The Test Inside Every Blessing - 2 Samuel 8-9 Series

Receiving the Promised Blessing

Responding to blessing

In chapter 7 we saw a wonderful interchange between God and David over God’s promises. It starts with David wanting to build a house for God, and God says, “No, I am going to build a dynasty for you.” And He goes on to make all kinds of amazing promises to David. And then David responds with a prayer of humility and astonished thanksgiving, and then praise, and then he boldly asks God to fulfill the promises and give him that glorious kingdom.

Chapter 8 is the answer to that prayer. In chapter 7 we saw the interaction between God and David when the promises were made; in chapter 8 we will see the interaction between God and David when the promises are fulfilled. Chapter 7 teaches us how to respond to God’s promises; chapter 8 is going to teach us how to respond to the blessings that come from those promises.

Victories

1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them

And that is almost the last we ever hear of the Philistines. They have played a major role in chapter after chapter all the way through 1 and 2 Samuel – perennial enemies who just kept coming back and who were a constant problem for Israel. But finally David took care of them. Saul had defeated them on occasion, or pushed them back into their own territory, but never before had Israel ever subdued them. We do not hear a single word about the Philistine threat again until David is an old man in chapter 23.

The writer just mentions it without any fanfare in one little verse and then moves on, but if you have been with us in this study from the beginning that is just incredible! The Philistine problem eliminated! If the chapter ended right here after verse 1 we would say, “Wow! What a fantastic and glorious fulfillment of the promise!” But God is just getting warmed up.

2 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.

So David takes care of the Philistines to the west and the Moabites to the east. Then he heads north – way north.

3 Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River.

The region of Zobah was about 150 miles north of Jerusalem – for us that would be about 50 miles north of the Wyoming border.

4 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.

So David is cutting through the enemies of Israel like butter. But then a problem arises. Hadadezer has some allies – the Arameans. And here they come. David is a long way from home and now he is going to have to fight on two fronts. Let’s see how he does.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute.

David defeated their army and took over the entire Aramean kingdom.

So you get the point - David is winning big wherever he goes. What is the significance of that?

6 …The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

Does that strike you as an important statement for interpreting the purpose of this chapter? If not, maybe it will when you see it repeated.

14 …The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

This is not a chapter about David’s military prowess or strength or genius. It is a chapter about God fulfilling the promises He made in chapter 7 – in dramatic fashion.

The Israeli Empire

9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 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.

Hamath was another 100 miles north of Zoba – 250 miles north of Jerusalem. So this is a king of a distant land, coming to honor David.

Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

Tou had been unable to defeat Hadadezer. David did defeat Hadadezer, so David could have easily defeated the weaker Tou. But he doesn’t. He could just march in and take whatever he pleased from Tou, but he didn’t. When Tou showed he was not going to be hostile David left him alone. David was not just in a mad land grab to take as much territory as he could. He was simply subduing the enemies who were threatening God’s people.