2 Samuel 8:3-8
3 Then David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the Euphrates River.
4 And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men among the Arameans.
6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
7 David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.
The Conquest of Syria
Small northern kingdom of Zobah
In today’s passage, the conquest of Syria is recorded. That conquest came in two stages. The first was the conquest of the small northern kingdom of Zobah. (1) Zobah was a kingdom of the Arameans, and its sphere of influence extended to the Euphrates River region. (2) Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, went out to restore his lost territory, but he was struck down by David. (3) David took many soldiers as captives (1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot-soldiers). In mountain warfare, chariots and horses are not necessary. Therefore, David hamstrung all the horses, leaving only 100 of them.
Aram of Damascus
The Arameans of Damascus was the central power of Syria. (1) When they heard that Hadadezer, king of Zobah, was under attack, they sent reinforcements. (2) However, David also won this battle and struck down 22,000 Arameans. (3) Having won the victory, David stationed garrisons in Aram of Damascus to secure the northern defenses. (4) Thus, Aram, which had been a longstanding enemy alongside the Philistines, became a tributary state of David’s kingdom. (5) The Bible explains the reason for David’s victories in this way: “And the Lord helped David wherever he went” (v 6). This verse is extremely important as it was the Lord who gave David victory. David knew this well. And in the Psalms, he repeatedly sings songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. “The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not rescued by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who wait for His faithfulness” (Ps. 33:16-18). Let us once again meditate on who it is that protects us and leads us into a life of victory. By what strength are you trying to accomplish what you are now planning? Let’s invite the presence of Christ into our plans.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, my help comes from You, the Creator of heavens and earth. I trust in You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.