Love Revolutionaries and the Realm of Divine Might - Nathan Shaw
David and his mighty men pioneered a new normal in Israel. Supernatural exploits became common. There were three stages to the process:
- God raised up David as a pioneer.
- David trained a rag tag group of men.
- Within one generation Israel was radically transformed.
Many Davids—both men and women—will arise and pioneer a new normal in our generation. Pioneers open up new realms of experience for others. When this happens that which is rare becomes common.
David and his mighty men were legendary because they operated in the realm of divine might. This realm is available to every Christian: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). At the moment only a small number of Christians operate in the realm of divine might. This is about to change.
The Conflict Between Spiritual Governments
During the reign of King Saul there were three spiritual governments operating in the nation of Israel. I describe them as follows:
- King Saul and the ambitious nation.
- Samuel and the ecstatic prophets.
- David and his mighty men.
Significant foundations in these spiritual governments were not compatible. This caused intense conflict. The same conflict exists in the church today. However, in the midst of this conflict God is fashioning Davids. These Davids will be used to establish the government of God's kingdom in unprecedented measure.
King Saul, Samuel and David were all anointed in remarkable ways. They were all used to establish God's purposes for Israel. King Saul was anointed to unify the nation of Israel against her enemies. Samuel and the various prophetic communities were renowned for prophesying with great accuracy and releasing life changing power encounters. When Saul met one of these groups he had a dramatic power encounter and was changed into another man (1 Samuel 10:6). King Saul and Samuel became like spiritual fathers to David.
But what is it that set David apart? There is an important distinction to note between Saul's warriors and David's warriors. Saul had some mighty men (1 Samuel 14:52). David had men who operated in the realm of divine might. Scripture does not record any extensive list of exploits achieved by Saul's mighty men. This privilege is reserved only for David's mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8-39, 1 Chronicles 11:10-47).
What Is Divine Might?
Divine might is a supernatural grace. It gives the recipient the ability to operate with supernatural strength. This is by no means limited to physical exploits. Divine might can also empower people to operate with extraordinary endurance or exceptional creativity. Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians that they would be strengthened with God's might in the inner man. Paul prayed this prayer because he knew the dramatic impact divine might would have on them.
[I pray] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Divine might enables us to know dimensions of God's love that are so profound it is impossible to describe them using human language. And this love is not static. It moves us to action. Those who access the realm of divine might are empowered for love exploits. David modelled this when he killed the Philistine giant—Goliath. Israel and the Philistines were at war with each other. The Israelites were circumcised. The Philistines were not. Circumcision was a sign of covenant relationship. David was outraged that an uncircumcised Philistine would defy Yahweh—the God of covenant. When David killed Goliath he was motivated by covenant loyalty to God and His chosen people.
Love Revolutionaries
You see David was a love revolutionary. He delighted in the revelation of covenant. In Psalm 25:14 he says this: The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. You cannot separate God and covenant. God doesn't just initiate covenant relationship—He is the God of covenant. Covenant doesn't just describe what God does, it describes who He is. Covenant is indescribably beautiful. David imparted this revelation to his men. 2 Samuel 23 describes David's mighty men. In the middle of the chapter there is a powerful story. The story is strategically placed to express the dynamic of covenant love and covenant loyalty that existed among David's men.
Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men (2 Samuel 23:13-17).
Samuel and the various prophetic groups throughout Israel knew a great dimension of God's covenant love, but it was David's men who were uniquely positioned to experience it and model it. David's mighty men became legendary, but they were forged in the midst of hiddenness. They came to David when he was rejected and an outcast. They laid aside their personal ambitions, but they got something far greater. They encountered the God of covenant love. When they came to David they were distressed, in debt and discontented (1 Samuel 22:2). Little did they know how dramatic the transformation would be. They became love revolutionaries who operated in the realm of divine might!
For a season the conflict, the chaos and the confusion intensified in the nation of Israel. However, through all of this God uniquely positioned David to establish Israel in the values of covenant. Israel became prominent among the nations, faithfully declaring Yahweh—the God of covenant.
It Will Happen Again
God has many Davids in preparation right now. In David's day the kingdom of God was demonstrated in a greater way than ever before. This will happen again. Many things that are not considered possible now will become common place. The church will encounter God's love in unprecedented measure. Operating in the realm of divine might will become common. Love revolutionaries will arise from every nation. Christianity will be redefined within one generation.
© 2016 Nathan Shaw.
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