David Subdues Israels’s Enemies

God had told David he would not be able o build a temple because he would be busy fighing Israel’s enemies.  Though he had soundly defeated the Philistines, and was serving the Lord as much as he possibly could, he still had to deal with various enemies through out his reign.  Unfortunately, many people today think if you are serving the Lord there shouldn’t be any problems.  They forget that in John 16:33, Jesus warned, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  Paul gave a similar warning in II Timothy 3:12.  “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”   While this is especially true for Christians, Job 5:7 warns, “…man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”  Everyone has problems, including sincere devout Christians.  II Samuel 8 gives a brief summary of David’s efforts to overcome those problems.  Later chapters give more detail about some of the things that happened. 

Though he had defeated them, the Philistines invaded and he was forced to fight them again.  This time he seized and occupied a large portion of Philistine land, making it clear furtherbattles might cost them everything, in II Samuel 8:1.  “And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.”

The Moabites, were descendants of Lot, and for centuries they had been trying to conquer Israel, falsely accusing them of having taken land they should have had.   David defeated them, executing one third of them in an effort to end their attacks, in II Samuel 8:2.  “And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.”  It would be more than a hundred years before they rebelled against Israel.   

The Syrian people were divided into a number of large states, each having their own king.  Hadadezer ruled an area to israel’s north east.  They had been raiding israel for centuries and David attacked them,  At the time the Syrians were facing an invasion along the Euphrtes River and their forces were divided, making it easy for David to defeat them, in II Samuel 8:3-4.  “David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.  And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.”

Learning that David had attacked Hadadezer’s group of Syrians, the Syrians of Damascus came to their aid and were defeated as well.  They agreed to become tributaries of Israel as a result, in II Samuel 8:5-8.  “And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.  Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.  And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.  And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.”

Hadadezer had been trying to take over another Syrian group centered around Hamath, just north of Israel.  When Israel defeated Hadadezer, the king of Hamath voluntarily made a treaty with Israel, appreciating the end of conflict with Hadadezer and wanting to avoid conflict with Israel, in II Samuel 8:9-12.   When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 2sa 8:10 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:  Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.”   David Dedicated all the silver, Gold and brass to the lord, to be used in building the temple. 

David’s reputation grew dramatically when the nations realized he had defeated much larger Syrian forces, capturing twenty two thousand 7even hundred soldiers an a thousand tanks with oly eighteen thousand men.  He also established military basis in Edom, among Esau’s descendants, ruling over them as well, eliminating any threats from the nations around Israel for years to come, as we see in II Samuel 8:13-14.  “And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.  And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.”

As their enemies were subdued over the years, David was able to focus on more fully on seeing that the laws were followed fully, assigning people to take responsibility for different activities and departments, in II Samuel 8:15-18.  “And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.  And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe; And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.”

Because David had subdued their enemies and established a functional government, Solomon would be free to build the temple without distraction when he became king.