2 Samuel 8:15 Submit To Government

 ”So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people.” II Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. So David reigned: This chapter of victory, blessing, and prosperity describes the national life of Israel during the reign of David. This is one reason why he is generally regarded as the greatest king or ruler Israel ever had.

i. This is how God wanted to reign in the life of Saul, but Saul resisted the LORD and rejected His Spirit. Because David allowed God to subdue him, the nations were subdued before David.

b. David administered judgment and justice to all his people: This shows that David was a great king to his own people, not only against neighboring nations. He fulfilled what is the fundamental duty of government – to administer judgment and justice (Romans 13:1-7). (Guzik)

Submit To Government 

Jesus lived and taught us by example and in Romans 13:1-7 we learn that all authority comes from God, for it is written:

”Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.“

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How can we represent Jesus today in our sphere of influence?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 8:9-14 Victory!

 ”When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— from Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And David made himself a name when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Syrians in the Valley of Salt. He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.“ II Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him: Neighboring nations saw the hand of God on David and brought him honor and gifts. They knew that a strong, godly leader of Israel was good for the whole community of nations, not just good for Israel itself.

i. Not every pagan nation surrounding Israel was hostile to Israel or their God, and David did not treat them as if they were hostile. We make a mistake if we treat every unbeliever as an openly hostile enemy of the LORD.

b. King David also dedicated these to the LORD: When David received this acclaim from the nations he dedicated it all to the LORD. He knew that the praise and glory belonged to God, not himself. David could handle success as well as apparent failure.

c. From Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek: By citing these subdued nations we learn that David’s victories were complete. God used David to lead Israel to victory over enemies in every direction.

i. Israel possessed more of the land God promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) under David’s reign than at any other time.

ii. David was able to accomplish so much against God’s enemies because he, unlike Saul, was not consumed with fighting against the people of God.

d. The LORD preserved David wherever he went: This is the summary of this whole chapter. Every victory and every enemy subdued was a testimony to the LORD’s preserving power in the life and reign of David. (Guzik)

Victory!

Jesus is our victor!

”So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”“ ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Victory over death! 

Have you accepted the Lords preserving power in your life?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 8:3-8 Trophies!

 ”David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at the River Euphrates. David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred 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. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the Lord preserved David wherever he went. And David took the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. As he went to recover his territory at the River Euphrates: The king of Zobah (a Syrian kingdom) ran into David on his way to capture territory near the Euphrates. David’s dominance extended all the way to the Euphrates River.

i. “The border of Israel was carried to the line of the Euphrates, so that promise made by God to Abraham was fulfilled: ‘Unto thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’” (Meyer)

ii. “Then there was Syria, the great heathen nation to the north, divided into two groups with capitals at Zobah and Damascus. They united together for protection but found themselves helpless against the might of David.” (Redpath)

b. David hamstrung all the chariot horses: This was military necessity instead of mere animal cruelty. David could not care for so many horses while on a military campaign and he could not give them back to the enemy.

c. He spared enough of them for one hundred chariots: That David kept such a small number shows remarkable self-control and trust in God. David obeyed the principle of Deuteronomy 17:15-16 and absolutely refused to trust in horses as military weapons. His trust was in God instead (Psalm 20:7 and 33:16-17).

d. David took the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer: David took what was the glory of the enemy and transformed them into trophies of the power and goodness of God. Those shields of gold were set in the temple and testified to God’s work in and through David.

i. God loves to take people and things that are “trophies” for the devil and make them trophies to His power and grace. (Guzik)

Trophies!

We all have trophies in our lives but the question arises, are “trophies” for the devil or are they trophies to His power and grace? 

Yesterday during our weekly bible study instead of doing a study everyone discussed what they went through during the record ice storm to survive and what we did to help others in need.

You could say we used our trophies to His power and grace.

”If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.“ ‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Does our faith have works?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 8:2 Two Or One Full Line?

 ”Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.“ ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭AMP‬

a. He defeated Moab: David’s war against Moab and his harsh treatment of their army seemed out of place considering that David’s great-grandmother was a Moabite (Ruth) and that he entrusted his mother and father into the care of the Moabites (1 Samuel 22:3-4). It may be that the Moabites killed or mistreated David’s parents.

b. Brought tribute: God did not want Israel to destroy every neighbor nation. Generally, God wanted Israel to be so blessed and strong that other nations were “taxed” by Israel, thus recognizing their strength and dominance. (Guzik)

Two or One Full Line?

We don’t know why David did this as the Bible doesn’t mention it. 

I had read four different translations trying to understand the meaning of the two or one line length and it appears if they were small and possibly young David spared their lives?

The book of Ruth (David’s great grandmother) is a short, good book of God’s love and how He works in all circumstances for those who love him.

Do you love God?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:25-29 Appropriate His Promise!

 ”“Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You. “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”“ II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Establish it forever and do as You have said: David’s prayer boldly asked God to do what He promised. This wasn’t a passive prayer that said, “Well God, do whatever You want to do – I don’t really care one way or another.” This wasn’t an arrogant prayer that said, “God, let me tell You what to do.” This was a bold prayer that said, “God, here is Your promise – now I trust You to fulfill it grandly and to be faithful to Your word.”

i. The phrase “therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You” emphasizes this. David said, “I’m only praying because You promised. You told me that this is what You want to do.”

ii. “God sent the promise on purpose to be used. If I see a Bank of England note, it is a promise for a certain amount of money, and I take it and use it. But oh I my friend, do try and use God’s promises; nothing pleases God better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, ‘Lord, do as thou hast said.’ And let me tell you that it glorifies God to use his promises.” (Spurgeon)

iii. This kind of prayer appropriates God’s promise. Just because God promised doesn’t mean that we possess. Through believing prayer like this, God promises, and we appropriate. If we don’t appropriate in faith, God’s promise is left unclaimed.

