Scripture: 2 Samuel 8:1-18
Sermon Series: 2 Samuel: When God is Your King! – Sermon 08
Don’t you love success stories? When Elvis Presley (picture) was just starting out, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, told Elvis after just one performance, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”
Before Harry the wizard was an idea on a paper napkin in an Edinburgh cafe, J. K. Rowling (picture) was living off welfare, divorced, jobless and suicidal. “By every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.”
He’s considered the greatest basketball player of all time, but at 5’11” Michael Jordan (picture) was cut from of his high school team. He was told that he was too short and lacked the skills to play high school basketball.
You’ve heard of a “bucket list,” a “blacklist,” and “Craig’s List.” 2 Samuel 8 is a victory list. It begins three chapters where we see David at his best. In chapter 8 he’ll crush his enemies, bringing peace and prosperity to Israel.
Some essential background for understanding this chapter is to know that God promised Abraham, Moses, and Joshua that He’d give His people the Promised Land. He gave them the dimensions of the Land. To this point in Israel’s history, the nation only possessed a portion of it. Under David, for the first time, Israel will conquer the full extent of the Promised Land (map) that God had promised to them. In Genesis God promised Abraham, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates…’” (Genesis 15:18). At this point, they haven’t possessed the area north of the Euphrates River or the area south to the Nile River.
Now that God’s king is on the throne, setting up God’s kingdom, the enemies of God’s kingdom must be dealt with. These battles are more than land disputes. David is the new Joshua who returns to the unfinished task of conquering the Land. All the nations, David defeats have set themselves up as enemies of God. David wasn’t just conquering the Promised Land; he’s eliminating the enemies of God who’d opposed God and His people. It’s truly a holy war. David’s warfare has the blessing of God and David wins again and again. He’s the successful, conquering King.
How do you handle success? In contrast to all of the books or sermons that discuss how to handle adversity, very few speak about how to handle success. Chuck Swindoll (picture) said: “Few people can live in the lap of luxury and maintain their spiritual, emotional, and moral equilibrium. Sudden elevation often disturbs balance, which leads to pride and a sense of self-sufficiency—and then, a fall. It’s ironic, but more of us can hang tough through a demotion than through a promotion. And it is at this level a godly leader shows himself or herself strong. The right kind of leaders, when promoted, know how to handle the honor.”
Success can be hard on us. Not many can handle the power. Success and the temptations that accompany it often cause many to fall. In 2 Samuel 8 David is a model for us on How to handle success. If you’re taking notes…
1. We must realize that success is always God-given.
Chapter 8 has a recurring phrase, “And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6, 13). It was God who put all David’s battles in the win column.
We like to take the credit for our successes. An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends. He took along a few pictures to show the hostess. She looked at his photos, commenting, “These are very good! You must have a good camera.” He didn’t respond, but as he was leaving, he said, “That was a really delicious meal! You must have some very good pots.”
Taking credit doesn’t cut it in God’s business. Christ-followers know that everything that we have and are comes from our generous Heavenly Father. When we take credit, we’ve fallen into Satan’s sin – pride. 2 Samuel 8 is very clear on who won all of these battles – God. We find Four major military offenses recorded in this campaign. Who did David attack and why?
Philistia – vs. 1. The Philistines have been a serious threat to Israel since the days of Samson. Saul’s failure as king can be illustrated by his lack of ability to deal with these enemies. Ultimately, he was killed in battle by the Philistines, his body and that of his sons mutilated.
When David came to the throne, the Philistines possessed about a third of Israel. They’d driven the Israelites from their homes. Of all of David’s victories, this one was the most important to his people. It let them go home.
David subdued them. The word means complete humiliation. David totally defeated the Philistine nation, crippling them for good.
Metheg-ammah is unknown today. The name means “the bridle of the mother city.” It appears to be their capital city. The bridle of the city is a way of speaking about total control, just as the bridle controls a horse. When David conquered this area, he took control of the Philistine nation. It’d be like China taking control of Washington DC. It’d devastate our country. David’s conquest is so overwhelming that while the Philistines occasionally reappear, in the future they’re so weak, they never pose a threat to Israel again. David eliminated the threat once and for all.
Moab – vs. 2. David’s actions here are shocking, especially when we remember his great-grandmother, Ruth, was from Moab. During his exile while running from King Saul, David had entrusted his parents to the Moabite king. Something must have gone terribly wrong for him to deal with the Moabites as severely as he does here. Jewish tradition says the Moabites betrayed David and killed his parents.
Remember Moab’s history with Israel was antagonistic. They’d hired Balaam, a pagan prophet, to curse Israel. Moabite men seduced Jewish women causing God’s judgment to fall on His people. The Moabites subdued Israel during the time of the judges, so God had declared war on Moab. Now David is God’s instrument in judging them.
