David, “Walking in Victory”
2 Samuel 8:1-18
Vs. 1-14 The preservation of David
Vs. 15-18 Administering judgment and justice
Intro
In the 7th chapter, you will recall that David sat on his porch looking out and noticed that he was in a palace while the Lord’s presence dwelt in a leather tent. In his heart was the desire to bless God and His people. 1 Kings 8:18 records God’s heart towards David’s gesture as written by David’s son Solomon: “The LORD said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.” Then in the final 12 verses of chapter 7, we have David’s prayer at hearing of God’s goodness being poured out upon him and his family forever. How will David respond to such a blessing? Well, based upon the 8th chapter, he walked in the victory pronounced in the promises of God. Hey saint, I suggest to you that we will know that we have believed what God has promised not just by what we say in prayer but whether or not we will be bold enough to walk in the promises after we have got up off our knees!
The story is told of a famous tightrope walker who was about to walk across Niagara Falls around the turn of the century. The daring deed was to be performed on the weekend, so to promote it, he invited the media to attend a preview. After having walked across and performed various stunts, he jumped down next to the reporters and asked them a question, “Do you believe I can walk across this rope tomorrow?” There was a loud chuckle from the reporters, and the one nearest him said, “Well, sir, that’s rather a silly question seeing that we just watched you do it for the last 15 minutes.” Seeing that he got the reply he was looking for, the man said, “Well, then hop on my back and let’s go for a walk!” Of course the reporter declined, and the next day the place was packed to watch him do so for money. My point? There is a big difference between agreeing with something and hopping off the bank and going for a walk. David takes off from the bank and demonstrates that his trust was far more than mere words!
The preservation of David
Vs. 1-2 As we shall see David fresh off of praying in the promises of God moves out in every direction, subduing those enemies that once oppressed and held large portions of the land promised Abraham by the Lord in Genesis 15. Equally interesting to me is that each of the four areas mentioned is equated to areas of our lives that inhabit far too many areas of our hearts that are promised by God.
Vs. 1 The west was inhabited by the Philistines, and they were aggressors and oppressors. They had real anger issues and were always striving to dominate other nations around them. They had been battling with Israel for hundreds of years and had often ruled over Israel, but not so under David’s reign, as we see that he became the aggressor, subduing the enemy. Metheg Ammah is the Hebrew name for the city of Gath (1 Chron 18:1). Of further interest is that it was a walled city and, as such, could not be taken in battle but rather by a prolonged siege as they would form blockades until the people surrendered. Now remember, this was the city that David twice had sought refuge in. The name literally means the “Bridle of Bondage,” so David takes back the area that had so often been the “Bridle of Bondage” for the nation as well as twice in his own life. So by taking Metheg Ammah, David and Israel were in control over the Philistines.
Hey saint, there are areas of our lives like our anger that dominate us and oppress us, areas that we always seem to be battling. Like David, we have a history of failure, as he had twice over the years gone to Gath to seek refuge. So how do we handle our “Bridle of Bondage”? You’ve failed so often in controlling your temper only to fly off the handle again and again. Hey, why not do as David did and attack the capital with a prolonged siege and starve it out? What’s the center of where your anger lies?
Well, that would be pride, so don’t give it any ground and let the King take hold of your life and advance where you once lost? Hey saint, that is what David’s Son desires to do in our lives; Jesus wants to put to flight those areas that have held you in bondage. I suppose if David had been like some of us, he might have looked at the past and declared, “Man, I can’t fight against this area of my life; why have I spent most of my life held down by my temper?” Ah, but Christian, don’t you know that we “are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37) Why not try a blockade of the Word around your heart so that the anger that once held you captive will be an area where you can live a victorious Christian life.?
Vs. 2 The East was inhabited by the Moabites, who were the direct descendants of an incestuous relationship with one of Lot’s daughters (Gen. 19:37). Balaam was hired by these guys, and they always seem to be seducing the nation, as it was Balaam who told them to send in their young ladies to seduce the nation away from God. You may also recall that David’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Moabite, and in 1 Sam 22:3 he entrusted his mother and father into their care. It is clear to me that the Moabites represent the lust of the eyes, which we are so prone towards. The Moabites had been friendly when they thought that Saul was David’s enemy, and yet he did not secure them as an ally. That’s the way of the temptation with lust: just a little flirtation and a long gaze, people think no big deal. Now it is interesting to note that the Jewish commentators suggest, based upon the absence of any further mention of David’s parents, that the Moabites killed his parents. The seduction of lust will always take and ruin families, and far too many have given themselves over to its lure.
