When is it time to defect to the other side? When does it make sense? How long does it take for your eyes to be opened and realize that you’re on the wrong side? What happened to David thousands of years ago can be applied to today’s circumstances. It’s time to think about it. Let’s dig in…
1 Chronicles 12 – Warriors Defect to David’s Army
The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. 2 All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. 3 Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors:
Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth;
Beracah;
Jehu from Anathoth;
4 Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty;
Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah;
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph;
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites;
7 Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.8 Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains.
9 Ezer was their leader.
Obadiah was second.
Eliab was third.
10 Mishmannah was fourth.
Jeremiah was fifth.
11 Attai was sixth.
Eliel was seventh.
12 Johanan was eighth.
Elzabad was ninth.
13 Jeremiah was tenth.
Macbannai was eleventh.14 These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand! 15 These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks.
16 Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said, “If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you.”
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said,
“We are yours, David!
We are on your side, son of Jesse.
Peace and prosperity be with you,
and success to all who help you,
for your God is the one who helps you.”So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.
19 Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said, “It will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us.”
20 Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded 1,000 troops from the tribe of Manasseh. 21 They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. 22 Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God.
23 These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had promised.
24 From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears.
25 From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 brave warriors.
26 From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 warriors. 27 This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command. 28 This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 members of his family who were all officers.
29 From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time.
30 From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan.
31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king.
32 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.
33 From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David.
34 From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears.
35 From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle.
36 From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle.
37 From the east side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon.
38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. 39 They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. 40 And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.
1 Chronicles 12 NLT
Realize When It’s Time to Defect
I remember many movies and TV shows of the 60s-80s that depicted dramatic stories of people defecting from Communist countries. They saw that living conditions in their homeland were become unbearable and they had no choice but to leave. They left everything they knew to go elsewhere where they could be free.
Furthermore, they recognized corrupt, even insane leaders. Their eyes were opened. Are your eyes opened? Or are you purposefully ignoring what’s going on because it’s too ugly?
Why Did Saul’s Men Defect?
These men were well-trained military men. They realized…
- … that King Saul’s mental capacity had deteriorated.
- … Saul’s approval rating was way below 39%.
- … that David was innocent and never did anything wrong and was a better leader.
- … that God was on David’s side.
It was obvious to the men that Saul was mentally incapacitated. God’s favor had left him.
“Your God helps you.” That’s what one of Saul’s men said to David when he defected. He, along with many others, came to the realization that it was time to switch sides. It was obvious. It made sense and they were blessed.
Why I Defected from the Democrat Party
Once upon a time, I was a Democrat. My parents were, so I was. You can read the details here. Moreover, it wasn’t until I was born again that the Holy Spirit convicted me and opened my eyes to the truth. I defected and I haven’t looked back.
Today was Primary Day in several states. November 2022 will be a very big deal to see how many folks defect. My prayer is that God gives both our current leaders and the ones coming in an understanding of the times and to know what ought to be done. This is not a time to be close-minded. This is not the time to ignore what’s really going on. Furthermore, it’s certainly not the time to stay home and not vote. Pray before you vote. Honestly and sincerely, humble yourself before God and ask HIM who you should choose.
Find Joy!
The last verse in this chapter says it all, “There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.” “Great joy!” Imagine that. Is there great joy in America right now? Not unless you have the Joy of the Lord in your heart. See, I would be depressed, stressed, anxious, worried, angry, etc., but I’m not. I have the Joy of the Lord. It’s a joy that’s given to all born again believers. It’s part of the Fruit of the Spirit. I have joy because I have the truth of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Said…
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NLT
Paul wrote…
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:19-23 NLT
The question is, if you call yourself a Christian, it’s time to call on the Holy Spirit and ask God to help you see the TRUTH. Not somebody’s made up or twisted “truth”, but God’s truth. When you do, you’ll find His Joy — a Joy that no one or nothing in this weary, evil world can ever give or take away.
