They thought they were on the winning side, but it was in reality the losing
    side. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the rightful king. God has appointed and
    anointed Him, “ and given  Him a name which is above every name “ (Phip.
    2:9) – but only a few accept Him as such; the vast majority reject Him.

    During his rejection David needed men who not only admired him  at a
    distance and believed in him secretly, but men who would come out boldly
    and follow him. This is what exactly what our King needs today. What kind
    of men (or women) does our King need?

    I. He needs a great variety of men or women who come to Him out of every
    tribe and nation.
   

    Notice verses 24-37 the description of the men who came to David out of
    many tribes. Today while our King is rejected by the world, the Holy Spirit
    is calling out people who in a special sense belong to Him and are on His
    side. This is the divine plan – look up Acts 15:14-16, and compare Luke
    19:12. Just as the loyal subjects of king David came to him day by day , so
    the Holy Spirit is, in this day of grace, calling out men and women to be the
    loyal subjects of out Savior – King – look up Acts 2:47. Do you belong to
    this company of “called out” ones who have been born-again by the Holy
    Spirit (1Pt.1:23) and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (1Pt.1:19)?
    Do you recognize the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior and King?

    II. He needs men or women who are separated unto Him.

    Read verse 8. There can be nothing in the Lord’s army greater than His
    followers to be truly separated unto Him. Our weakness so often is that we
    are mixed up with the world – look up 2Tim.2:4,and compare
    2Cor.6:17;Heb.13:13. We live in solemn days , and it is a sad thing  when
    Christians become entangled  with the world and side with those who in
    their hearts reject the King. As you read this chapter you will discover that
    David required men of quality – selected,separated men. Are you one of
    these?

    III. He needs men or women who are fully trained and equipped for warfare.

    Read verse 2,8 and 38. How foolish to imagine that being a Christian is an
    easy-going life! The kind of men our Lord wants is indicated by these
    verses,which speak of soldiers … armed with bows, and could use both right
    and left hands hurling stones and shooting arrows … men of might…men of
    war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were
    like the faces of lions, and were as swift as roes upon mountains… that
    could keep rank… with a perfect heart.

    The warfare which we re engaged is fierce, and our enemy is very powerful
    (Eph.6:12), so if we are to be any good at all in waging this great spiritual
    warfare, we must be men who are trained,disciplined,and properly equipped.
    We must not only know how to put on the whole armour of God (Ehp.6:13-
    17), but also how to use the two weapons of our warfare- the Word of God
    (Heb.4:12); and second the prayer of faith (James 5:15-18). And notice, we
    must be able to understand the times we live in- see verse 32.
   

     IV. He needs men or women who will not count their lives dear to
    themselves.

    The welfare in which David’s men were engaged was very costly; but they
    had counted the cost and were willing to go ahead even though it might
    mean death. Picture the scene in verse 15: a company of men going over the
    Jordan when the river was in flood! They were men of grit and backbone;
    and with all the forces of evil that surround us today, with all the difficulties
    that assail the true servants of God, and with all the efforts of Satan to
    overthrow the Word of God, Christians are needed to have grit and
    backbone. They need to be of the Daniel type (Dan.6:10,16-24); and the
    Barnabas and Paul type (Acts. 15:26). It cost to be a Christian in many parts
    of the world today; and maybe before long the testing times will come to
    those who until now have known little of real persecution for Christ’s sake.

    V. He needs men or women of supernatural strength.

    Read the second part of verse 8, and verse 21. What mighty men David had
    in his army. They illustrate the fact that ONE WITH GOD IS A MAJORITY.
    Look up Deut.32:30). David with his tiny sling, plus God, is a match for any
    Goliath (1 Sam. 17:50). Gideon and his 300, plus God, is a match for any
    invading army. (Jud. 7:22). Peter, plus God, can easily secure  his 3000 (Acts
    2:4,14,41). How is it that such great victories were achieved by men who
    were weak by themselves? The answer is in verse 18 – “the Spirit of the
    Lord”. And the need today is for men and women who are strong in faith
    (Rom. 4:19,20), and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31).

    VI. He needs men or women who are of unquestioned loyalty.

    Look at verse 16 and 17, and compare Matthew 11:6. How easy it is to doubt
    and to fear as we look around us, and how necessary it is that through all
    these worsening conditions we remain loyal to the KING.!
    VII. He needs men or women who are possessed with one supreme desire.
    Verses 22,33 and 38 make it clear that David’s men had one burning desire,
    namely, TO MAKE DAVID KING and that also should be our desire. Our
    King is surely coming, and coming soon. Can you look Jesus in the face and
    say – verse 18?