Hebrew text suggests that David measured off the land and cities of the Moabites, destroying 2/3 and keeping 1/3. The sudden change in heart was most likely from the Moabites end and not David’s, as they welcomed him like the Philistines when he was on the run from Saul, but as king over God’s people, he was hated. There is a lesson for us as well in this, namely that the Moabites of the world may live and let live as long as we are on the run from the things of God, but make no mistake; start to walk with God and His people, and they will turn on you in a heartbeat. The territory of the world needs to be put under the things of God and never be held on an equal level; you simply can’t trust a Moabite!
Vs. 3-13 The north was a confederacy of kingdoms located in Syria; the whole northern area was a trade route, and as such, it was quite wealthy, as the text indicates. Now the Syrians, as the text seems to indicate with their vast amount of chariots, horses, the paying of tribute (taxes), and articles of gold, silver, and bronze, deal with materialism. And again, we note several things based upon the text of how David defeated this confederated enemy:
Vs. 3-4 So David went after Hadadezer (beauty of assistance), recovering his borders of Israel from the river Euphrates and expanding the kingdom for the Lord in the fulfilled prophecy of Gen 15. Here is what we can glean from how David defeats materialism:
Crippled it: The hamstringing of horses would not fare well with the animal rights crowd, but was a military necessity as they could not care for so many horses while in battle and could not risk setting them free as they could fall back into enemy hands. Now in Deut 17 God spoke through Moses not to multiply horses or wives, and it seems as though David only wanted to obey part of the scriptures. Hey, isn’t that a lot like us, as we tend to think two out of three isn’t bad? Being in partial obedience will lead to only partial victory and partial joy.
I tend to think in terms of what I am doing right that would please the Lord and believe that what I am doing right will outweigh what I’m not doing. Now think of this: say you have $100 in ones, fives, and tens, and I see it laying there. Pick up $15 bucks and put it in my pocket, and you catch me. “What’s your problem, man? You’ve got $85; I’ve got 85%, right?” God will never be content, nor should we, with only part of our hearts, submit to Him.
David did spare enough of them for one hundred chariots, but inasmuch as he did not spare all of them, it reveals that he trusted in God and not in horses and chariots. So what does this say to us? Well, it suggests that we need to slow down the drive for materialism in our lives and keep enough of an income to protect us, not control us. Hey, we will either possess our possessions or they will possess us!
Vs. 5-6 Controlled it: David took a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand soldiers but only kept enough horses for a hundred chariots. This caused two of the capitals of Syria (Damascus and Zobah) to join together, but this was no match for David, as he killed twenty-two thousand men, and what was left became servants and paid tribute clearly. “Lord preserved David wherever he went,” verse 6.
Vs. 7-9 Confirmed it: David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, all the brass and silver, and dedicated it all to the Lord. Here we see the beginning of David gathering the wealth necessary for the building of the temple. He took the glory from the enemy (the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer) and transformed them into trophies of the power and goodness of God. Hey, is that not the way of the Lord? He loves to take those which at one time were “trophies” for the enemy and set them in His temple as trophies of His power and grace. God had told David, “You can’t build the temple; your son will rise to build it,” but David said, “Well, He didn’t say I couldn’t gather the material.” I like this picture for two reasons:
- David was content to do whatever the Lord allowed him to do, and that is always the right heart: “God never closes a door that He does not open a window,” and David was willing to use the window where many times we aren’t.
- Second, I like pictures, as the material to build a place of worship was all the more precious as it came from the spoils taken from a defeated enemy. Hey saints, that is such a great picture for you and I to see in our own lives, as the Lord inhabits that which at one time was captive by the world and now is made more precious as it has been made a temple of worship.
Vs. 10-13 David also defeated the Amalekites, whom Saul did not, causing his reputation to grow, but David kept giving God the glory. Hadadezer had actually fought against and defeated Toi, so Joram brought with him a blessing of vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of brass, which David did dedicate to the Lord. So gathering together now, a tremendous amount of gold, silver, and brass. As neighboring nations realized the hand of God on David, they brought gifts to honor him. David’s action not only blessed his kingdom; it blessed those that surrounded them a well.
The truth is, God’s ways bless not only those who have received Him but those who live under His principles as well. We see that not every pagan nation surrounding Israel was hostile to Israel or their God, and David did not treat them as if they were hostile. We make a mistake if we treat every unbeliever as an openly hostile enemy of the Lord. There are a great many in the world today that are not hostile to the things of God, and we must remember that we are not at war with people; we are at war with Satan and the world system. We are to love people and hate that which ruins lives.
