2 Samuel 8-10 "The Faithful King" God has established his covenant with David. David is ruling over all Israel. His throne has been established in Jerusalem. Chapters 8-10 describe the era of the faithful king. (Chapters 11-12 will then deal with the catastrophe with Bathsheba, chapters 13-19 deal with the rebellion of Absalom, chapter 20 with the rebellion of Sheba, chapters 21-24 with the last battles of David and the winding up of his kingdom). In other words from here on out we'll be dealing with crises! This is the last time that David gets to breathe easy and cruise! Cruising is definitely the impression you get from these battles. David is portrayed as defeating his enemies, striking down 22,000 men of the Syrians (probably with some help from his army!). 1. Victories Over the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Edomites (8:1-14) The Philistines (v1) David took Metheg-ammah (literally, the bridle of the mother) out of the hand of the Philistines. "The bridle of the mother" is an interesting phrase! 1 Chronicles 18:1 contains the same story with the name of the city of Gath in place of "Metheg-ammah." In near eastern cultures the "mother" of something is a reference to source or power. The mother of all storms would be the most powerful storm. So the bridle of the mother would be that which controls the mother. Metheg-ammah is that which controls the "mother" of the Philistines. In other words, the "mother-city" which 1 Chronicles identifies as Gath. So David has defeated the Philistines on his southwestern flank. The Moabites (v2) He also defeated Moab. This comment is particularly interesting. After all, David had good relations with the king of Moab, and the Moabites had sheltered David's family. It is not altogether clear why David was fighting against Moab. But Balaam had predicted that a star would rise from Israel and crush Moab (Numbers 24:17). And David accomplishes this. Some commentators have been horrified at David's treatment of the Moabites. They see David's brutal treatment of the captured Moabites as a sign of his pride. They think that David "making a name for himself" in verse 13 is a bad thing. But the theme of the passage is that the LORD saved David wherever he went. (That's the literal translation of "the LORD gave victory to David.") The author wants you to think of David's success as due to the LORD's power. The Moabites were relatives descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew and David himself was descended from the Moabitess, Ruth but Moab was still hostile to Yahweh, and so David defeated them and made them bring tribute. By killing two-thirds of their soldiers he emphasized his sovereignty over Moab. David, after all, is Yahweh's Anointed the Messiah. He is the one who executes God's judgment against his enemies. And from the time of David until the time of Ahab the Moabites appear to have been tributaries of Israel. The Syrians (v3-8) The central battle of this chapter is the conquest of Hadadezer, king of Zobah. The name "Hadadezer" means "Hadad (the god of Syria) helps." (Think of "ebenezer" stone of help) Eight times in verses 3-14 we hear the name of Hadadezer, "Hadad helps" And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, did you notice? Hadad did come to help he sent more of their Syrian allies! But Hadad's help is of no use against the anointed of Yahweh! And David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. And David established an Israelite garrison in Damascus and made the Syrians pay tribute. David is establishing himself as the mighty warrior who overthrows all of Israel's enemies by the help of Yahweh. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. It is here that Psalm 60 comes into view. [SING Psalm 60] Why did we just sing a Psalm of defeat and woe? Psalm 60 is said to be a Miktam of David when he strove with the Arameans the Syrians and when Joab struck down 12,000 of Edom in the Valley of Salt. This is undoubtedly the context of 2 Samuel 8. But Psalm 60 provides a somewhat different perspective on these events. While 2 Samuel 8-10 provides a very rosy picture of Israel's success, Psalm 60 suggests that there was a darker moment when David was not at all sure of success. Psalm 60 says, O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us! Psalm 60 is undoubtedly written in the middle of the battles at a time when David's armies are not doing so well. It provides us with insight into the fact that even when the end of the story is as delightful as 2 Sam 8, for those who are in the middle of the story, the end is not so clear. In the middle of the battles, Israel's armies tottered and nearly fell. But David says that You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. That your beloved ones may be delivered, Give salvation by your right hand and deliver us. David writes Psalm 60 as a song to sing in the middle of the story. David has God's promise that in the end God will raise up his son to sit on his throne. But in the middle of the story, it is easier