Heroes, Pt 2: Abishai
If there is one constant in the Church, it is that there will always be congregations in need of revitalization. A 2017 survey conducted by a team led by Thom Rainer found that 65% of North American churches are either plateaued or declining (source: https://churchanswers.com/blog/dispelling-80-percent-myth-declining-churches/), and everything I have seen in nearly 20 years of leading and studying revitalization suggests that no church is more than five years away from needing some sort of revitalization. As a result, there is an ongoing need for revitalizing leaders as virtually every leader will eventually lead a church through some degree of revitalization.
Fortunately, this is not a new issue, and the Old Testament records the accounts of numerous heroes chosen by God to lead revitalization. By studying them, we can discover the characteristics and skills of an effective revitalizing leader. To that end, in my previous post, I examined the account of Gideon to discover four key characteristics of a revitalizing leader. Today, I would like to consider Abishai.
Abishai’s conquests began in 1 Samuel 26, where he accompanied David into the camp of the murderous King Saul by night. When they found Saul sleeping in the inner circle, Abishai offered to “thrust the spear through him into the ground just once,” but David refused. In 2 Samuel 2, Abishai and his brother Joab led David’s forces to victory over Abner and the forces of the deceased Saul. A chapter later, the pair killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle. Later, in 2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19, Abishai led half of Israel’s troops in a decisive victory against the Ammonites. In 2 Samuel 16-20, he remained loyal to David during Absalom’s insurrection and was instrumental in ending Sheba’s revolt. In 2 Samuel 21, he defended David against the giant Ishbi-benob, and in 1 Chronicles 18, he “struck down eighteen thousand.”
Certainly, Abishai was a tremendous warrior on his own and an outstanding leader, but was he a revitalizer? Considering that his record includes following David into hiding when Saul was chasing him and again during Absalom’s insurrection, and he was instrumental in restoring David to the throne in both cases, I would submit that he was. As such, I believe Abishai exhibited at least three attributes of a revitalizing leader. To find these, let us consider the account of 2 Samuel 23:18-19.
Revitalizing leaders produce.
Out of the gate, Abishai had pedigree. He was the brother of Joab, commander of David’s entire army. Joab’s morals were a bit askew: he murdered Abner and Amasa. Yet, he was a brilliant strategist and unswervingly loyal to the king. He was also David’s nephew. Abishai, then, had all the proper connections, and throughout his life, he was identified primarily by these connections: every time he appeared in Scripture, it was noted that he was the brother of Joab and/or son of Zeruiah. To be certain, these connections opened doors for Abishai, and connections will often do the same for would-be leaders. Indeed, it is not uncommon in church circles to land interviews and even positions based on the candidate’s connections.
As if his record was not enough, however, we discover in the next breath that Abishai knew how to deliver. Not only was he Joab’s brother and son of Zeruiah, but Abishai was also leader or chief of the Three. Actually, some manuscripts indicate he was chief of the Thirty, but the difference is trivial. The Thirty were David’s elite warriors, and the Three were the most elite of the elite. The notion that Abishai was the commanding officer of the entire elite guard is entirely consistent with the account of these two verses. More important, however, is the fact that he singlehandedly “wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them” (vs 18). It sounds outrageous, especially given that we do not have details of this feat, but the account is corroborated in 1 Chronicles 11. Further, the fact that this is just one of his accomplishments – see the more complete account above – demonstrates that Abishai was not some mere figurehead. Indeed, his connections may have opened the door, but if he had not performed, he would never have been able to ascend to the level of the Thirty, much less become their chief. The fact is, connections of various sorts may open the door for one to be a revitalizing leader, but to actually be a revitalizing leader, one must know what he/she is supposed to be doing and do it.
The fact of the matter is that revitalizing leaders produce. They produce change. They enter a church in need of revitalization, and things will never be the same. Facilities may be renovated. Dress codes and music styles may be altered. Old ministries will end; new ones will begin. Change, however, is not enough. In fact, change by itself may end a revitalizing leader. Revitalizing leaders must also produce passion. They will present a clear vision of how that church will accomplish in its context God’s mission of making more and better followers of Jesus, and the congregation will rally to it. And ultimately, revitalizing leaders will produce lives that have been revolutionized by the love and grace of Jesus. Granted, these things may not be produced overnight, but they will be found eventually because revitalizing leaders produce.
Revitalizing leaders are bold.
Let us, however, examine more closely the accomplishment that earned Abishai his place as chief of the Three. In verse 18, we read, “He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.” Exactly how or when Abishai did this is not clear, but even without the details, this is an astonishing feat. To suggest that one man would go against three hundred is ludicrous; the odds against success were simply staggering. So also, many churches in need of revitalization are up against staggering challenges including low attendance, no or poor relationships with the community, albatross facilities, anemic or hemorrhaging budgets, and more. Any one of these is a significant obstacle to revitalization. Some churches face them all. The odds against success are simply staggering, and to actually attempt it requires a boldness that is unique to revitalizing leaders. Revitalizing leaders are bold, but what does that look like? Fortunately, Abishai demonstrated three aspects of this boldness that we should see.