David killed two-thirds of the captured Moabite soldiers. Those who lived or died were determined by lying them on the ground and measuring them with a rope. It appears that grown men who were taller were killed, young men who were shorter were spared.
It sounds horribly harsh. Yet before we make moral judgments about this, we should note that in this chapter, David did what was approved by God. The Moabites occupied a portion of the Promised Land. They resisted David’s kingship and would have continually rebelled against him, attacking Israel. David left enough Moabites alive so they could work their farms. He killed enough so that they were never again a threat to Israel.
Even in recent times we’ve seen what happens when you don’t completely conquer evil forces. America never defeated the Taliban (picture). As soon as we left, Afghanistan went back under the harshness of Sharia law.
Zobah – vs. 3. Zobah was a powerful Arabian kingdom far to the north of Israel. This is only the second time Zobah is mentioned in Scripture.
Hadadezer was the king of Zobah. There is some biblical humor in the text. Hadadezer means “Hadad is my help.” Hadad was an ancient pagan storm god that the people of Zobah worshipped. The name means “the one who smashes.” Hadad claimed to be good at playing whack-a-mole with his enemies. But the smashing god didn’t do much smashing when he met the one true God, and he ended up being smashed.
Horses and chariots were the tanks of the ancient world. Hamstringing horses seems cruel, but it prevented the horse from running, reducing the military threat. It involves cutting a tendon, leaving the horse slightly crippled. It’s still fit for agriculture but couldn’t be used as a weapon of war.
God gave specific commands in Deuteronomy 17 for Israel’s kings. They were forbidden from acquiring many horses. Why did God say that? Kings found their confidence in their horses and chariots. A king with lots of horses was powerful militarily. Israel’s kings were not to acquire lots of horses, so that they wouldn’t place their faith in their military strength but place their confidence in God. David writes, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).
All of these nations were horribly evil. They were the Hamas and Iran of that day, threatening Israel’s very existence. David’s victory fulfills God’s promise to Abraham of extending Israel’s borders to the Euphrates.
Syria – vss. 5-8. By defeating the Syrians, Israel controlled two major trade routes connecting Asia with Africa, allowing Israel to collect revenues and insuring safe passage for merchants.
David defeats powerful nations, ones with chariots and horses. He trusts in God to give him the victory. It’s a repeat of David and Goliath, where a weak David slays a powerful enemy with God’s strength. Now we have a weak Israel defeating powerful nations that surrounded them who possessed the latest in military technology. David’s amazing victories against powerful adversaries were not coming from his own strength but from God’s.
David was very aware of how outgunned he was. He wrote about it in Psalm 3. “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked” (Psalm 3:7).
Three observations.
We are tempted to trust in other things besides God. Some trust in 401k’s, and some in the stock market, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God! Some trust in their wit, some in their persona, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God! Some trust in their title, some in their pedigree, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God! Some trust in politics and some in their candidate, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God! David trusted God. Who are you trusting in?
It’s right to feel a sense of abhorrence at this violence. Some of David’s actions seem brutal. In narratives like 2 Samuel 8, Scripture only tells us what happened. The Bible also continually tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live” (Ezekiel 18:23).
It’s unwise to judge the practices of ancient wars by modern standards of warfare. Did you see Braveheart (picture)? Then,you understand. They were different times. As strange as it may seem to us, the mass execution of a defeated army may have been kind. Many other countries were far more brutal in their torture and brutality of defeated prisoners after a battle.
This is a holy war and David is an agent of God’s judgement. These nations weren’t just rejecting David but God as King. It’s easy for us to understand God’s judgement on some people whom we consider exceptionally evil—child molesters, rapists, terrorists. We find it much more difficult to understand how God might judge our “nice” kind of neighbor. The Bible clearly teaches that anyone who rejects Christ as Savior will one day face God’s judgement. The real surprise is that a holy God spares anyone at all. As all success is a gift from God so is all of God’s forgiveness and mercy.
Every Christ-follower is in spiritual warfare. As New Testament believers, we don’t use military weapons. We have something better, God’s power and weaponry. The Bible is clear – we’re in wartime. We don’t have time to look at all of these places. Ephesians 6:12 is one of the clearest, “We struggle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and against the powers and against the authorities of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
Scripture reassures us that in spiritual warfare we can stand firm and resist anything Satan throws out at us, but only if we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6). Unlike earthly warfare, spiritual warfare never ends. Each of us has a battle to fight until we leave this world. We must know God’s Word and be armed and ready. A soldier with marching orders doesn’t go to battle with half the weapons, lest he becomes vulnerable. It’s the same in spiritual warfare too.
