2 Samuel 8:1-18 - Preserving Hand of the Lord

2 Samuel 8:1-18

David’s Further Conquests (1 Chronicles 18:1–13)

1 After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

2 Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.

3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.

5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the LORD preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. 11 King David also dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— 12 from Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David made himself a name when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Syrians in the Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

David’s Administration (1 Chronicles 18:14–17)

15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the scribe; 18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.

David went on in the confidence of humility in the preserving hand of the LORD to conquer their enemies all around to establish the kingdom of God for Israel.  He put down the Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Amalek, the Syrians, Edom, and others; he accepted riches of tribute which precious metals were dedicated to the LORD and would later be passed to his son Solomon to build God’s house of worship.  This phrase demonstrates the grace of God on David as His anointed servant, “the LORD preserved David wherever he went.”  He continues to watch over we who are His people in Christ, the ones made holy in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, to honor our humility in resting in His work (Hebrews 4:1-2, 3-4, 9-10) as we follow Him into battle (Ephesians 6:10-11, 12-13, 14-16, Hebrews 4:12, 13) against the bondage and oppression of sin with the truth of the word in the gospel.  Within the church we also are to administer judgment and justice to God’s people called out of the darkness of the ungodly world into His marvelous light of grace to worship Him together as David administered it to the earthly nation of Israel in this account.  We therefore remember these things and trust in the preserving hand of the Lord to fight the good fight till the end.