Depending on your translation, verse 18 says that he “wielded his spear,” “raised his spear,” or “lifted up his spear.” Regardless, the point is that Abishai did not wait for the 300 to attack him. Rather, he saw the enemy, knew that they needed to be eliminated, and then took the initiative to make that happen. Put another way, he went on the offensive, meeting the need head-on rather than waiting for it to affect him and his people, and the revitalizing leader will do the same. You see, churches in need of revitalization are almost universally in defensive mode. That is, they have stopped moving out to meet needs head-on. Worse, many have stopped looking for needs in their congregations or communities. In some cases, they focus on things that are, at best, tangential to the mission of making more and better disciples. Other times, they do the same things they have always done until the need is simply too great to ignore, and then they are forced to react rather than respond. It is, then, the revitalizing leader’s task to redirect this congregation’s attention and challenge them to become proactive, take initiative, go on the offensive. He/she must teach the congregation to see the needs around them and then take the initiative to meet them.
A second aspect of the revitalizing leader’s boldness is found in the fact that Abishai went “against three hundred men.” This action would have been astonishing if Abishai had gone against three. It would have been amazing if he had gone against thirty. But three hundred? This was audacious, and revitalizing leaders need to be the same! You see, the reason churches languish is that, at some point, they started setting goals based on their own abilities. Christ, however, instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem precisely because he wanted them to set goals based on the Holy Spirit’s abilities. Revitalizing leaders, then, will challenge their congregations to prayerfully set their goals so high that only God can accomplish them and so reap the glory when they are accomplished. Consider, therefore, the philosophy of Google. Each quarter, Google expects its employees to set goals that are presently out of reach. The idea, in the words of Don Dodge, is that “achieving 65% of the impossible is better than 100% of the ordinary.” Revitalizing leaders are audacious, leading their congregations to step out on faith and accomplish God-sized things.
The third aspect of boldness demonstrated by Abishai is the fact that he killed these three hundred men. Consider it! Surely, after Abishai killed one or two of five of the bad guys, one of them realized that they could not fight him one-on-one. So they started rushing him together, first two at a time, then four at a time, then ten. Soon, it was a dogpile of bad guys, and no doubt, they landed more than a couple of blows. Yet, Abishai kept fighting. How long did the fight last? Certainly, some died quickly, but others no doubt took some more time. Even if Abishai could kill one person every six seconds, the melee would have lasted a half hour. Yet, he killed them. All of them. When examining Gideon, we found that he failed because he did not finish life well, but have you ever considered how many revitalizing leaders never equal Gideon’s success? Gideon at least finished the battle. Many revitalizing leaders tap out the first time they get hurt. Those who press on disappear when they grow weary or bored. Some are distracted easily and so wander away to new things. They may attack the need, but they do not finish what they started. Real revitalizing leaders stick it out. They finish the job they started because it is not enough to start something big. We have to finish it.
Revitalizing leaders are team players.
Certainly, Abishai’s productivity and boldness are important attributes for a revitalizing leader. Before we leave these two verses, however, there is one more attribute that we must see. In 2 Samuel 23:19, Abishai is described as “more honored than the Three,” and the text notes, “He became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.” This is an important reminder that, as amazing as Abishai was on his own, he was ultimately part of a team. Indeed, most of his appearances in Scripture are with others such as Joab, David, etc., and I wholly believe that, like Abishai, revitalizing leaders are team players.
This is important to remember for several reasons. First, success will bring fame. Abishai’s success made him “the most renowned of the Three” (ESV). This was the ancient equivalent of saying that Abishai was the most famous member of Seal Team Six. His was a household name, known better than any of David’s other elite soldiers, because people notice success. The same is true also in church circles, and when a revitalizing leader sees some measure of success, he/she will turn heads. Sooner or later, denominational officials and other churches will notice, and revitalizing leaders will at that moment be tempted to bask in the spotlight. The best ones, however, will give shine the light on God and their team.
Second, success will bring promotion. In Abishai’s case, success netted him a job as commander of the Three. The combination of his connections and his prowess catapulted him from a unit commander to the commander of the elite Thirty Mighty Men, and often, success for the revitalizing leader does something similar. Bigger churches come calling, speaking and writing engagements materialize, and the inbox fills up with people eager for advice. If the revitalizing leader is not careful, these things will become a distraction from the ongoing work of revitalization and create tension within the team.
Third, however impressive our success may be, there will almost always be someone better. This reality is illustrated by the final note of Abishai’s testament in verse 19. There, we discover that “he did not attain to the three” (ESV). That is, as amazing as Abishai was, the Three were even better, and the same is true of revitalizing leaders as well. Therefore, revitalizing leaders will stay humble. They will not envy others’ positions or let things turn into a competition. Instead, they will continue to learn and grow and work, remembering that we are all but members of the Body of Christ.
Conclusion
Abishai may be overshadowed in the Bible by his brother and uncle, but his loyalty and leadership were instrumental in David’s rise to power in the wake of Saul’s death and return to power in the aftermath of Absalom’s insurrection. Time and again, he delivered results, demonstrated boldness, and leaned into the team. When leading revitalization, each of these things is essential. Revitalizing leaders must, therefore, learn from Abishai and endeavor to strive after him in their own ministries.