but among them were also soldiers serving in the Israeli army, some of who were American citizens. Americans, especially those of Israeli descent, have a history of choosing to serve in the Israeli military because they believe in Israel. The West has not officially sent soldiers to Ukraine to fight against the invading Russians, but that doesn't mean that soldiers are not there from Western nations. Men and women have shown up ready to fight just because they believed in the cause and that Russia's invasion of a vulnerable neighbor is morally wrong. It is an interesting phenomenon. And it is not something that I expect our politicians understand entirely.

This passage dates back to a time when David was an outlaw living among the people of Philistia, continually pursued by Saul, the rightful King of Israel. At this time, men from the tribe of Gad defected from supporting Saul and Israel to support David. For whatever reason, they felt called to support David rather than their King. What that meant was that these men left their home in Gad, which is located on the east side of the Jordan River, and moved to where David was in Philistia, situated on the west side of Israel, by the Mediterranean Sea.

Chronicles tell us that these men arrived ready to fight. They didn't need to be trained; they could already handle the weapons of war. Their faces were fierce, possibly painted to intimidate their enemies, and they were swift. Men like this would be invaluable in a conflict, and they had chosen to support David. Possibly, they saw something in David that they felt they could support and a reason to fight that Saul wasn't giving to them. Or perhaps, in David, they saw a warrior who understood men like themselves, something that was lacking in Saul's leadership style. Either way, it was David whom they wanted to fight and David whom they chose to join, even though the warrior of Israel was currently living in Philistia.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 13

Happy Independence Day to all our friends in the United States.