It was an ambush. One minute they were hanging out in a barley field doing who knows what, and out of nowhere the enemy attacked. Not wanting to be caught in an unprepared moment of vulnerability and turned into fertilizer, the Israelite army fled. That is, except for two men who stood bravely in the middle of the field, David and one of his three inner circle men, Eleazar. They weren't going anywhere.
Holding their ground in the middle of the barley field, they beat back the attacking Philistines, having each other's backs at all costs. They walked away from that field victorious, two men who stood together against an enemy of great numbers.
As David took the reins of the kingdom, he established an inner circle called "The Three". They were great warriors whom he knew he could count on. They were men who would come to his side no matter what. They were level four friends. There was no battle too great, no favor too small. If he was in trouble, they would find him, and if he was in a battle, they were by his side.
"The Three (who were among the Thirty-- an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem." (2 Samuel 23:15-16)
You are in a battle for your life. You have got dragons to slay, giants to face, and problems to deal with closing in on every side. Look around, who's got your six? Who is in the foxhole with you, saying, "I got you"?
If you feel alone, it's time to recruit.
But remember, it's "be" before "have". David didn't need to convince The Three to join him. In fact, they were part of the contingency that made him king. David fought for his people in such a way that he attracted these warriors and many others who chose to be by his side. He was courageous, vulnerable, and thankful. He was a level four friend first, and that attracted the most elite to have his back.
When you are stuck in the stronghold with the enemy all around, who's coming for you? More importantly, who are you willing to stand firm with in the middle of the field, fighting off their enemies when everyone else abandons them?
In this event, the Bible says that David and Eleazer beat back the Philistines, then closes the sentence by saying God gave them a great victory. Don't forget to invite in the mightiest warrior of them all.
