28 Jan Unlikely Battle Buddies
Read: 1 Samuel 30:11-20
Mary Ludwig married local barber, William Hays, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1769. They were an unremarkable New England couple until William was drawn into fighting for American independence from England in the Revolutionary War. Keen to do her part, Mary (also called Molly) ran back and forth to the frontline carrying pitchers of water to refresh the troops in the Battle of Monmouth.
William, a gunner in the Continental Army, became affected by the heat on a brutally hot day in June, 1778. Molly had been running from a spring and back with pitchers in both hands, refreshing the troops and pouring the water over canon barrels to cool them down so they could remain in operation. When William became so weak from heat exhaustion that he could not continue to fight, Molly dropped her pitchers of water and manned his canon until the colonists pressed onto victory.
Her nickname among the troops from that day forward was Molly Pitcher and she is still known as an American patriot and Revolutionary War hero.
In 1 Samuel 30, David is at an all-time low. He was not yet King, as prophesied. His family and those of his men had all been captured. Not knowing the fate of their wives and children, the men spoke of stoning David. David famously encouraged himself in the Lord and God gave him the green light to pursue the Amalekites. Before a battle could commence. David finds an unlikely ally, a famished and dehydrated Egyptian that had been one of the raiders that burned Ziklag with fire. Instead of putting the man to death, David discerned an opportunity. The Egyptian led David and his men to the encampment of the Amalekites where they attacked and overcame the enemy and rescued every single member of their families.
Molly Pitcher was an unlikely hero in the Battle of Monmouth. The Egyptian was an unlikely ally for David and his Army. Often, it is the battle buddy we would have never expected that ends up being there for us in the thick of the war. However, it is human nature to be disappointed by who is not there (two-thirds of David’s men were unable to go with him on the rescue) than to focus on the improbable battle buddy that God has provided. May the Lord open our eyes to the people He has called to stand with us during difficult times, even as He encourages us to run toward the front lines, like the fabled Molly Pitcher, in the middle of someone else’s battle.