· We may appropriate His promise for forgiveness: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

· We may appropriate His promise for peace: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

· We may appropriate His promise for guidance: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)

· We may appropriate His promise for growth: He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

· We may appropriate His promise for help: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

b. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You: Notice that David prayed from the heart. Some people pray from a book, others pray from their heads. The right place to pray from is the heart.

i. It also says that David came before God to pray this prayer. Some prayers are not prayed. They are said or read or thought, but not prayed. “Not to say this prayer, but to pray this prayer. There is great force in the expression. Some prayers are never prayed, but are like arrows which are never shot from the bow. Scarcely may I call them prayers, for they are such as to form, and matter, and verbiage, but they are said, not prayed. The praying of prayer is the main matter.” (Spurgeon)

c. You are God, and Your words are true: This was David’s foundation of faith. He knew that God was God and that every word of His was true. He knew that God can be trusted.

(Guzik)

i. “The great sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is often spoken of very lightly and in a very trifling spirit, as though it were scarcely any sin at all; yet, according to my text, and, indeed, according to the whole tenor of the Scriptures, unbelief is the giving of God the lie, and what can be worse?” (Spurgeon)

Appropriate His Promise!

The Bible is full of promises and Jesus was the Maker of them! 

Let us follow David’s example and appropriate His promises of forgiveness, faith, peace, guidance, growth and help!

In my golden years, I appropriate the promise that the earth is not my home! I hold fast to it and look forward to sitting down at the Lords table of great feast and seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ!

I look forward to the room that Jesus prepared for me in His Father’s mansion!

I appropriate the promise of no more tears, or sorrow, or pain and suffering!

Like David I say and believe, You are God, and Your words are true!

Is there a particular promise that you appropriate and hold fast to?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:18-24 Who Am I?

 ”Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Who am I, O Lord GOD?.... Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD: When David received this spectacular gift, he didn’t think it made him any greater. In David’s eyes, it made God greater.

i. David’s attitude wasn’t, “I am so great that even God gives me gifts.” His attitude was, “God is so great that He gives even me gifts.” We should receive salvation and every blessing with the same attitude. God’s giving reflects the greatness of the Giver, not the receiver.

b. Your servant: David’s humble reception of this gift is shown by the repetition of the phrase Your servant– ten times in this prayer.

(Guzik)

i. It shows that David humbly accepted God’s “no” when he wanted to build the temple. “There are some professors who would do a great thing if they might, but if they are not permitted to act a shining part they are in the sulks and angry with their God. David when his proposal was set aside found it in his heart not to murmur, but to pray.” (Spurgeon)

Who Am I?

As I reflect on my life and my past sinful ways I wonder who am I, O Lord God? 

We survived a great ice storm with very little damage and I have to wonder, did God put His Hand of protection over our household? I went to visit a friend who’s struggling and I couldn’t believe all the damage that I witnessed! It looks like a hurricane went through, tops of trees gone, rows of electric poles destroyed, roofs damaged and buildings destroyed! Another friend had so much red pine tree damage that he has to have a logging company remove them all for pennies on the dollar. 

When I contemplate the damage others received versus our property I have ask myself, Who am I, O Lord God?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:12-17 Promises!

”“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. I will set up your seed after you: In this, God specifically promised a hereditary monarchy for the house of David. It was important for God to repeat this promise specifically because there had never yet been a king succeeded by his son in Israel.

i. “The family of Saul became totally extinct; the family of David remained till the incarnation.” (Clarke)

ii. This great promise that God made to David had only a future fulfillment. David would only benefit in his day from the promise through faith. If David had a “what’s-in-it-for-me-right-now” attitude, the promise would have meant nothing to him.

iii. “The joy which filled David’s bosom was a spiritual one, because he knew that Jesus would come of his race, and that an everlasting kingdom would be set up in his person, and in him should the Gentiles trust.” (Spurgeon)

b. He shall build a house for My name: Though David would not build a temple for God, David’s descendent would.

c. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever: The family of David did rule over Israel for more than four centuries but was eventually removed because of evil added upon evil. Yet out of the “stump” of Jesse, God raised up a new branch that will reign forever and ever (Isaiah 11:1-2).

d. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him: This descendent of David will enjoy a special relationship with God. If he sins, God will not reject him. Instead, God will chasten him without rejecting him.

e. Your throne shall be established forever: God promised David that the reign of his dynasty would last forever.

i. Each of these great promises was partially fulfilled in Solomon, David’s son and successor to his throne.

· Solomon ruled on David’s throne.

· God’s mercies never departed from Solomon, though he sinned.

· Solomon built God a magnificent house.

ii. But the prophets foretold a greater fulfillment of these promises.

· Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth…. Now this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

· For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder…. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it…from that time forward, even forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

· And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

iii. God’s promise of a house for David is completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

· Jesus does reign and will reign on David’s throne forever.

· The Father’s mercies never departed from Jesus, even when He was made sin for us.

· Jesus is building the Father a magnificent house (Hebrews 3:3-6) in the sense that we are God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5) and the church is God’s new house. (Guzik)

Promises!

The promises God made to David reminds me of a New Testament verse when Jesus posed a question to the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes!

”If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ 

I can’t help myself when I read this verse and chuckle 🤭.

I hold on to the promises of Jesus, do you?

Blessings 

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