2. We must realize that success reveals our true values
So, if you were to receive a promotion or a raise, what would you do with it? Most of us might name several bills we’d pay off. It doesn’t usually turn out that way. Many times, when we get a promotion, we set our sights on other things…a new car, a bigger house, a swimming pool or some super vacation.
Not everyone knows what to do when they suddenly run into extra money. Not everyone knows what to do when they’re dropped into a place of influence. Often what happens is that it goes to their head. They become full of pride. Frequently, they have a false belief about where the promotion really came from. Many believe a promotion comes by them…knowing the right person. Shaking the right hands. Patting the right people on the back. Maybe even running over a few who got in their way.
God blesses us and wants us to enjoy His blessings. David’s values are seen in what he does when he’s blessed with shields of gold and other treasure. “These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued” (2 Samuel 8:11).
The Bible teaches that giving in worship is important. We ought to give as we’ve been given and not just splurge on ourselves. Yet let me point out something often overlooked. Giving in worship is so much more than money. When God gives you a promotion or you’re able to move into a better neighborhood, you have an opportunity to have a greater influence for the Kingdom. In a better neighborhood, you can connect with folk who because of their social status, don’t want to readily admit that they need Jesus.
Our focus at Grace this year is on building gospel bridges with our neighbors. Are you using God’s blessings, placing you where you are, as an opportunity to build gospel bridges with your neighbors, subordinates or co-workers? The riches God gave you of new relationship opportunities are gifts from Him to be invested in His Kingdom.
Some think that churches are always after their money. God doesn’t need your money. God will always pay the bills.
Did you know thar Jesus never commands us to, “Go pass the offering plate…”? He commanded us to go out in this world with His message. What the Kingdom desperately needs is for us to advance it by building relationships with those in our circle who don’t know Jesus. What the Kingdom needs is Christ-followers willing to take risks and share with those in their circle how they can be forgiven and spend eternity with Jesus. Are you using where God has placed you to make a difference in eternity?
Lynn Anderson (picture) said, “God does not judge us so much by what we achieve as by whom we adore.” David loved God. How you use your place, position, time or treasure speaks volumes about what you value and adore.
3. We must realize that success has a far-reaching impact
It’d be easy to overlook the powerful message of verses 9-10. “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” (2 Samuel 8:9-10).
Hamath is over one hundred miles north of Damascus. When King Toi hears of David’s victory over his enemy, he sends his son, Joram, to David’s court. Here’s what I want you to see. Joram’s name had been “Hadoram” which meant “Hadad is exalted.” To honor David and more importantly, David’s God, King Toi changes the name of his son from “Hadoram” to “Joram” which means “Yahweh is exalted.” Toi and his kingdom were not only “politically” saved by David but spiritually saved to become Gentile worshippers of God. David is so respected others want to honor his God.
I love Chick-fil-a. Do you know what I love more? Truett Cathy’s (picture) powerful testimony for Christ. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-a, loved Jesus. He taught a 5th grade boys’ Sunday school class for more than 50 years. Because of his commitment to the Lord, he closed his restaurants on Sundays so his employees could attend church and be with their families. Proverbs 22:1 was his life verse, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” In one interview he shared: “I’m always conscious of keeping my name in good order. Doing that, I believe, has been paying dividends for me even now…I teach Sunday school, and one time I asked my class, ‘How many of you would like to have one million dollars?’ All hands went up! Then I said, ‘Let me tell you something better than that—to protect your reputation, to establish a good name and to be consistent about it.’ One boy asked, ‘Suppose you already have a good reputation?’ I said, ‘A reputation is something that you have to earn every day. It’s not something that you just have and that you keep automatically.’”
David had a good name. God wants His people to have a good name. We’re to be living witnesses for Jesus. We need more Christians, particularly those with influence, to have a good name for Jesus. Do you have a good name?
4. We must realize success today means preparing for success tomorrow
“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” (2 Samuel 8:13-14). These Israeli garrisons had a dual purpose. They ensure that no further insurrection takes place, and they keep open the supply routes.
Parents, Dads, Moms – are you protecting your family from enemy attacks? Do you talk with your kids about what they’re learning in school, what they’re learning from their peers? Does it line up with a biblical worldview? Are you controlling their media diet?
Our church leaders are responsible to protect this church – to protect you. The attacks on the church rarely come from without but from within. It’s why the Apostle Paul warned the leaders of the church at Ephesus. “I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following” (Acts 20:29-30).Because Paul was certain of the presence of savage wolves back then, we can expect them in our churches today. Wolves are always found where there are sheep.
