I don't know about you but I'm always distracted lately. The information and technology age combined with hyper individual products like smartphones, watches and tablets with instant access to unlimited dalliances has me often wasting time with unimportant matters.
The truth is, it's harder than ever to focus our minds.
For that reason, the passage on the men who joined David really grabbed my attention. As 1 Chronicles 12 unpacks those who came to David from Saul, it also describes some of the gifts and abilities these men brought to the table.
First, we have listed the Benjaminites who brought their substance to David's authority:
1 Chronicles 12:29 (ESV) Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
Then there is the Ephraim tribe bringing their renown:
1 Chronicles 12:30 (ESV) Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses.
Then there is the half-tribe of Manasseh who brought the intention of making David king:
1 Chronicles 12:31 (ESV) Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king.
All these were important ingredients to David's ascension in authority.
But the listing goes deeper. Take, for instance, the tribe of Issachar.
1 Chronicles 12:32 (ESV) Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
I've always loved that verse. We need people in our lives who understand the times so that we can know what to do. David is surrounded by these men. It was not as though he had all the answers. He was no maverick leader. He looked to his brothers in Israel to bring him understanding of the age in which he lived.
Then later more tribes are listed:
1 Chronicles 12:34–37 (ESV) Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. 35 Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. 36 Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. 37 Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.
Six tribes are listed as having weapons necessary to fight the wars of Israel. Make no mistake, this was entirely necessary at the beginning of David's reign because of Israel's failure up to this moment to drive out all the remaining nations in the land. David had a lot of fighting to do.
But between Issachar and these 6 tribes are listed certain men from Zebulun:
1 Chronicles 12:33 (ESV) Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose.
I think this tribe is strategically placed in the listing of assets. For it's one thing to know what to do - fight the Lord's battles AND it's important to have the capacity to do what you should do, but keeping focused on the task is ultimately the link between having the resources and getting results. You need a Zebulun in your life. Interesting, Zebulun was the last of Leah's 6 sons which she bore to Jacob. At his birth, she considered that his arrival would give her husband singleness toward her. While Jacob always loved Rachel for her beauty, we remember he chose to be buried with Leah. Her hopes were answered.
If you let God bring focus to your life, He can turn those resources into results.
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