2 Samuel 8:14–15: “He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people.”

June 17th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Unlike King Saul, King David ruled his kingdom in a just manner. As we continue to study through 2 Samuel, we see that David becomes more and more like the future Messiah, the ultimate King, who reigns perfectly, both with justice and mercy. David was of course still a human being and displayed human frailties throughout his life, just like all of us in the human race. He was an imperfect picture of the Messiah, but a type of Him nonetheless. We find ourselves in this same imperfect, ironic position. We are to model Jesus Christ and to follow His example in daily living, but we often find ourselves coming up short of the mark.

The word Christian means Christ-like. After we surrender to Him, we spend the rest of our lives learning how to take on His character. There is a true story of a young girl who surrendered to Jesus Christ as her Savior. The practice of her local church was to apply for membership and answer some questions. “Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?” inquired an old deacon. “Yes, sir,” she replied. “Well, are you still a sinner?” he asked. “To tell you the truth,” she replied, “I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever.” “Then what real change have you experienced?” he asked. “I don’t quite know how to explain it,” she said, “except I used to be a sinner running after sin; but now that I am saved, I’m a sinner running away from sin!” She became a member that day.

Like the hymn writer of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, said just before his death:

I am not what I ought to be . . . I am not what I wish to be . . . I am not what I hope to be . . . [but] I can truly say, I am not what I once was . . . and I can heartily join with the apostle [Paul], and acknowledge, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”

“We thank You again, LORD, for Your grace for us today.”

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2 Samuel 8

¹ And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.  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. ³ David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.  ⁴ And David took from him a thousand chariots , and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.  ⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, andbrought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. ⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 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:     ¹¹ Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; ¹² 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. ¹³ And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men . ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. ¹⁶ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;  ¹⁷ And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe; ¹⁸ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.