The word “savage” speaks of ravenous, unscrupulous and bloodthirsty. They’re enemies of the flock. The phrase “not sparing” speaks of no restraint. For wolves, every sheep is fair game.
Like Judas, there were apparently some already in their midst who’d prove to be spiritually deadly. Faithful church leaders need to know the Word of God well enough to prepare for false teaching and defectors. They need to protect the flock from doctrinal error and deal with sin that hurts the church.
Amazingly, as we’ll find in a few chapters, David protected the nation against enemy invaders yet fails to protect his own heart. You can’t really protect others unless you protect your own heart.
5. We must realize that success means caring about others
I just heard about a PBS special, Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office (picture). It’s a true and tragic story. Nothing can screw things up like a computer.
Because of a new computer program the British Post Office charged thousands of innocent postmasters for shortfalls in their accounts, which had been caused by a glitch in the accounting software. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 postmasters were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting because of a faulty computer program. Others were prosecuted but not convicted, forced to cover the shortfalls with their own money, or had their contracts terminated. Rather than believing their postmasters that it was a computer problem, the bureaucrats defended the program. Finally, one postmaster, Alan Bates, wouldn’t be bullied or intimidated and this terrible injustice came to light. He knew that he’d done nothing wrong. It was a terrible injustice.
2 Samuel 8:15, “So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.” Government injustice and corruption is sadly common. God’s kings were to be different, and David was. Not only was he successful in battle. He was just and fair as king. In defeat one is tempted to give in to despair but in victory one is tempted to be complacent. David is as just as a ruler, as he was a great warrior.
Those who are wealthy, powerful or privileged are often less sympathetic to a longing for justice. Suffering from injustice doesn’t really touch them. David’s kingdom anticipated the promised coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ where there will be perfect justice and equity.
You and I are not kings or judges, but we must exemplify God’s kingdom and justice wherever He has placed us, whether you’re a dad, mom, grandparent, employer or an employee, and so on. If you keep doing what is just and right toward the people around you and connected with you in your various capacities, you’re part of advancing Jesus’ just Kingdom.
Unfortunately, though David desires to do the right thing, he chooses the wrong people to do the right job. We’ve seen Joab’s anger and violence already. It won’t get better. If you’re going to do the right thing, you must surround yourself with the right people. We all need to ask: Who are my friends? Are they helping me grow to be more righteous and like Jesus?
Conclusion
Two Kentucky farmers who owned racing stables developed a strong rivalry. One spring each of them entered a horse in a local steeplechase. Thinking that a professional rider might help him outdo his friend, one of the farmers hired a professional champion jockey. The two horses were neck and neck with a large lead over the rest of the pack at the last fence, but suddenly both fell, unseating their riders.
The professional jockey remounted quickly and then rode on to win the race. Returning triumphantly to the paddock, the jockey found the farmer who’d hired him fuming with rage. “What’s the matter?” the jockey asked. “I won, didn’t I?” “Oh, yea,” roared the farmer. “You won all right, but you crossed the finish line on the wrong horse.”’
In his hurry to remount after the fall, the jockey had jumped on his competitor’s horse. His success was actually a failure.
Many people, thinking they’ve succeeded, will ultimately discover that they failed because they chose the wrong horse. How about you?
David was successful because God was first in his life. Though he wasn’t perfect, he believed God. It’s why he offered sacrifices according to Old Testament Law. In faith he was looking forward to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for his sins.
Personally, I have a hard time preaching passages like this. The wiping out of so many people is hard for my contemporary sensitivity. Yet, the Bible teaches that God’s standard is absolute perfection. God doesn’t grade on the curve. The reality is that none of us are fit for heaven. I know I’m not. Our sin debt is too big. It’s why God gave Jesus to die on the cross. He died to pay for our sin. His perfect Son was the only one who could pay our sin debt.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I don’t believe that.” Read the Bible for yourself. Read the book of Romans. This isn’t my opinion. It’s what God’s Word teaches.
Recently, I had someone share that they’d gotten bad news from the doctor – they have cancer. What if they said, “I don’t believe it.” Would it have changed the fact that they have cancer?
It doesn’t matter what you think or what I think when it comes to God’s holiness, justice, forgiveness and going to heaven. It only matters what God says. He’s clearly told us that the only way to be forgiven and to go to heaven is to commit your life to Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Jesus said, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Mark 8:36-37), NLT). To lose your soul for all eternity is a disaster. To be saved and have your soul saved for all eternity is true success.
So, where it counts, for eternity, are you successful? True success begins with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It means having God’s values and His worldview. It means advancing His Kingdom. It means preparing for tomorrow and eternity. It means caring about others and dealing with them in a just way.
David was successful. God was first in his life. Are you successful? Is God first in your life?