"The three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord” (2 Sam. 23:1616And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. (2 Samuel 23:16))
There is something peculiarly touching and beautiful in the above scene, whether we contemplate the act of the three mighty men in procuring the water for David, or David's act in pouring it out to the Lord. It is evident that David discerned, in an act of such uncommon devotedness, a sacrifice which none but the Lord Himself could duly appreciate. The odor of such a sacrifice was far too fragrant for him to interrupt it in its ascent to the throne of the God of Israel. Wherefore he very properly and very gracefully allows it to pass him by in order that it might go up to the One who alone was worthy to receive it or able to appreciate it.
All this reminds us forcibly of that beautiful compendium of Christian devotedness set forth in Philippians 2:17-1&: "Yea, and if I be offered [poured on t I upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me." In this passage, the Apostle represents the Philippian saints in their character as priests, presenting a "sacrifice" and performing a priestly ministration to God. Such was the intensity of his self-forgetting devotedness, that he could rejoice in his being poured out as a drink offering upon their sacrifice, so that all might ascend in fragrant odor to God. The Philippians laid a sacrifice on God's altar, and the Apostle was poured out upon it, and all went up to God as an odor of sweet smell. It mattered not who put the sacrifice on the altar, or who was poured out thereupon, provided that God received what was acceptable to Him.
Truly this is a divine model for Christian devotedness. There would, then, be far less of "my sayings" and "my doings" and "my goings." It would be our joy, wherever we saw one or another laying a sacrifice on the altar of God, to allow ourselves to be poured out as a drink offering thereon to the glory of God and the common joy of His saints.
C. H. Mackintosh
"I beseech you therefore, brethren.,
by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies
a riving sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto god,
which is your reasonable service