MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
An Old Testament story was recently brought to my attention, which at first seemed difficult to accept. Rather than dismissing the message, though, it's important to examine the account more closely and look for its underlying cultural context.
The incident occurs before David became king of Israel, while Saul was still hunting him. At a low point, Philistines occupied David's hometown of Bethlehem, and he was hiding in the cave of Adullam. The story unfolds in 2 Samuel 23:13-17 and 1 Samuel 22:1-2.
David is joined by his family and surrounded by 400 distressed and discontented men who pledged loyalty to him. Isolated in a parched and barren land, his mind wandered to better days in his homeland. "'Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!'" (23:15). Hearing his desire, three mighty men risked their lives, broke through enemy lines, and obtained the water. Yet when they presented the hard-won water, David poured it out to the Lord, saying, "'Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?'” (23:17).
To modern minds, the act seems wasteful, even ungrateful. How could he discard water obtained at such risk? The cultural gap challenges us. But understanding the value of the water, the warriors’ sacrifice, and the premise of a drink offering reveals profound lessons about worship and sacrificial giving to God.
In ancient Israel, water was life itself. Unlike now, when tap water flows freely in most places, Bethlehem’s well was a treasure, and symbolized hope and renewal. David’s longing echoed a deeper thirst for restoration, perhaps for his lost homeland or spiritual vitality. Psalm 42:1-2 captures this: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman in John 4:10, offering “living water” to satisfy the soul. It seems that David’s desire pointed to a spiritual hunger. Jesus later taught, "'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied'” (Matthew 5:6).
In our society, we spare no expense to save lives. However, the mighty men understood the value of service to their leader. And David understood the risk they took and equated the gift with the “blood” of his men, acknowledging their life-jeopardizing devotion. Pouring the water on the ground in that context, rather than belittling the gift, honored their sacrifice by refusing to treat it lightly.
In ancient Mediterranean cultures, pouring out wine or water as a libation was a sacred act. Homer's Iliad and Odessey contains examples. Leviticus 23:13 prescribes drink offerings with sacrifices, as a “sweet aroma” to God. Lamentations 2:19 urges pouring out the heart like water before God. David’s act was no waste; it was a tribute to the warriors’ loyalty, and its value transcended personal gain. Pouring out the gift, earned at great risk, was precisely because of the value he placed on it and on their lives.
A number of Old Testament writings about drink offerings are associated with Jesus' death on Calvary. David wrote the psalm which Jesus quoted from the cross, "'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?'" (Psalm 22:1). Verse 14 appropriately reflects events of that day. "'I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me.'" Another prophetic passage is Isaiah chapter 53: "Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors."
David’s offering is reflective of a principle seen in 2 Samuel 24:24, when Araunah the Jebusite offered David his oxen for a burnt offering, as well as his threshing floor, and even sledges and yokes for the wood. “However, the king [David] said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” He recognized the personal price of sacrifice.
The Bethlehem water, symbolizing home, hope, and his warriors’ lives, was too sacred for David to consume; instead, it belonged to God, who deserves our best. And the mighty men didn’t object - they understood the honor of their gift becoming a sacred offering to God Most High.
What are we willing to give God - 10%, or an amount we can spare? - anything, as long as He blesses us or uses it to build the kingdom? Or do we give as the widow, who offered her last mite? And as Jesus, the ultimate example of self-surrender. When we realize how great, loving, and powerful our heavenly Father is, we gladly give our very lives as an act of worship. Like David, we respond to Christ's supreme sacrifice by pouring out what costs us most - time, talents, heart, risk to life - and trust Him to transform the gift into purpose and meaning.
