David's Military Victories

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Chapter 8 records some of David's military victories. In the previous chapters we read of the numerous attacks by the Philistines while the country was divided and weak. Then, after a period of healing and growth, Israel became united and strong and God gave them victory over their enemies.

He first took care of the Philistines. They had been a thorn in the side of Israel for 250 years. Finally, David attacked them and defeated them, taking one of their chief cities, Gath (Metheg-ammah).

Then he conquered the Moabites and made them properties 0f Israel. He divided their people into 3 groups. He killed 2 of those groups, the third he saved to till the soil and be servants to the people of Israel. The Moabites, who were descendants of Lot, were related to David thru his great grandmother, Ruth, had been protected for many years, but now, presumably, because they had killed David's parents whom he had put in their care during his exile, David had two thirds of them killed. Dr. Lightfoot, in his commentary says, David had the Moabites to lay on the ground in three rows in the Valley of Succoth, he ordered that one line be spared and be a little longer than the other two lines, so as to favor life. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Balaam in Num. 24, "A scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the 4 corners of Moab"... to which the 3 lines extended. The remaining Moabites remained subjects of Israel for 150 years until they rebelled against a weak and divided kingdom (850 BC).

Then David conquered the Syrians. There were two separate kingdoms of Syrians. The Syrians of the north whose capitol was at Damascus and the one of the east whose land ran to the Euphrates River. This was roughly all the land east of the tribes of Dan, Manasseh, Reuben and Gad to the Euphrates River. This was the land that the Lord gave to Abraham and to his descendants (Gen. 15:18). David attacked to the east first and secured his boundaries to the Euphrates River. Then the northern kingdom of the Syrians joined in and David destroyed them to.

The number of David's forces varies. First Chronicles 18 says David had 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. But it appears that he did not use them all. He "hobbled" all but 100 horses because God, in Deut. 17, forbid the Kings of Israel from "multiplying" horses. He also took 900 chariots out of service leaving a force of 100 chariots and 100 horses. He did this because he placed his strength not in chariots and men but in God and it worked. The combined armies of the two Syrian kingdoms were defeated and 22,000 of their men were killed. It would seem that David personally led all of these attacks and God protected him wherever he went.

When King Toi, of the city of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the Syrians he sent his son, Joram, as a representative to David with gifts. Hamath was a city in eastern Syria opposite Cyprus. They had been warring with the two kingdoms that David had just defeated and were much pleased to hear of David's success.

Notice the gifts, silver, gold and bronze. David took this along with all the other loot that he had gotten plus tribute given to him from other neighboring nations and he dedicated it all to the Lord.

Mention is made here that on his way home from Syria, he passed through Edom where he killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, near the Dead Sea. Then he forced the entire nation of Edom to pay tribute to him.

The chapter ends with a statement of David's fairness to all and a list of his cabinet officials. Joab was his Commander-in-Chief, Jehoshaphat was Secretary of State, Zadok and Ahimeleck were Priests, Seraiah was his private Secretary and Benaiah was the Captain of his personal bodyguard. David's sons were :

It is not clear what they did perhaps some of all the above, undoubtedly, they were given places of authority and trust as they matured under the watchful eye of their father, David.


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