FLOATING BRANCHES
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, help me to see your hand in all that I do, to see you always as the one who gives me wisdom and strength to do what is right.
Read 2 SAMUEL 8
David’s Victories
8 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.
2 David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument at[a] the Euphrates River. 4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers[b] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.
7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebah[c] and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9 When Tou[d] king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram[e] to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.
11 King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12 Edom[f] and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites[g] in the Valley of Salt.
14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.
David’s Officials
15 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.[h]
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 8:3 Or his control along
- 2 Samuel 8:4 Septuagint (see also Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Chron. 18:4); Masoretic Text captured seventeen hundred of his charioteers
- 2 Samuel 8:8 See some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 18:8); Hebrew Betah.
- 2 Samuel 8:9 Hebrew Toi, a variant of Tou; also in verse 10
- 2 Samuel 8:10 A variant of Hadoram
- 2 Samuel 8:12 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram
- 2 Samuel 8:13 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:12); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (that is, Arameans)
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Or were chief officials (see Septuagint and Targum; see also 1 Chron. 18:17)
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you’ (John 15:9).In today’s passage, we see David’s amazing litany of successes (vs 1-5). Wherever David went, the Lord gave him victory (v 6). With such great success, came tributes from surrounding peoples, including from kings such as Tou (vs 9,10), and significant resources and wealth (vs 4,6-8,10,11).
What’s the relationship between our actions and the Lord’s? Verses 1 and 4 say David ‘took’ resources captive and verse 13 says ‘David made a name for himself’ (ESV). Yet verses 6 and 14 say the Lord gave David victory. Which is it? When God works in us and through us to achieve something for the kingdom, it can be all too easy for our unbidden thoughts to emphasize our role rather than God’s. David was an incredible leader and king, yet he did seem to struggle with the sin problem of taking credit and receiving glory rather than giving it to God. Jesus once said that he was the vine and we are the branches, and without him we can do nothing (see John 15:5). This was true of David and it’s true for us today. If you’re ever tempted to glorify yourself rather than God, remind yourself that would be like rootless, floating branches, detached from a vine, trying to make grapes!
Apply
Meditate on this verse: ‘Abide in me, and I in you’ (John 15:4, ESV). How can you abide in Jesus today?
Closing prayer
To you, O God, be all the glory! You are worthy of my praise and my devotion. Thank you for making yourself known to me.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.