2 Samuel 23:20-23 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. He was more honoured than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. NKJV
Of Hell & Texas
In my kitchen cupboard I keep one of the largest mugs you have ever seen! It’s bulbous proportions means it can hold at least twelve ounces of hot steamy tea and I tell you that on cold winter mornings it comes in very useful indeed! Another unusual feature about this mug is that it has a quote emblazoned on the front of it that reads, “You may all go to hell and I shall go to Texas!”
It is said that when he was but twelve years of age, after beating the tar out of a bully at his new school, that he ran away from home to avoid having the same tar beaten out of him by his father! It would be seven years later, after stopping for refreshment at a New Tavern now owned by his father and run by his family, that one of his sisters would recognize this now six foot tall, statue of frontier manhood. ‘Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier’ was welcomed home at last by all of his family.
Descended from fleeing French Huguenots, Protestant believers of Roman Catholic France, it seemed Crockett’s whole recent family line had been frontier people. Davy Crockett had inherited all of that frontier spirit and need for adventure, but on arriving home after some no doubt very daunting adolescent years, it was now time to settle down and settle down he did.
Jilted by Miss Margaret Elder from his first engagement, Crockett would later marry twice, the second marriage after the death of his first wife and fathering in total some six children. Living in Tennessee in the early 1800’s meant that he was involved in the Indian Wars. Some of his relatives had been previously killed, maimed and scalped alive by Indians, so Colonel Crockett had no problems with being involved in such wars, such ‘land’ wars at that!
Davy ran four times to serve as a Congressman in the House of Representatives and won twice, but it was just prior to his last electorial defeat, that he was remarked as saying “I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not then you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas”. Following his defeat, he did just that. Why?
Well for one reason Texas, that vast and ever inviting frontier region, was beginning to break away from Mexico and in 1836 Crockett and 65 other men signed an oath before Judge Forbes to serve the provisional government of Texas for just six months. His pay for that service would be 4,600 acres of land. “Sign me up!” I say, “Sign me up!” Land and lot’s of it! Could there be any better reason to go to Texas? However, it would be just a couple of months later that, ‘The King of The Wild Frontier’ would arrive with James Bowie to aid William Barret ‘Line in the Sand’ Travis, the commander in charge at the siege of the Alamo and on March 6th of that same year, Davy Crockett and the other 180-230 Alamo soldiers would be massacred by an overwhelming Mexican force.
There are three lessons for us here tonight:
Firstly, remember that certain folk are frontier folk. Like it or not, they will not die on their beds, but in likelihood will perish far away from home, seeking a fortune of one kind or another. If you are a frontier person, make sure you hazarding your life for that eternal land of liberty. No other land is a fruitful, is as pleasant, is as safe and is as guaranteed as God’s good land.
Secondly, understand that folk are known by the company they keep. It is no accident that Crockett would be found dead along with that other adventurer, Bowie and his famous knife. When people often ask me what they should do with their lives, I tell them to see who they naturally gravitate towards, who do they desire to be with and in some way emulate? Your peers, both real and desired, are usually a good indicator of the similar stuff that flows through your veins. What company do you keep? Look, for therein lies a picture of your destiny.
Thirdly, despite the facts and the folk-lore, people are not perfect. Bowie was an angry knife fighter who made his money in the slave trade and his name in bar brawls and gunfights. Crockett, the bear-butcher hunter of Tennessee had utilized his story telling abilities so well that it got him into successful politics, and further utilized his story telling abilities by marrying it with such affability and humour, (It ain’t braggin if it’s true!) that he was largely able by himself, to ensure he became a legend in his own lifetime and beyond!
These were all extraordinary people, but people never the less and imperfect people at that. Legends are made out of imperfect people. God uses imperfect people, He can do no other. Never forget that.
If your looking for eternal treasure, if you have an adventure that will be rewarded with land on the other side of Jordan, then call me up will you, sign me up will you please, for I am a frontier person and I shall not die with boots under my bed. How about you?
Listen:- “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. 1 Samuel 2:4-8 NKJV
Pray:- Lord, please give us all a frontier-like spirit, that we might spread your gospel to the ends of the earth. Lord, grant us land in your Kingdom! Lord if the rest of the world shall go to hell, then we shall choose to go to Texas, even if it should become our very own Alamo. So give us this spirit, so revive Your church. In Jesus name we pray, amen!
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