Where Are All the Gittites?
TUCKED AWAY IN THE PAGES OF THE OLD TESTMAENT, there lies a most beautiful and unusual love story—one you could easily miss, unless you took the time to gaze at it. It’s not a love story between a man and a woman, or a parent and a child—or even between two close friends. No, this one is about a master and his servant. It’s about King David and Ittai the Gittite.
Let me share some background with you. When David was king of Israel, Amnon, one of his sons, raped Tamar, his half-sister. Absalom, a brother of the girl, was enraged. He sought revenge and ended up having Amnon murdered. As a result, David banished the hot-tempered Absalom, allowing himn to return only after a 3-year absence.
When Absalom returned, he set out to undermine his father, perhaps having learned that his younger half-brother, Solomon, was being favored as David’s successor. So successful was Absalom’s traitorous scheme that he was soon able to go to Hebron, set himself up as a king and rally the majority of Israelites to his side.
Hearing of the rebellion, David and his small band of loyal followers fled the capital city of Jerusalem. This is where we pick up our story in II Samuel 15.
2 Sam 15:17-24
17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away.
18 All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland.
20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you."
21 But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."
22 David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23 The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert.
24 Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
Look at verse 18
David has this select guard of 600 men with him.
They’ve been with him since his fugitive days in Gath.
They served as his military escort.
After a special appeal to Ittai (who appears to be the commander of this elite group of soldiers), King David releases him from any obligation and urges him and his men to return to the palace (vs. 19,20).
In verse 21 we see Ittai’s response. It’s a pledge of life-and-death loyalty. And what makes this pledge of faithfulness all the more amazing is due to four astounding facts. Here they are:
1. Ittai freely chose to side with his master, knowing it could well mean certain death.
2. Ittai was not even an Israelite; he was a Philistine!
3. He had only been with David a short time.
4. He was a mercenary (hired soldier).
One would naturally expect this kind of loyalty from a son or a trusted friend aide or a long-time friend. And yet Ittai was none of these!
What was it about this man that he would risk his life for his master?
Was it a matter of INTEGRITY? Did he swear an oath to protect the King no matter what? Remember, David released him from any obligation (vs.20).
Was Ittai one of those who just sided with the UNDERDOG?
Illus.: Jason Smith’s Parents
Jason Smith is a basketball player for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. He is a walk-on, which means he did not receive a scholarship. He played very little during his fours years on the team, but he stayed with it. He demonstrated real faithfulness. But more than that is the example of his parents. They attended every game—away and home. They knew that chances were few that Jason would play—and in fact, most of the time he didn’t. But there in the stands, every game, sat his faithful parents. It must have been quite a lift for him.
The REAL CLUE to his loyalty is found in his reference to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Look at verse 21 again:
But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."
It would appear as though GOD is FIRST in his life. He believes that David is the God-ordained monarch of Israel and he will be true to him regardless of what circumstances arise.
The question I would pose today is: WHERE ARE ALL THE GITTITES?
Where are those believers who stay with the Lord Jesus Christ and His church no matter what? Where is the sense of commitment and integrity among God’s people today?
Engraved on an ancient slab in a cathedral in Germany are these words:
Ye call me Master and obey me not;
Ye call me Light, and see me not;
Ye call me the Way, and walk me not;
Ye call me Fair, and love me not;
Ye call me Rich, and ask me not;
Ye call me Eternal, and seek me not;
Ye call me Gracious, and trust me not;
Ye call me Just, and fear me not;
If I condemn ye, blame me not.
This reminds me about the pastor who quit attending football games. Did you hear about him?
Everytime he went they asked for money.
The people he sat with weren’t all that friendly.
The seats were too hard.
The game was too long.
The coach never spoke to him.
The band played some numbers he didn’t know.
He parents made him go to games when he was a boy.
He didn’t know any of the other people—every week there were new ones.
He was sitting with some hypocrites—they came only to see what the others were wearing.
All they cared about was winning.
A lot of people clapped their hands, did the wave and even shouted when a great play was made. He didn’t feel comfortable, so he stopped going altogether.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FAITHFUL TO JESUS?
1. It means recognizing the King without a crown. Ittai knew who David was. One of the thieves at Calvary recognized Jesus for who He was—as did a Roman soldier. As far as much of the world is concerned, Jesus does not have this position. But listen to Phil 2:9-11:
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
2. It means serving a King without a country. Satan is called “the prince of this world.” He is a usurper. But remember, the King is coming!
3. It means following a King whose supporters are few—being a part of the remnant.
5. It means following the King without conditions—be it life or death.
THE REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS is found in II Sam. 18:2, where David rewarded Ittai for his loyalty by making him a 5-star general and putting him over a third of his army.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus promised that those who are faithful with a few things shall be put in charge of many things in the life to come. We may not see our reward in this life, but if we stay committed to Christ and His cause, pay-day is coming!
Illustration: “The Story of Robert Moffit: One Convert”
I’m sure you’ve heard the classic story about the faithful pastor who was told by his superior that something was wrong with his work. The supervisor told him, “Only one person has been added to your church this year, and he is only a boy.” Later that day, heavy of heart, the pastor was praying when someone walked up behind him. Turning around, he saw the same boy—his only convert that year. The boy said, “Pastor, do you think I could become a preacher or missionary some day?” The pastor encouraged him to pray and seek God about it. The lad was Robert Moffit who was destined to open Africa to the Gospel of Christ. Years later when Moffit spoke in London, a young doctor heard him say, “I have seen in the morning sun the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.” The young doctor, deeply moved by Moffit’s message, was none other than David Livingstone. In 1840, he sailed for Africa where he labored for Jesus for more than three decades—all of this happened because a faithful pastor encouraged his “one convert.”
All across this world of ours in local churches are faithful people of God, doing what they can for our Savior. They don’t get a lot of attention. They just do their job—teaching S.S., week after week, ushering, greeting, helping in the nursery, cooking and providing food. And someday, the rewards will be passed out in heaven and theirs will be great!
The Welsh national anthem is a hymn of rare beauty. It was sung at both Princess Diana’s wedding and her funeral. Here are lyrics that are all but unknown in our country, but which provide a rich vocabulary for contemplating what it means to give our lives to God and his kingdom.
I vow to thee my country, all earthly things above. Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love. The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test. That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best. The love that never falters, the love that pays the price. The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know. We may not count her armies, we may not see her King her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering. And soul by soul and silently, her shining bounds increase and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
May God help us to sign up for the “Ittai Club”—to become a Gittite and by so doing, demonstrate Godly faithfulness.
