Lion-Faced Men for a Lion-Hearted King Text: 1 Chronicles 12:8-15
Introduction: The Kind of Men a King Gathers
We live in an age that is deeply confused about what a man is for. Our culture alternates between celebrating a brutish, toxic masculinity on the one hand, and promoting a soft, effeminate passivity on the other. The world gives us two options: the swaggering thug or the sensitive man-child. Both are caricatures, and both are useless to the King of kings. When a true king is on the move, he does not gather thugs, and he does not gather weaklings. He gathers mighty men of valor. He gathers men who are dangerous, but dangerous in his service and under his command.
The book of Chronicles is often neglected. We come to these long lists of names and our eyes glaze over. We treat them like the "begats" of the Old Testament, something to be dutifully skimmed on our way to the more exciting parts. But this is a profound mistake. These lists are not phone books; they are muster rolls. They are the lists of men who recognized the true king when he was still in the wilderness, when he was an outcast, when the established powers had rejected him. They are the men who threw their lot in with David when it was costly to do so. Their loyalty was not to the decaying house of Saul, but to the anointed of God.
And David is, of course, a type of Christ. The period when David was in the stronghold in the wilderness, rejected by the establishment but gathering a band of loyal followers, is a potent picture of our current age. Christ is the true King, anointed by the Father, but his reign is not yet fully recognized by the world. The Sauls of this world still occupy the thrones of power. And in this "in-between" time, the true King is gathering his own mighty men. He is calling men to separate themselves to him, to declare their allegiance, and to prepare for the day when his kingdom will be fully and finally established.
This passage in 1 Chronicles 12 is therefore not just a dusty historical record. It is a portrait of the kind of men Christ is building his church with. It is a description of true, biblical masculinity. It is a call to arms for every Christian man. The question before us is a simple one: if the Lord Jesus were gathering his special forces today, would you make the list? Would your character, your skill, your courage, and your loyalty commend you to the Son of David?
The Text
From the Gadites, mighty men of valor separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men of war who had gone out for military duty, who could handle large shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.
Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.
These of the sons of Gad were chiefs of the army; he who was least was equal to one hundred and the greatest to one thousand.
These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they made all those in the valleys flee, both to the east and to the west.
(1 Chronicles 12:8-15 LSB)
Separated Warriors (v. 8)
We begin with the description of these remarkable men.
"From the Gadites, mighty men of valor separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men of war who had gone out for military duty, who could handle large shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains." (1 Chronicles 12:8)
The first thing to notice is that these men "separated themselves to David." This was a deliberate, costly choice. The Gadites lived on the east side of the Jordan. Their tribal lands were not immediately adjacent to David's sphere of influence in Judah. Saul was the sitting king, the recognized authority. To join David was an act of rebellion against the establishment. It was to choose the wilderness stronghold over the comfortable city. It was an act of faith. They saw that God's anointing was on David, not Saul, and they acted accordingly. This is the first mark of a man of Christ: his ultimate loyalty is to the true King, not to the failing institutions of the world. He separates himself to Christ, which always means separating himself from something else.
They are described as "mighty men of valor." This is not just about physical strength. The Hebrew word for valor, chayil, carries the idea of strength, competence, character, and substance. These were not just brawlers; they were men of quality. They were "men of war," skilled and trained for their task. They could handle the essential tools of their trade: the "large shield and spear." This speaks of competence. Christian masculinity is not about bluster; it is about skill. A godly man learns to handle his weapons. In the New Covenant, our weapons are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4). A man of Christ learns to handle the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Then we have this magnificent description: "whose faces were like the faces of lions." This is not about being ugly. It is about being fearless. The lion is the king of beasts, and it does not turn away from any (Prov. 30:30). These men had a settled, resolute courage written on their faces. They were not easily intimidated. Our world is full of pressures to compromise, to soften our convictions, to be ashamed of the gospel. The King needs men with lion-faces, men who are unashamed, who will not flinch in the face of opposition, whose very demeanor declares their allegiance to the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
And they were not just fierce; they were also "as swift as the gazelles on the mountains." A lion is powerful, but not particularly fast. A gazelle is incredibly swift, but not powerful. These men combined both qualities. They had the ferocity of the lion and the agility of the gazelle. They were not just strong; they were disciplined and ready for action. They were not lumbering oafs. They were quick to obey, quick to move, quick to engage the enemy. For the Christian man, this means being zealous for good works, quick to repent, and swift to run the race set before us.
Named and Ranked Leaders (v. 9-14)
The Chronicler then does something very important. He names them and ranks them.
"Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. These of the sons of Gad were chiefs of the army; he who was least was equal to one hundred and the greatest to one thousand." (1 Chronicles 12:9-14 LSB)
God knows his men by name. In the great armies of the world, a soldier can be just a number. But in the army of the living God, every man is known. These names are recorded in the permanent record of Holy Scripture. Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab. Their loyalty is remembered forever. This is a profound encouragement. Your faithful service to King Jesus, even when it is unseen by the world, is seen and recorded by Him. He knows your name.