to believe in your enemies, than to believe in God's power! Where are you in God's story? The perspective of Psalm 60 is essential for the church! Because we live in the middle of the story. But we have a better "already" than David did. David's "already" was that God had already promised that someday his son would sit on God's throne. David's "not yet" was that God's promises had not yet come to pass! We "already" have the resurrection of Jesus! Because Jesus is seated on the throne, we may have confidence because the end of the story has already happened to Jesus! The Response of Toi (v9-12) When Toi king of Hamath (well north of Damascus) heard of this he sent his son Joram to bless David for his mighty deeds. And he sent a present to David, which David dedicated to the LORD. Not only is David defeating all his enemies, he is also receiving tribute and honor from the surrounding nations. And David's glorious son has received tribute and honor from the nations. Indeed, the kingdom of Jesus has spread throughout the whole earth, and today there is no nation on earth that has not been infiltrated by the kingdom of Jesus. The glory of the nations is being brought into the heavenly Jerusalem! The Edomites (v13-14) And David struck down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Now all of David's neighbors (except the Ammonites) are yielding to David. (The Ammonites are the subject of chapters 10-12) We know from secular history that this time period was a period of weakness in the middle east No great power ruled the region and so David began to fill that gap, because the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. Literally, the LORD saved (or delivered) David wherever he went. But notice what David does with all the tribute that he gets: he dedicated it to the LORD. David hamstrung the horses in verse 4, and he dedicated the tribute money to Yahweh (v11). These are not the actions of a king who is self-absorbed. David is a king who fears the LORD and serves him. He is not concerned about having the most money for his battles or the best equipment. He is concerned that Yahweh goes before him and delivers him from his enemies. Are you? You don't need the best equipment to serve Jesus. You don't need large sums of money or hordes of people. You need to be faithful to what God has called you to do. You may be told at work that if you just do this one unethical thing you can get ahead in the company get a big contract get a major grant; but as we saw last week, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses himself? 2. David's Administration of the Kingdom (18:15-9:13) Chapter 10 returns to the battle sequence, as David deals with his last enemy the Ammonites but before we get to the Ammonites, we hear about David's internal rule. It is not enough for a king to be a good warrior who destroys his enemies, he must also rule with justice and equity for his people. Verses 16-18 explain how David did this. The official titles suggest that David modeled his administration after the Egyptian pattern. Moses had not laid down the details of how the king was to operate, so David was free to organize the kingdom according to the light of nature and Christian prudence. (Remember that "Christ" simply means "Messiah" so Christian prudence means "Messianic prudence" the wisdom of the LORD's anointed.) There is a neat chiasm in verses 16-18: Joab (his nephew) was over the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites (These appear to be foreign mercenaries who served as bodyguard for David.) Military men are at the beginning and the end. The recorder and the secretary are in the middle. And at the heart of the chiasm are the priests. It all works so neatly until you come to the last line: and David's sons were priests. Some have tried to soften this by translating it "adminstrators" but the word is the same as that used to describe Zadok and Ahimelech! 1 Chronicles 18:17 calls them "chief officials" but that is not what a cohen is. A cohen is a priest. Others admit that it means priest, and suggest that this was the beginning of David's downfall. David did not obey God in the administration of his kingdom, and by making his sons priests sets up the troubles that will later plague him. What should we make of this? Remember Samuel? He was not of the tribe of Levi, but he served as a priest. Part of the solution may simply be that the term priest was used more broadly in David's day. After the exile the term was restricted to the Levitical priests, but there certainly was more flexibility earlier in Israel's history. The Chronicler does not want to call attention to this, and so calls the sons of David "chief officials." Is this a problem? Possibly. But since I don't know what sort of duties David's sons had, I don't know whether this was a problem. Does this mean that David's sons were apprenticed to the priests so that they could learn the law? That would be a good thing. Or does it mean that they were offering sacrifices? That would be a bad