Getting to Know . . . 2 Samuel (chapter 8) Military Victories!

2 Samuel 8 summarizes some of David’s military victories (over the Philistines, the Moabites, etc.). In defeating the Moabites, he did an unusual thing in measuring off with a length of cord those who were to be put to death and those who were to live! (v. 2). Cruelty? No! This is war and it was mercy that any were allowed to survive!

In one victory David captured a thousand chariots, 7000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He hamstrung (disabled) all but a 100 of the chariot horses (v. 4). He killed 22,000 of the Arameans; the rest became subject to David. We read, “The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.” (v. 6).

The plunder from such battles included gold shields and a great quantity of bronze. The king of Hamath gives him articles of silver, gold, and bronze (v. 10), which David dedicated to the Lord. His fame grew after he struck down 18,000 Edomites, making the rest of that people group subject to him. Again we read, “The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.” (v. 14).

We then read about David’s officials and that he was “doing what was just and right for all his people” (v. 15).

Some takeaways for me:
1. Because we live in relatively peaceful times (at least here in the States), we are shocked at the awfulness of war. David is a soldier. Israel is at war with various people groups. And as believers, we have to come to terms with the expression “The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.”
2. David dedicates the plunder he receives in military victories. Unlike Saul’s army which “pounced on the plunder” (I Sam. 14), David gives the spoils to the Lord. Greed is an in-bred aspect of our human depravity and we need to be aware of it.
3. We need to make sure that we are “doing what is just and right” for others, as David did.

What takeaways do you find in this passage?

 

Psalms of My Life (Psalm 149)

Psalm 149

¹ Praise the Lord.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

² Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
³ Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
⁴ For the Lord takes delight in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.

⁶ May the praise of God be in their mouths
    and a double-edged sword in their hands,
⁷ to inflict vengeance on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,
⁸ to bind their kings with fetters,
    their nobles with shackles of iron,
⁹ to carry out the sentence written against them—
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.

 

Psalms of My Life (Psalm 144)

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹ Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
² He is my loving God and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.

³ Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
⁴ They are like a breath;
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.

⁵ Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
⁶ Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
    shoot your arrows and rout them.
⁷ Reach down your hand from on high;
    deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
    from the hands of foreigners
⁸ whose mouths are full of lies,
    whose right hands are deceitful.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
¹⁰ to the One who gives victory to kings,
    who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword ¹¹ deliver me;
    rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
    whose right hands are deceitful.

¹² Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
    carved to adorn a palace.
¹³ Our barns will be filled
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
¹⁴     our oxen will draw heavy loads.^[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.
¹⁵ Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.