Covenant of War

by Cliff Graham

  But it parts when it reaches the crest, where the body of Jonathan rises up to touch me on the wave. The valiant prince’s body impaled by arrows, his ribs torn apart by lances, his eyes lifeless. He does not scream, but his dead eyes are crying, tears are flowing down his face and pooling on his chest.

  I try to push my way through the corpses to him, to hug him one more time … but the darkness, and flame, and the roar of a lion, terrifying and powerful …

  When David awoke, the moon was out, crowning the distant thunderstorms with a burnished silver gleam. His heart was racing. He took several deep breaths through his burning throat to steady the wild pounding in his chest.

  I’m in the forest, near Adullam, battling the Philistines.

  He breathed again.

  Not on the slopes of Gilboa. It was a vision. A dream. Yahweh has shown me where I am weak.

  He looked around, trying to think of something other than the wretched vision. He would think on it later.

  The storms were no closer to them, but instead stood atop the mountains where the Jebusite city lay. The sight of them gathering in strength and reaching to the heavens calmed him.

  Yahweh was bringing rain.

  Not where we are right now, he thought, but where we need to be. There will be enough when we need it. You have never abandoned us, oh God. Give us rest from our enemies.

  David got to his feet, his mind functioning again. The Philistine army would counterattack soon, and it would be larger, reinforced by more troops from the Bethlehem garrison, and bent on avenging the day’s defeat. Yahweh had promised victory. But they were low on supplies; strict rationing would continue.

  He trod carefully back into the forest, his body protesting the lack of water, quietly humming his songs through a painful throat, hoping the men would hold out, and hoping he had what it took to lead them.

  FORTY-SEVEN

  The storm poured itself out over the eastern mountains, drenching the town of Bethlehem and the surrounding valleys, stopping short of Adullam. But it had come, and there would be life again in the Hebrew lands. Word spread that the Jebusite city was their next destination, and it gave the men hope, because the rumors were that water would now be overflowing in that country. The Philistines had been routed and would not come again until they could regroup.

  In the morning, three men, haggard, bloody, and caked in dried mud, stumbled to the entrance of the cave. As they passed, a voice challenged them.

  “Tell my lord that we have retrieved his refreshing drink,” Benaiah rasped heavily.

  There was commotion, and men appeared in the early morning light outside the dark entrance. One of them came forward on uneasy steps, refusing the assistance offered to him.

  “What did you do?” David asked, trying to keep his back as straight as possible so that the troops did not see how sick he was.

  Several hundred soldiers had gathered around, emerging from caves in the ravine nearby. Benaiah repeated himself. “Delivering your drink of Bethlehem water. From the well.”

  “When did you leave?”

  “When it was decided yesterday.”

  Angry, David said, “You had no right to leave, we might still have been engaged.”

  “Yahweh’s armies fought yesterday, great king. And you never use me anyway,” Benaiah said. David’s features softened in the fading light.

  “We saw the clouds in the distance yesterday evening. I was going to send men to retrieve water.”

  “Yes, lord. We knew you were thirsty.”

  “All of the men are thirsty,” David said.

  “Not like you. We vowed not to take a drink until you got this water.”

  “You went through the Philistine garrison, alone, in the storm?”

  “Not alone. Uriah lived up to his name. Yahweh was his fire,” Gareb said, then glanced, smiling, at Keth. Benaiah was supporting him by holding him around the waist. Keth reached for the pouch tied to his belt and untied the cords. He handed it to their king.

  The king gazed at the bag a moment.

  “You could have filled it with water from any source. You could have simply held it open in the rain last night.”

  “Yes, we could have.”

  David hesitated, then reached for the bag as though it were a small child and clutched it to his chest. “I am unworthy of this act,” he whispered.

  Benaiah said, “We are all unworthy.”

  Gratitude overwhelmed David, and he could say nothing further. The troops all gazed in wonder, believing that surely he would drink this water.

  One of the men called out, “Lord, we know you are willing to suffer with us, so please, quench your thirst!” Others echoed him until it rose to a loud chorus of encouraging shouts.

  David walked away from them toward the cave. When he reached the entrance, he turned to face them again. He looked around at the army. The regular troops were pleading with him to drink and end his suffering.

  The Thirty, however, said nothing. They knew what he needed to do.

  David stared at each of his Mighty Men: Josheb. Benaiah. Gareb. Uriah. He thought of Shammah doing his duty humbly back at Hebron, not complaining when he was ordered to stay; Eleazar still up on the hillside, his sword frozen in his hand from hard battle.

  Their faces were covered with grime, blood, and dried sweat. Each man of the Thirty, knowing what he was silently asking them, silently answered by shaking his head. David looked at Benaiah, Gareb, and Uriah again. They shook their heads as well. David understood: You drink when we drink, you eat when we eat. Show the men. We are with you until Sheol takes us.

  David opened the pouch of water filled from the well of his youth, more valuable to him than any of the treasures he had ever won.

