DAVID’S FURTHER CONQUESTS David was not preoccupied with his own glory, or with the extension of his kingdom, but with the kingdom of God. Hence, he did not seek to submit the tribes under his authority, as much as he was preoccupied with serving and caring for all, being the people of God. Now David entered into several wars, and again these words were said: “And the Lord preserved David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8: 14). He got gifts and spoils, that he dedicated to the house of the Lord. As a prudent man, caring for the kingdom of God, his preoccupation with the outside wars, did not make him disregard the affairs of his inner kingdom. 1- David’s conquests over the surrounding nations 1-8 2- ‘Toi’ king of Hamath sends gifts to David 9-10 3- David dedicates the gifts and spoils to the house of the Lord 11- 14 4- David administers judgment and justice to all his people 15-18 1- David’s conquests over the surrounding nations: David’s wars against the pagan nations, that utterly deviated to abominations beside violence, refer to the strife of the believer against sin. David struck: a- The Philistines: “David took ‘Metheg Ammah’ from the hand of the Philistines” (2 Samuel 8: 1); namely, he took ‘Gath’ and its villages; that were like the bridle, and the scepter of authority of their nation, over the tribes of Judah and Dan; as ‘Gath’ was located on the border of Judah, and close to Dan. David seized that bridle in his own hand to control them instead. b- The Moabites: It happened previously that David left his parents under the care of the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22: 3, 4). We do not know when that friendship turned into animosity; But we can presume that Moab supported David when he was persecuted by Saul, aiming to oppose Saul as the official king; But, as David became king, the tribes were unified together under his authority, and his kingdom was established, Moab started to oppose him. David struck their city; killed 2/3 of its inhabitants, and spared 1/3 to run their affairs, and to bring him tribute. By that the prophecy of Belaam was realized: “A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab” (Numbers 24: 17). Moab kept on paying the tribute, until the death of Ahab, when the king of Moab rebelled against Israel (2 Kings 3: 3, 4). c- The Syrians or Aram: Aram used to embrace two prominent kingdoms in the north: ‘Aram Zobah,’ its capital was ‘Zobah,’ thought to be ‘Homs’ nowadays; and ‘Aram Mesopotamia’; its capital was Damascus. David started by fighting ‘Hadadezer’ the king of ‘Aram Zobah1,’ that, in the days of David and Solomon, was a strong kingdom west of the Euphrates, whose authority extended one day to the border of Hamath to the north-west; Damascus was south or south-west of it, as ‘Berothai,’ one of its cities, was located between Hamath and Damascus. David struck him from the west in Hamath (1 Chronicles 18: 13), and struck the 1 The Westminster Dict. of the Bible, p. 57. 55 king of Aram Damascus when he came to help him [Some believe that Aram Damascus is itself Aram Mesopotamia; located at ‘Faddan Aram, where the early fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived]. By striking Aram Zobah, and Aram Damascus, David devastated all the great kingdoms of Aram; And to keep their armies from gathering together again to fight him, he put garrisons in Zobah and Damascus, and obliged them to pay tributes. David seized shields of Gold (gold plated), that belonged to the royal guards, and brought them to Jerusalem; and brought as well a large amount of bronze from ‘Tibhath’ and ‘Chun’ (1 Chronicles 18: 8). ‘Tibhath’ means (confidence)1; it was between Eleppo and Hamath. ‘Chun’ is believed by some to be ‘Beyrouth’; and by others to be ‘Brithan,’ 6 miles south-west of ‘Baelbeck’ [‘Berothai’ means (wells)2]. Solomon used the bronze to make the bronze sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze in the temple. David wrote his sixtieth psalm, when he fought and defeated Aram Zobah and Aram Mesopotamia (Damascus). St. Augustine comments on the title of this psalm, saying that it carried a prophetic spirit proclaiming, through the symbol, what would happen in the future3. The title of this psalm, according to the Septuagint version, is: [To the chief Musicians, Set to ‘Lily of the Testimony.’ A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt]. St. Augustine presents us with the following allegoric interpretation of that title: This psalm was written for the sake of those, whose life, Christ, the Son of David, changes, for His own sake. .. It is as though the Lord Christ is the One who changes and renews our life. The goal of this change is to learn how to encounter Him, as the goal of the law, or the commandment, or the teaching; He is the Teacher, the Renewer, and the goal. How does this change happen? a- By burning up ‘Mesopotamia’-Aram Syria: St. Augustine believes that ‘Syria’ means (Haughtiness), and ‘Mesopotamia’ means (a call). It is as though, for our life to be changed, God burns up our haughtiness and arrogance, to let us enjoy His humility. He has sent His fiery Holy Spirit to the world to burn up every corruption, renewing our nature (in the water of Baptism). Instead of bringing the world into fire, and burning it, He has sent His fire to the world to renew it, by burning up the works of the (old) man, and granting the new inner man, or the new life, which is in Christ. I wish we do not fear the fire of Christ; because, although it burns, it burns every thing old in us. b- By the returning of Joab: According to St. Augustine, the word ‘Joab’ means (enemy); It is as though the Christian returns to the victorious Son of David, after having been an enemy of God... Let us return to our Christ as beloved, after that old animosity. c- By killing twelve thousands Edomites in the Valley of Salts. If ‘Edom’ means (earth), All what is earthly in us, will be changed to what is heavenly. “As we have borne 1 Ibid, p. 105. . 2 قاموس الكتاب المقدس، ص ٢٠٧ 3On Ps. 60. 56 the image of the man of dust (the first Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man (the second Man)” (1 Corinthians 15: 49). 2- ‘Toi’ king of Hamath sends gifts to David: ’Toi’ king of Hamath sent his son to David to greet him and bless him, because he fought against, and defeated Hadadezer, who was an enemy of ‘Toi.’ The son brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze all of which David dedicated to the house of the Lord. David accepted that gift, to proclaim that he preferred peace to war. 3- David dedicates the gifts and spoils to the house of the Lord: David prepared the way for his son Solomon, to build the house of God, on two fronts: a- By subduing the adversary nations like Aram Mesopotamia, Aram Zobah, and Edom; and creating friendly relationships with the peaceful nations, like the kingdom of Hamath, to provide Solomon with the right atmosphere to build the house of God in peace. b- Preparing the possibilities for construction; David did not use the gifts and spoils for his own benefit, nor that of his family, or his tribe, but dedicated them to build the house of the Lord. David separated the golden statues from the golden vessels; He burnt the first (2 Samuel 5; 21), and dedicated the second to the service of the house of the Lord. The first, namely the idols, refer to evil, that should be utterly destroyed; as God is in no need of gold or silver ...; and the second, the vessels, refer to transforming the energies and talents, used for evil, to energies and talents used to the account of the kingdom of God. God rejects evil, and sanctifies what we have defiled through evil; He hates sin but not sinners. “And David made himself a (memorial) when he returned from killing 18,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt” (2 Samuel 8: 13). He made himself a (memorial) to proclaim his destroying Edom (namely everything earthly) ... What is that (memorial), but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has turned us away from the worldly things to the heavenly ones. . It was said in the sixtieth psalm, written by David after striking Edom and Aram: “You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal its breaches, for it is shaking... Over Edom I will cast my shoe ...” (psalm 60). By the cross of our Lord, all the earthly thoughts in us tremble, to trample them under our feet! 4- David administers judgment and justice to all his people: As David managed to subdue the adversary nations, and to gain the friendship of the peaceful nations, he also managed to care for his inner kingdom, and the people of God, not like Saul, who was strong in wars, and a failure in his internal policy. (1) “David reigned over all Israel; and he administered judgment and justice to all his people” (2 Samuel 8: 15) It was mentioned in psalm 72:“He will judge your people with righteousness; and your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people; and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy; and will break in pieces the oppressor” (Psalm 72: 2-4). 57 (2) He managed to distribute responsibilities on assistants to help him; So he designated: a- Joab the son of Zeruiah, over the army; b- Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, a registrar (to write down and keep the king’s orders) c- Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests d- Seraiah, was the scribe; namely a minister of state. e- Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; namely executioners of punishments; as well as king’s guards (2 kings 11: 4). Kings in these days preferred to use foreign guards, to avoid their bias to their native people in case of revolts. f- Sons of David were chief ministers, namely royal advisers to present to their father the real request of the people, and to intercede on their behalf.
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