Previously in 2 Samuel, we saw how David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but the Lord turned it around on him by stating He would build David a house. David was overwhelmed by such a promise, but received it by faith and prayed the Lord would bring it to pass. In this chapter we will see some of David’s further conquests.
After this, David attacked and subdued the Philistines. The Philistines had been Israel’s enemies for a long time, and Israel had frequently been on the defensive. Now under a godly king, he went on the offensive and conquered them. He took Metheg Ammah (Gath) from them which was one of their major cities. He also went to war with Moab, and divided them into groups. He made them lie on the ground, divided them into three groups, and put two of the three groups to death. The ones allowed to live became his servants and paid tribute. It is not known why David used such a harsh treatment against the Moabites, but it is thought by some that Moab had turned against Israel while they were at war with the Syrians (Psa 60:1-12). The Jews teach that it was because the Moabites had killed David’s parents whom he had left there while on the run from Saul. Whatever the case, it was a fulfilment of Balam’s prophecy against Moab which said, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.” (Num 24:17)
David also went to war with Hadadezer, king of Zobah, when he went to recover his territory at the Euphrates River. He took from him 1,000 chariots, 700 horsemen, and 20,000-foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the horses except for enough for one hundred chariots. According to the law, the Jewish kings were not to multiply horses to themselves, so David, although using considerable constraint under the circumstances, may not have been in line with the Lord’s will here. Solomon, his son, would later take this to the extreme as he would acquire 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. When the Syrians came to help Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. He placed garrisons in Syria, and the Syrians became his servants, paying him tribute. God preserved him wherever he went.
David reigned over all Israel, and it says he administered judgment and justice to all his people. This is what made David a great leader in contrast to his predecessor, Saul, who was concerned with his own power. Gusek writes, “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.” He ruled the people as best he could according to the word of God, and he applied the same standards to everyone. There were no power trips, envy or jealousy against others in his kingdom, nor did he attempt to murder those he saw as a threat to his success. Again, he was in it for the Lord and for God’s people, and the people knew it.
Next, we see David’s cabinet: David had several qualified and gifted men around him in his government to help him do his job just like any successful leader would. This is in contrast to Saul who, apart from his own sons and Abner, did not. There was Joab, his nephew and general Jehoshaphat, the recorder; Zadok, and Ahimelech, the priests, Seraiah, the scribe; and Benniah, who was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, who were hired soldiers from Crete to be David’s guards.
What kind of leader are we in our families, at work, or at Church? Do we seek to rule according to the word of God, and are we equitable to those under our leadership? Do we like to have control, or do we seek like-minded individuals to lead with us and share the burden? If we want to be successful, let us be like David, serving God and His people faithfully. In the following chapter, we will see David keep a promise he made to a friend, even though the friend was long dead.
