2 Smauel 8:9-18
9 Now when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer,
10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and bless him, because he had fought Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze.
11 King David also consecrated these gifts to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations which he had subdued:
12 from Aram, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.
14 He also put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people.
16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was commander over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary.
17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was scribe.
18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.
Victories Wherever He Went
Words of blessing from the king of Hamath
Hamath was a city-state located about 93 miles (150 km) north of Damascus. (1) They were an Aramean people, and their king was named Toi. (2) Toi, who was an enemy of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, rejoiced when David defeated Zobah and sent his son Joram to convey words of blessing. (3) Furthermore, Toi gave David articles of silver, gold, and bronze. (4) David consecrated these gifts to the Lord along with the spoils from other nations. These also became materials for the temple that his son would build in the future. Previously, David had destroyed the idols left behind by the enemy (5:21). But here, he consecrated the spoils and gifts and offered them to the Lord. From this, we can learn an important lesson. We too, when offering ourselves to the Lord, must reject anything with idolatrous elements and consecrate only what leads to the glory of the Lord. What kind of gifts are you seeking to offer for the building up of the Church, the body of Christ?
The conquest of Edom
Furthermore, David struck down 18,000 Edomites and stationed garrisons throughout all Edom. It was the Lord who gave David such victories. “And the Lord helped David wherever he went.” David recognized that behind his unbroken string of victories was the presence of the Lord, and he expressed this in the Psalms. Today, are you living a stable and blessed life? If so, you should acknowledge the hand of the Lord behind it and praise His name at every opportunity. In order for the kingdom of David to prosper and be governed justly, David appointed capable officials as his aides. David treated the people of Israel equally and always executed righteous judgment. His actions serve as a foreshadowing of Christ. The officials who served David for the prosperity of the kingdom can be seen as a foreshadowing of us Christians. Let us joyfully and willingly step forward to serve the Lord Christ. Let us do so, for that the will of God may be done on earth.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I am a servant of the Lord Jesus. Please use me for the sake of Your Kingdom. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.