Eleazar
It was early morning and the Israelites were in formation at the edge of Pas Dammim Eleazar stood, sword at his side, as the army of Philistines gathered across the valley. He stood near King David, along with Josheb-Basshebeth and Shammah, all strong men who could hold more than their own should the need arise. Although the king's strength in battle was well-known, he was not allowed to fight as the other men did. The three of them had ensured that he did not need to, but none of them could predict God's plan for them.
His grip on his sword tightened as he thought about it. No matter how many times he went into battle, he could never shake of the intensity of having an enemy who could thrust a blade into your stomach at any moment. He watched as the Philistines grouped together. He could faintly hear the Philistine captains' orders as their army prepared to fight. His whole body vibrated with anticipation.
"Afraid, Eleazar?" Shammah asked, smirking at Eleazar's tenseness.
"No more than you are." Eleazar replied, trying to keep his voice steady. Whether it was actually fear or excitement that made him shake, Eleazar never really knew. As far as he knew, it was probably a mixture of the two. Whatever it was, it gave him an advantage over his enemies. Past that, Eleazar really didn't care what it was.
The rest of the Israelites had begun to taunt the Philistines loudly. As Eleazar watched, the Philistines began marching towards them. As they approached, the true size of their army was seen. The Philistines were three thousand strong. The Israelites began looking to their sides, realizing that they were outnumbered at least three to one. David, though he looked troubled, shouted to the men.
"God has given the Philistines into our hands this day! March forward and fight as servants of the living God!" The Israelites had moved no more than two paces when the Philistines shouted together and began to run towards them, the roar of their voices filling the air. The Israelite army instantly turned and ran the opposite direction. Josheb-Basshebeth and Shammah moved into position to protect the king as they followed the flow. Eleazar, on the other hand, could not make himself move. He watched as his fellow men ran past him, turning to pass him by. Come on, Eleazar. This battle is lost. Run. Run while you can. The fearful faces of the other soldiers impressed upon his mind as they ran by. This would be the first battle Eleazar had retreated from. What did David say? God has given them into our hands. Then why are the men retreating? He began shouting orders to the men who fled past him.
"Turn and fight you cowards! God has given them into our hands! We cannot lose!" His voice was drowned by the roar of the Philistines. Eleazar drew his sword. God has given them into my hands. I cannot lose. He repeated the thought in his mind until he could not doubt it. As the last of the Israelites passed him by, he stepped forward. The faces of the Philistines, though they had at first appeared dangerous and frightening, now appeared to him as childish.
He did not look to see who remained. Every last soldier had fled, and he knew without looking. Eleazar now looked into the eyes of his enemies. This time his shout was to his enemies.
"The living God has given you into the hands of Israel! Today you will know his power!" Even as he spoke, he felt a new feeling fill his body. Instead of constant vibrations, there was now a steady flow running through his body. It was a flow of power; God's power.
He lifted his sword and jumped into the Philistine flanks. Metal singed. He moved with more speed than he had ever moved in his life. Every time he moved, his blade found another enemy. He struck down Philistine after Philistine until his arms grew tired and his mind grew numb. He never dodged; he moved too fast for the Philistines to strike. He heard metal singing in his ears and followed the noise as he fought, determined to find the other Israelite soldiers. He fought his way towards the noise, but found that it seemed to change directions as he moved. He soon realized it was his own blade that sang in his ears.
The sun was setting as Eleazar struck the last Philistine to the ground. Eleazar turned around, panting. Strewn across Pas Dammim were the bodies of the Philistine army. Seeing there were no enemies left, Eleazar fell to his knees, overcome with exhaustion. He tried to sheathe his sword, but found that his hand had cramped painfully and would not move. He pried his individual fingers from the hilt with his other hand and then let his sword lay on the ground. The blade was crimson from the blood of the Philistines and had been battered by the innumerable blows of the battle. His eyes closed, his mind suddenly turned upwards. Eleazar prayed his thanks to God.
As he sat there, he heard a large group of people approaching from behind him. He opened his eyes, now wet with tears. He did not dare turn around. Eleazar glanced at his sword, lifted it with his off-hand, and then stood to his feet. He felt as if his knees would buckle under the weight of his body. He slowly turned around, ready to face anything. A feeling of relief flowed over him as he saw the face of Shammah coming towards him.
"Eleazar!" Shammah embraced Eleazar and helped him to stand upright. "When I saw you had left David's company, I assumed you had gone to encourage the men. If I had known you were to stay and fight I would have stayed with you! Why did you not tell me?"
"If I had told you," Eleazar replied, "I would have to split the glory of this victory amongst three instead of two." They both laughed and Shammah took a second in silence to look up at the sky.
"Come. You are to return with honor for this glorious victory." The other Israelites now came. Some of them began stripping the dead of their weaponry while others lifted Eleazar and walked, singing joyously, back to the encampment.
This story is based on the true account of Eleazar, the second of David's thirty mighty men.2 Samuel 23:9-10