2 Samuel 8
August 9, 2017
2 Samuel 8
Shawn Bumpers / General
2 Samuel
Introduction:
As we saw in chapter 7, David felt that the time had come for the Temple to be built because Israel had reached a point of peace and stability.
But God told him through Nathan the prophet that the era of warfare was not over.
2 Samuel 7:10 NKJV
Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously,
This chapter summarizes the victories of the army of Israel.
2 Samuel 7:1 NKJV
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around,
1 Chronicles 18:1 NKJV
After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines.
Now, God had made a covenant with Israel through Abraham (Gen. 12, 15) … which God further expressed to Moses (Deut. 27–30) and then as we saw last week to David (2 Sam. 7).
So, we talked about these covenants a lot last week in chapter 7.
Genesis 15:17–21 NKJV
And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Deuteronomy 11:24 NKJV
Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory.
Joshua 21:43 NKJV
So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
Deuteronomy 19:8–9 NKJV
“Now if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three,
1 Kings 4:21 NKJV
So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Deuteronomy 28:63 NKJV
And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess.
God was patient with Israel and disciplined them for generations.
But the day came when He followed through with His promise and they were uprooted from the land and scattered.
Now, back to our text … Israel had lost territory to her enemies during the reign of King Saul, and David recaptured it.
He also expanded Israel’s borders and acquired land that hadn’t been conquered in Joshua’s time.
v1
Conquests in the west.
The Philistines were the traditional enemies of Israel.
As a young man, David had killed Goliath.
But chapter 21 records that during this first campaign he was unable to slay the giant Ishbi-benob, and David’s nephew Abishai had to rescue him.
v2
The east.
The Moabites were in the east.
v3
David wrote Psalm 60 to commemorate these wars.
It begins by stating that these nations had made incursions into Israelite territory and that the Jews had suffered greatly at their hands.
Hadadezer, the king of Zobah was trying to expand his empire.
In the process he overran parts of Israel.
v4-5
As verse 3 said, David had the victory of Hadadezer.
Again, David seems to have shown some mercy here.
1 Chronicles 18:4–5 NKJV
David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots. When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians.
Deuteronomy 17:16 NKJV
But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’
v6-8
David was now able to establish important military installations here.
He placed Garrisons … which essentially means this area of Syria was annexed.
The word here is עֶ֫בֶד ebed which can mean servant but also minister and official.
The word is שֶׁ֫לֶט selet (shell-eht).
The text says that David took them back to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 18:8 NKJV
Also from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought a large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze.
v9-12
By defeating the Arameans and the Syrians, David also made friends with their enemies and received tribute from them.
Hamath was another kingdom in the area that was at war with Hadadezer.
Deuteronomy 17:17 NKJV
Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
v13-14
The south and the Edomites.
The Valley of Salt is located in Edom.
Psalm 60:8 NKJV
Moab is My washpot; Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”
v15-18
David proved himself to be capable in both war and administration.
And it says that he ruled with justice and judgment and served all the people.
Psalm 33:5 NKJV
He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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