Thursday 4 April, 2013

8 While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them. 2 David also won the battle over the people of Moab. He made them lie down on the ground. Then he measured them off with a piece of rope. He put two-thirds of them to death. He let the other third remain alive. So the Moabites were brought under David’s rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. 3 David fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to take back control of the land along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer’s chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses. 5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them. 6 He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. 7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem. 8 He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer. 9 Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer. 10 So Tou sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted David. He praised him because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Joram brought with him articles that were made out of silver, gold and bronze. 11 King David set those articles apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had brought under his control. 12 Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. He also set apart for the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. 13 David returned after he had struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He became famous for doing it. 14 He stationed some soldiers all through Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under his rule. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went. 15 David ruled over the whole nation of Israel. He did what was fair and right for all of his people. 16 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records. 17 Zadok, the son of Ahitub, was a priest. Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, was also a priest. Seraiah was the secretary. 18 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David’s sons were royal advisers.

As 21^st century westerners this passage is hard to read. We cringe at so many being killed, and horses being hamstrung. Yet the key to the passage lies in verse 15 “David ruled over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people”. God honoured David for doing what is just and right by giving

him great victories in battle and bringing peace and prosperity to Israel.

I think the lesson for us to take from this passage is to viagra generic make sure we do what is” just and right”, and to grow in our ‘Christlikeness’.

Written by Megan Cornell