When God made David king, he told him he would use David’s reign to bring peace to the nation, 2 Samuel 7:10-11. But David could only secure the peace by waging war. David was destined to be the “man of war” God described in 1 Chronicles 28:3.
Sometimes war is unavoidable.
In David’s case, it was actually his calling. While it is true that God chose Solomon, a man of peace, to build his temple, we must never think that David was not obeying God when he waged war. He was.
Four things happened when King David launched his military campaigns:
- He defeated Israel’s enemies,
- He won spoils in battle and dedicated those treasures to the Lord,
- He placed military bases within the borders of neighboring nations, and
- He gave God all the glory for his military victories.
“And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them … and he smote Moab … David smote also Hadadezer … When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand [Arameans]. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus … and the Lord gave David victory wherever he went” 2 Samuel 8:1-6. The writer continues: David “put garrisons in Edom … and the Lord gave David victory wherever he went,” 2 Samuel 8:13.
Why the armed garrisons within the borders of other sovereign nations? Because those nations were hostile to Israel. This is a merciful measure because it allowed those nations to maintain autonomy and self-governance as long as they did not raise armies to threaten Israel. In other words, David defeated his enemies, but he did not swallow them up in a growing empire. He was not trying to expand Israel’s territory.
He defeated the enemies merely to secure Israel’s borders from attack. David then placed armed garrisons within the surrounding nations to ensure those nations did not again attack Israel, and probably to collect tribute or taxes from those nations.
(The United States is not the first nation to maintain a military presence within the borders of another nation.)
Everything David collected from Israel’s enemies he dedicated to God:
“And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. Likewise from … cities of Hadadezer brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea and the pillars and the vessels of brass [for the temple],” 1 Chronicles 18:7-8.
After David defeated King Hadadezer, King Tou of Hamath, a king in the area who had been at war with Hadadezer, sent David “all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. These also David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and gold he brought from all these nations, from Edom, and from Moab, and from Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek,” 1 Chronicles 18:10-11.
Following Israel’s defeat of Edom, King David composed Psalm 60. David thrills in the victory, but he never forgets it comes from the Lord:
“Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal, and over Philistia I shout in triumph … Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly. For he it is that shall tread down our enemies” Psalm 60:8, 11-12.
God, we know you called David to war and you made him victorious. Bless our relations both foreign and domestic. Fill us with love for all people and the courage to wage war when we must. Give us wise leaders who are peacemakers. And help us to give generously to your work, remembering that it is you who gives us the victory in all things. We praise you both in victory and in defeat.
ΑΩ
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