  “I will not drink what was purchased with the blood of brave men,” he said to the group, his voice strengthening. “Only one is worthy of such a sacrifice.”

  David lifted it up to the heavens. He whispered something, a prayer of offering to Yahweh, his heart aching with love for these men.

  Then he poured it out.

  EPILOGUE

  David knelt by Eleazar. He ran his fingers over his warrior’s wrapped sword hand.

  Benaiah, Gareb, Josheb, and Uriah knelt next to him. Eleazar’s breathing was very light; the movement in his chest was only perceptible when David laid his ear on it.

  David looked up and searched for the face of the army physician who had come into the camp earlier. “What was it?”

  “It looked like a sword slipped through his ribs. It went deep.”

  “Will he live?”

  “I do not know, lord. It went deep,” he repeated.

  “Do everything you can! Don’t let him die!” David shouted at the man.

  The physician, startled, backed away and bowed low to the earth. “Lord king, by Yahweh’s strength I will do everything I can, but Sheol reaches out for him.”

  “He has a wife and small children. A Philistine force ten times as large as the one we fought today is coming. I need this man.”

  “Yahweh gives and takes,” Benaiah said. There was no anger in his voice, though. Only sorrow.

  “Where is the Philistine commander?” Gareb asked.

  “Must have escaped. He will know where we are and bring troops here. Probably more Sword of Dagon troops,” Benaiah answered.

  David fought the feeling of hopelessness swelling up. The thirst was still there. Terrible, terrible thirst.

  They could not grieve, could not rest until the pagans were gone. Yahweh, strengthen us, he thought. For Eleazar. For your land. The cost is too great. Be with him in Sheol, great God of my people. He reached over and put his hand on Eleazar’s shoulder.

  They all sat together for a long time, until the land grew quiet and cold, and the stars dimmed with the coming of the morning sun.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to my friends Todd Hillard, Nic Ewing, Mike Altstiel, Lee Rempel, Jerry Smith, Jeremy Banik, Adam Haggerty, Jesse Ewing, and Brya
n Yost for being essential to this project from the start. Thanks to Katie Doerksen for helping me keep my sanity and schedule. Thanks to Keith Scheffler and Larry Watkins for locking shields.

  Thanks to my agent, Joel Kneedler at Alive Communications Literary Agency, who goes above and beyond the call, steps up to the plate every time he’s needed, and gives me steady and firm career advice. You were the missing link in the team, and I am excited to have you in our corner.

  Thanks to David L. Cunningham, Grant Curtis, and John Fusco for their vision as they bring the Lion of War series to the big screen, as well as Nicole Nietz, Alden Dobbins, Uli Kimmich, Matt Finley, Jeremy Wheeler, Mitch and Amy Wheeler, and all of the team members at Global Virtual Studio and GiantKiller Pictures for their work on the movie front. It has been a blessing to get to know each of you.

  My heartfelt gratitude to Chaplain (Col.) Gordon Groseclose for taking me under his wing for a few weeks at Fort Sam Houston; the chaplains at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, who trained me; Col. (ret.) Jim O’Neal, for his poignant insight into combat thoughts and behavior; Dr. Heath Sommer of Idaho State University, who gave invaluable support to the combat stress theory as a psychological trauma expert; and a host of other experts in battlefield psychological trauma. My gratitude to Dr. Scott Carroll with the Green Scholars Initiative/Museum of the Bible for expert assistance. To Faith Beckloff for all the top-notch design work.

  The team at Zondervan: Cindy Lambert, Sue Brower, Alicia Mey, Don Gates, and Jackie Aldridge. Special thanks to Dave Lambert for applying healthy and hard pressure to me to make this as good as it can be, and to Bob Hudson for batting “cleanup” with his deft touch.

  My church families at Rimrock E. Free, Alamo City Christian Fellowship in San Antonio, and Alpine Church in Utah, for all being instrumental in the season I was with them. Special thanks to David Walker, Jerry Smith, Bryan Dwyer, Steve Bennetsen, Bill Schorr, and Scott Creps.

  Thanks to my dad for always being my first reader and biggest champion.

  As always, the biggest thanks is for my wife, Cassandra, for putting up with me. Joshua, Levi, and Evan, I love you and am always proud of you.

  I wish to finally thank the wounded troops at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for letting me hang around them for a couple of hours. No one knows your story but you, but we are as grateful as we know how to be. Those who have experienced the hell of battle walk a lonely road, much like a group of men three thousand years ago, desperately trying to establish a homeland, and following a leader who alone understood them.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Cliff Graham lives in the mountains of Utah with his wife and children. He is a military veteran and currently serves in the Army National Guard Chaplain Corps. He travels around the country, speaking and writing about David and his Mighty Men.

  You can follow him on Twitter @cliffgraham or on Facebook.

