SET FREE TO SERVE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers.

2 Samuel 8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 7, the Lord promised David He would “make his name great” while giving him rest from his enemies. In Chapter 8, He begins to make good on that promise.

We know this because David and the Israelite army experience a series of conquests over neighboring nations that ultimately expand their territory and establish the boundaries of the Promised Land…boundaries pledged by God to the Israelites earlier through these words:

If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him - then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go. Deuteronomy 11:22-25

We read where David first “defeated the Philistines and subdued them”, taking control of Metheg Ammah and thus establishing control of additional territory to their west.

He also defeated the Moabites, allowing only a third of their people to live and those survivors “became subject to David and brought tribute”. The land of Moab, coupled with the land of the Ammonites, gave Israel additional territory to their east but they could not extend their boundary to the Euphrates as the Lord stated until he defeated “Hadadezer…king of Zobah”.

And so we read where “David fought Hadadezer…to restore his control along the Euphrates River”, capturing “a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers” while disabling all but “a hundred of the chariot horses”. But David wasn’t fully victorious yet because “the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer”, also finding defeat at the hands of David and his men who “struck down twenty-two thousand of them” be fore putting “garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus”. The Arameans then became subject to David and brought him tribute.

David also found victory to the southwest by defeating the Amalekites and “became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt” in the south. Scripture tells is that David “put garrisons throughout Edom” and made “all the Edomites” subject to him.

While David was gaining all these victories, we read where “Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer”. Tou had been at war with the Arameans and was afraid that David might attack him too, so he sought to make peace with David first, sending “his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer”. “Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze”, gifts intended to show David honor and respect. The act worked as we don’t read of David attacking Tou or Hamath.

And so as we see, territory wasn’t the only thing gained by David. He was able to collect valuable plunder and tribute as well. He took “the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer” and “took a great quantity of bronze” from “Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer”, bringing the items to Jerusalem and dedicating them “to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued” such as “Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek”.

With all this, there is little doubt that David had great success but we know it wasn’t by his will but the will of the Lord who “gave David victory wherever he went”. What an assurance this must have been for Israel’s new king who “reigned over all Israel” and did “what was just and right for all his people”. David didn’t need to worry about his enemies because the Lord was with him and had promised him rest from them. Thus, David was set free to serve the Lord’s people in a just and right way…while fulfilling God’s purpose.

The good news in this scripture lesson is that we have the same promised peace and assurance from the Lord…a peace and assurance that the Lord will watch over us, bring us to victory over our enemies and set us free to serve Him and others in accordance with His purpose for us. Consider these verses:

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6-8

As we daily strive to learn the Lord’s ways through seeking and receiving His wisdom, knowledge and understanding, we find ourselves living upright lives…lives that are centered on Christ and thus centered on righteousness and holiness. And the Lord rewards these efforts to follow Him faithfully by granting victory over Satan while shielding, guarding and protecting the believer in their walk with Him.

This assurance of victory and safeguarding allows us to boldly go forth to carry out God’s will for our lives…just as David did.

The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:5-8

These words, found in one of the songs of ascent in the Psalms, offer us the assurance that the Lord is watching over us always…day and night…keeping us safe from all harm while watching over our lives...now and forever. Are these not awesome words of comfort and peace for us in the midst of a world that can often appear scary and dangerous? We simply must remember that the Lord is Emmanuel…God with us…not just some of the time but all of the time.

Finally, consider these words:

…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Since we been granted victory and given shielding, guarding and protecting as the Lord watches over us and keeps us from harm, then surely we should know without a doubt that God truly does work for the good of those who love Him. And we should also fully realize that we have been called according to His purpose…a purpose that we are to seek…a purpose we are to find…and a purpose we are to fulfill…just as David did…because we, like he, have the awesome promise of guardianship by the most powerful Guardian anyone could ever have.

Friends, does this not set us free? Does this guarantee from God through the truth of His word not allow us to carry out His will without worry…unencumbered by the burden of fear?

Let us boldly live out the words of Paul in his letter to the Hebrews as he writes:

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6

Indeed, what can man do against a God who can do all things…a God who protects those who love and follow Him…a God who has an awesome, wonderful purpose for us all and protects us as we fulfill that purpose…so we need not be afraid.

Thanks be to God who sets us free to serve. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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