thing. Without more information I will refrain from deciding! But now that David has established himself against his enemies, and established his administration in the kingdom, he remembers his covenant with Jonathan and asks Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? One of Saul's former servants, Ziba, comes to David and tells him of Mephibosheth, the cripple, the last remaining son of Jonathan. Mephibosheth has lived for the last several years (probably at least a decade) in hiding. A few years ago Uncle Ishbosheth was murdered. Mephibosheth had lived in fear. Maybe David would remember his covenant with Jonathan and maybe not! And even if David did, there were those who out of zeal for the house of David might kill him anyway! But now David summons Mephibosheth to appear before him, and Mephibosheth falls before him and paid homage. You have to keep in view the fact that Mephibosheth is the rightful heir to the crown of Saul. He is the next male in line. If David is politically smart, he will kill Mephisbosheth and guarantee that the house of Saul never rises again. That is what Mephisbosheth appears to expect. Mephibosheth came expecting judgment, but he found grace. For David said, Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always. Note Mephibosheth's response, What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I? He is no threat to David he is a cripple the last son of Jonathan bears in his own flesh the marks of the failure of his grandfather's house. All the inheritance of Saul is restored to him-- David gives it to him because it is right. Otherwise a clan in Israel would be deprived of its inheritance. Now David will be seen as faithful to his covenant.. And we are told that Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons. David does not fear Mephibosheth because he believes the promises of God. God has sworn to establish David and his seed on his throne forever. As David has freely received from the Lord, so he can now freely give. He does not fear for his own kingdom, and so he does the politically incorrect thing he welcomes the grandson of Saul into his own house. 3. David's Victories Over the Ammonites and Syrians (10:1-19) David's mercy to Mephibosheth is then paralleled by David's desire to show kindness to the Ammonites. Like the Moabites the Ammonites were descended from Lot. Apparently Nahash had shown kindness to David (Remember that Nahash was the one who had attacked Jabesh-Gilead, and that Saul had rescued the city from Nahash). So perhaps Nahash had been kind to David out of his hatred for Saul. At any rate David appears willing and eager for good relations with his neighbors, and so he sends his servants to comfort Hanun regarding the death of his father. But Hanun's servants convinced him that David was only trying to spy out the land, and so Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off half their garments. This was a deliberate insult intended to provoke David. (Hanun's father had done this to Jabesh-Gilead in an attempt to provoke Saul). Well, it worked! And when the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, they hired the Syrians (the people David had just finished beating up) to fight for them. But now David will have to fight against two armies, so Joab took some of the best men and sent them against the Syrians in the open field, while the rest of the men he sent with Abishai, his brother, against the Ammonites. And Joab says, Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him. And indeed, the LORD did what seemed good to him, and he gave the victory to Joab and Abishai. But then the Syrians regrouped, and Hadadezer brought out the Syrians from beyond the Euphrates, and so David went up against the Syrians and struck them, killing their commander. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore. But that is not the end of the story. Even as the Syrians sign a treaty and became subject to Israel, preferring to pay tribute in coin than in blood! The Ammonites have not yet been subdued. It is this campaign against the Ammonites that forms the context for David's sin with Bathsheba. With the Syrians routed and staying home, it is only a matter of time before Rabbah, the Ammonite capital falls. David appears to think that Joab can handle the battle; David will just stay home on this one... Odd, isn't it? At the very pinnacle of David's success, as he is about to triumph over the last of his enemies, David forgets what God has said. Do not forget the Word of the Lord! We who live in the middle of the story must remember that in Jesus, the end of the story has come. That is another way of asking "what is your eschatology?"! What is your future? What is your hope your goal? The moment you take your eye off of Jesus, you will look at something you shouldn't be looking at! So keep your eye fixed upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith the one who has been raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father the one who has gone to prepare a place for you!