According to verse 11, everything that was brought to him as tribute, David “dedicated to the Lord.” How about it—is all God has gained for you in this world dedicated to the Lord? It is a rare man that can be as humbled by success as they are by failure! Even though God knew David’s weaknesses, “He still preserved him wherever he went.” What comfort this ought to bring to our hearts and how it ought to spur a greater desire to yield more of our hearts to Him. Proverbs 16:7 tells us that “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” And so was the case with David, as Hadadezer (beauty of assistance) was the enemy of Toi (one who wonders), and so David defeated the “beauty of assistance” for the “one who wonders.”.
Vs. 14 The South was inhabited by the Edomites, and in Psalm 60, David gives the Lord credit for the factory. Now Edomites were the descendants of Esau, who always put pleasure above the things of God, as he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. So how did David deal with Edom? Well, he moved “throughout” their land and established forts, making them subject to the principles of God. Thus we are told twice that “The Lord preserved David wherever he went” (verses 6, 14). Man, does that ever speak to my heart concerning how to deal with the flesh that wants to go after the things of the world at the expense of the things of God? We’ve got to set up garrisons around our hearts and not allow those Edomites to control us.
In Gen. 15:18, Abraham was told by God, “To your descendants, I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.” Thus God fulfilled His promise through David, as Israel possessed more of the promised land under David than at any other time.
Hey saint, there is a lesson here when compared to that of Saul. You see, David was able to do so because he did not spend his time attacking the people of God as Saul had. Far too much of the church’s energy is spent attacking other brothers and sisters and not near enough taking back land that we have let the enemy trod for far too long. Every victory, every inch of land won, and every tribute given was a testimony of what the Lord can do through a heart that is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. The picture here is quite fitting, as David was blessed by the Lord in the 7th chapter; he is now ready to go forward and take back land inhabited by the enemy. It seems that when we have recognized our strength is in the Lord and have seen that our blessings are only in the Lord, then God can send us out to walk in His promises in complete victory, and the more David went out serving the Lord, the more his reputation grew.
Administering judgment and justice
Vs. 15 What David accomplished in the Lord in gaining land must be maintained, so he carried the same sense of urgency on the domestic front as he reigned over all of Israel, executing judgment and justice unto all of his people. Gaining ground once occupied by the enemy is only half the battle; the other is being wise stewards of what God has given you. To be a great warrior of the foreign front but lousy in domestic affairs would not be beneficial to God’s people, so we are told that David “administered judgment and justice to all his people.”
How was victory accomplished on the battlefield as well as administering judgment and justice to Israel? Well, God had subdued David’s heart, and therefore God could use him to subdue nations as well as Israel. Here’s my point: Many times victory is never obtained in outward things in our life because it has never been first won in our own hearts! Can’t get a handle on your life? Tired of having your life spin out of control? Hey, why not let God have full control, as you will never have victory in your life until you give Him control of your heart!?
What a great definition as to what the purpose of government is: “to administer judgment and justice.” In Rom. 13:3 Paul says, “Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.”
Vs. 16-18 Part of administering judgment and justice to society involves selecting the right people in this endeavor, so we have listed here some of the key people that God used to help govern, and David did so by streamlining the government;
- In the department of defense, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the army.
- In the department of social services, Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder
- In the ministry of the interior (of hearts, that is): Two fellows were there: Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests.
- In the department of justice, Seraiah was the scribe (lawyer).
- Department of home land security: Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites (as these areas were the borders of the nation).
- Chief’s of staff: David’s sons were chief ministers; that is to say, David had his boys around doing whatever needed to be done to oversee daily operations.
We are given over seven people who took up different positions to make sure that judgment and justice were being served in Israel properly. Now it is important to realize that this group of folks had greater authority, but with it came greater responsibility. Most folks would be more than willing to have the authority but not the responsibility, so David sought out men who were “ready, willing, and available,” and part of the success of his reign as king was due in large part to his ability to assemble, train, empower, and maintain such a team. And such is the case in the body of Christ, as we are told in Eph. 4:12: “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”.
Hey saint, there is a limit to what we can be and what we can do for the Lord without order and organization. Now I’m not saying that order and organization are requirements for the Christian life, but God is a God of order, and in so doing, His Church becomes more like the Lord.
It appears based upon these two names, “Cherethites and Pelethites,” that David hired some personal bodyguards from Crete. By doing so, he could make sure that those that were around him would be loyal to him and not their own tribe. There is something to be said for this regarding the church as well as any organization: to have those around it that are loyal to it, those who want to pull the rope together instead of apart. David not only won battles, he rightly managed the business of the nation. He appointed the right men to the right positions.