  For the author’s blog, updates about the Lion of War books and upcoming movie series, author speaking requests, and other general information, please visit http://www.lionofwar.com.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  PRAISE

  In Day of War, Cliff Graham issues a call to battle. Based on the life of King David and his mighty men, this isn’t just a story about swords and shields. It’s about real men who struggle with more than the enemy soldier before them. You will enjoy this book on many levels. I strongly recommend it.

  —Robert Whitlow, bestselling author of

  The List and The Trial

  If you’ve never read the Bible or studied Judaic history, this is a fast-paced means of exploring that time period. If you’ve read the tales of David and his Mighty Men, then you are in for a treat. Graham fleshes out these stories, turning them into pulse-pounding battle scenes and excursions through ancient Israel…. Day of War leaves us wanting more stories about these engaging characters. The Bible comes alive through these pages, while never sugarcoating violence or the struggle of the male gender.

  —Eric Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of

  Fireproof, Haunt of Jackals, and Valley of Bones

  An enthralling and captivating story that captured me from start to finish. Extremely well written. Brutal and honest, thrilling and powerful.

  —Grant Curtis, producer of

  the Spider-Man movie franchise

  This book about Benaiah, an ancient warrior who ranks as one of Israel’s great unsung heroes, is both captivating and inspiring. Cliff Graham does more than write words — he paints pictures. He does more than tell a story — he invites readers into one of the most amazing stories in Scripture.

  —Mark Batterson, author of

  In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

  Finally! A gritty, intense, and real portrayal of one of the most dynamic biblical characters of all time. The images sear into your brain like you’re watching an IMAX movie. Day of War grabbed me by the throat and would not release its grip until the last page. You don’t read Day of War, you consume it.

  —David L. Cunningham, filmmaker

  and director of To End All Wars and The Path to 9/11

  They call it a war of biblical proportions for a reason! Cliff Graham brings history, faith, and fighting to life, all at the same time!

  —Lt. Col. (ret) James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., director of

  the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign

  Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  This book is intended to be accurate to the time of its setting. For that reason, it is extremely violent and deals with mature themes. Please use discretion when passing along to more sensitive readers.

  Several names, places, and objects have been altered for the sake of clarity for modern readers. No cultural disrespect is intended, and any errors are my own.

  NOTE TO THE READER

  The identity of the three Mighty Men who broke through the Philistine lines to retrieve the Bethlehem well water is not known for certain. The Bible gives us only tantalizingly vague information and phrasing such as “three of the thirty chief men” (the typical English translation). Some scholars say it was Josheb-basshebeth, Shammah, and Eleazar, who are mentioned in the immediately preceding paragraph. More likely it was another group of Mighty Men that was later inserted into the story to mention yet another amazing feat that displayed the love the troops had for their commander and king. So, as always, I tried to give an answer that is consistent with the Bible and fit within the Lion of War story parameters.

  As for the rest of the book, I took a long series of complicated guesses and arranged things chronologically in a way that (1) fit within the biblical narrative and (2) fit the story in my head. I based my sequences and timelines on historical research but ultimately had to adhere to the story when making crucial decisions about events that are not clear in Scripture.

  Of all the periods of David’s life that I intend to fictionalize, this was easily the most difficult to arrange, and the one I beg the reader to allow the most leeway with.

  Portrayed here is the theory that seems to work best about whether David attacked Jerusalem immediately after being crowned king. As John Bright wrote in A History of Israel, it’s not likely that he would take such a risk when he knew the Philistines would be coming for him. I think Bright is right on this. More likely is the account in 2 Samuel about the Philistines invading the Rephaim “when they heard of David being crowned king” and that being his most pressing concern, not the capture of an impregnable fortress.

  The impact of a single great warrior on the tide of battle has rarely been in dispute, Eleazar being the focus in this instance. Wars are won or lost based on the combined efforts of a large group of men working together, but the actions of the individual elite are always instrumental in a given engagement, especially as inspirational material for other, less stouthearted troops. Eleazar’s
magnificent stand was recorded in the histories precisely because it was magnificent, and would have poured courage into the hearts of lesser troops timidly awaiting the next nightmare of battle. There likely developed around David and the Giborrim a cult of personality that drove weary, outnumbered men onward through impossibly desperate situations.

  I benefitted greatly in my studies of the psychology of warriors by looking at Dr. Jonathan Shay’s books Odysseus in America and Achilles in Vietnam, as well as On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Also, the volume The Military History of Ancient Israel by Richard A. Gabriel is an outstanding resource for many of the nuts and bolts of biblical battlefields — even though it appears we disagree on the supernatural nature of the Bible.

  As always, this is fiction. Please regard it as such. The errors within are entirely my own.

  The Lion of War Series

  by Cliff Graham

  Book 1: Day of War

  Book 2: Covenant of War

  Book 3: Song of War

  Book 4: Fires of War

  Book 5: Twilight of War

  ZONDERVAN

  Covenant of War

  Copyright © 2012 by Cliff Graham

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