Notice also that they are leaders: "chiefs of the army." God's kingdom is an ordered kingdom. It has structure and authority. These men were not a ragtag mob; they were an organized fighting force with a clear chain of command. This is a rebuke to the egalitarian spirit of our age, which despises all authority and hierarchy. The church is an army, and an army has officers. God calls certain men to lead, and he equips them for it.
And what leaders they were. "He who was least was equal to one hundred and the greatest to one thousand." This is a staggering statement. This is not about one man physically fighting a hundred. It means that the least of these leaders could effectively command and lead a company of one hundred men. The greatest could lead a regiment of a thousand. This speaks of their immense capacity and influence. They were force multipliers. Their courage and skill were contagious. This is the nature of true leadership. A godly leader doesn't just do the work himself; he inspires and equips scores of others to do the work. A faithful father, an elder in the church, a Christian man in his vocation, should have an influence that far exceeds his own individual efforts. He leads in such a way that he makes a hundred others braver, more faithful, and more effective.
Overcoming Impossible Obstacles (v. 15)
The final verse gives us a concrete example of their character in action.
"These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they made all those in the valleys flee, both to the east and to the west." (1 Chronicles 12:15 LSB)
To get to David, these Gadites had to cross the Jordan River. But they came "in the first month," which is springtime, the time of the barley harvest. This is when the snow on Mount Hermon melts, and the Jordan swells into a raging, impassable torrent. It was "overflowing all its banks." From a human perspective, this was the worst possible time to attempt a crossing. A sensible person would have waited a few weeks for the water to subside.
But these were not men governed by mere sensible pragmatism. They were driven by loyalty to their king. The king needed them, and so the flooded Jordan was not an obstacle; it was simply the first enemy to be overcome. This is a direct echo of Joshua leading the priests into the Jordan at flood stage (Joshua 3). These men had the same kind of faith. Their zeal for David was such that they plunged into the flood. And their courage had its effect: "they made all those in the valleys flee." Their enemies, who were likely camped in the valleys on the other side, secure in the knowledge that the river was a natural barrier, were completely routed. The sheer audacity and determination of these Gadites threw them into a panic.
This is the kind of man God uses. He uses men who do not make excuses. He uses men who see an obstacle and, in faith, go right through it. Our culture teaches us to be cautious, to be risk-averse, to wait for the "right time." But when the King calls, the right time is now. The flooded Jordan is no excuse. The cultural opposition, the financial difficulty, the personal inconvenience, these are just the floodwaters that must be crossed in faith. And when Christian men act with this kind of decisive, God-honoring courage, it puts the enemies of God to flight. Our enemies are confident because they see the church as timid, hesitant, and respectable. They do not expect anyone to plunge into the flood.
The Greater David and His Mighty Men
This is a glorious picture of David's men. But it is, finally, a picture of something far greater. David was the anointed king, but he was just a shadow of the true Anointed One, the Lord Jesus Christ. And these mighty men are a type of the men that the greater David is gathering to himself today.
Jesus is the true King, currently reigning from his stronghold in the heavens. And from there, he is calling men to separate themselves to him. He is calling them out of the kingdom of Saul, the kingdom of this world, and into his glorious kingdom. He is calling them to be mighty men of valor. Not men who are perfect, but men whose character is being forged by the Holy Spirit. Men who are competent in the Word, who can handle the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit.
He is looking for men with lion-faces, who will not be intimidated by the roars of our secular, pagan culture. Men who will not bow, who will not compromise, who will not apologize for the lordship of Jesus Christ. And he is looking for men with the speed of gazelles, who are eager and zealous to do his will, who do not drag their feet in obedience.
He is looking for leaders, for chiefs of the army. Fathers who will lead their families in righteousness. Elders who will shepherd the flock of God. Deacons who will serve with strength and dignity. Men in every station of life who will multiply their influence for the kingdom, leading a hundred, or a thousand, in the ways of God.
And he is looking for men who will cross the Jordan at flood stage. Men who will not be deterred by impossible obstacles. Men who will, in the face of overwhelming cultural opposition, say "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Men who will start the Christian school, plant the faithful church, build the Christian business, and raise up the next generation of covenant children, right in the teeth of a world that says it cannot be done.
This is the call. The Son of David is mustering his army. He is not looking for perfect men, but he is looking for loyal men. He is looking for courageous men. He is looking for men who are willing to be made mighty by His grace. He finds us in our weakness, in our debt, in our discontent, just as David did. And by His Spirit, He forges us into lion-faced warriors for His kingdom. Let us, therefore, hear the call, separate ourselves to Him, take up our arms, and plunge into the flood. For our King is worthy, and His victory is certain.