David Defeats His Enemies

 

1 Chronicle 18:1-13

 

March 23, 2023

 

David Defeats His Enemies

After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hands of the Philistines.

And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

David also defeated Hadadezer, king of Zobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the river Euphrates.  And David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000-foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots.  And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians.  Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.  And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.  And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. With it, Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze.

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze.  These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.  Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went

 

As I read this it brought back a good memory of our first trip to England with Carroll & Joyce Ray.  How does that work with the story of David defeating his enemies?   It was not David who went to set up a monument to himself, it was Hadadezer, king of Zobah-Hamath.  It sure sounds as if Hadadezer was full of himself.  His desire to be remembered came at a cost he nor anyone would be willing to pay.

 

How did our trip to England bring back those memories, I recall it was a nice day, the sun was shining, and that is unusual, but that is not what brought back the memories.  It was this tall tower on top of a hill much like a monument you would see in Washington to one of our great leaders of the past.  I recall asking Carroll what is that all about, and he said a man wanted to be remembered so he built a monument to himself.  I asked if he was some great man, and Carroll said no one remembers, no one knows.  

 

He went to a great expense to be remembered, and in his own mind, he must have believed he should be.  We all want others to remember the good and forget the bad, but I’ve got news for you, few, very few will remember you after you have left planet Earth.  I went back to the company I worked for forty-one years, and after only ten years few knew me, and the ones I met that day, forgot my name before I left the building.  They had no monument for my many years of hard work or recall.  

 

I’m sure this king was remembered as a very foolish man, Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things, I delight, declares the Lord.”  Neither the king nor the man in England were wise men, from heaven's view, or they would have left a life that boasts in God, as King David did.

So, are you full of God or self?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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