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8 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.
When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.
So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, and 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, and David’s sons were priests.
(ESV)
In many ways, David is presented as the “anti-Saul” even though at times, their behavior does not seem all that different. Thus far in Samuel, we’ve witnessed several questionable decisions by David. Here in 2 Samuel 8, he goes on to kill thousands of people from neighboring nations. Later in Scripture, he feeds his appetite for women by committing adultery. On the surface, it may seem contradictory that God would stick with David but not with Saul.
In 2 Samuel 8, I think the elephant in the room is the image we get of David. As his victories pile up, the picture that’s painted is a mass-murdering, power-hungry king who dominated anyone who stood against him. We may be tempted to ask, why did God reject Saul but embrace David? Furthermore, why does God choose to extend grace to David by seemingly overlooking these many character flaws?
Let’s not forget who these men were at their core…
So, foundationally, David and Saul were on different paths. David wanted to experience the love of God, while Saul did not. But what about all of David’s killing in this chapter?
The people David killed were not innocent people. They were enemies of Israel and enemies of God. They hated God’s people and made it their mission to destroy them. The fact that the Lord made David victorious everywhere validates these choices as divine judgment from God, not a sudden moment of frenzied bloodshed by David. As difficult as it can be, we must come to a place of trust with God where we believe that what He has willed is good and just.
Metaphorically, we must remember that we have a spiritual enemy who never sleeps. He is an enemy of God’s people and an enemy of God. Day and night, he accuses us of all our failures hoping that we eventually give up. The Lord has willed us to victory through Jesus, but He has also enlisted us as soldiers in this cosmic battle.
The weapons we use are not of this world. They are counter-cultural and Kingdom-minded. They usher in a new way of life that models the very person of Jesus Christ. We, like King David, must go to war in the places God has called us. We must travel across the borders into enemy territory and lead the captives to freedom. We must allow Jesus to rule our lives, leading us to victory in the small battles while the sum of God’s people come together to engage the enemy in the war.
If we do this, the outcome will be the same. He will lead us to victory wherever we go.