CHAPTER 18

(1040 B.C.)

EXPLOITS AND VICTORIES OF DAVID

¹Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

²And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became Davids servants, and brought gifts (this illustrates the moral fact, always true, that when Christ is set upon the throne of the heart, victory over both inward and outward enemies is assured; but the inward is always first conquered, as in the case of David and the Philistines in this Chapter, and then the outward will be conquered).

³And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath (Hadarezer means my demon helper; so, despite demon spirits helping this man, David, who was greater, smote them), as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates (this was the northeastern extremity of the kingdom promised to Abraham by the Lord [Gen. 15:18]; through our Heavenly David, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can conquer and, in fact, must conquer, every part of our inheritance).

⁴And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed (made them unfit for chariot use) all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots (Israels strength was not chariots, but rather the Lord!).

⁵And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David killed of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men (all this is a Type of Christ, Who will defeat every enemy at the Cross [Col. 2:14-15]; when our Faith and trust are placed exclusively in Him and the Cross, His victory then becomes our victory!).

⁶Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became Davids servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went (it is the Will of God, and even the insistence of the Lord, that we subdue not just some of our spiritual enemies, but all; we must rule the sin nature, and not the sin nature ruling us [Rom. 6:3-14]).

DEDICATION TO THE LORD

⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem (the wealth of Zobah was illustrated by the shields of gold; now this wealth belongs to the people of God, stipulating the coming Kingdom Age).

⁸Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the Brasen Sea, and the Pillars, and the vessels of brass (all of this, formerly used for heathen idols, will now be used for God, as it regards the building of the Temple; this symbolizes the Believer, who is brought out of sin and darkness, brought to the Family of God, and made to be a pillar in the Temple of My God [Rev. 3:12]).

⁹Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;

¹⁰He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass (portraying his submission to David).

¹¹Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek (if the Lord does see fit to bless us with worldly riches, it must, without fail, be dedicated unto the LORD, and not to our own selfish desires).

¹²Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah killed of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand (those who were with David experienced, as well, Davids anointing).

¹³And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became Davids servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went (this statement is repeated from Verse 6, and with purpose; it is meant to impress upon all that the Lord was the Source of Davids victories, and the Lord Alone!).

¹⁴So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people. (This means that no enemy occupied any part of the land. How many of us can say that we reign over all the possession that God has given us? It can be done only through Faith expressed in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross, which then gives us the help of the Holy Spirit, without Whom nothing can be done [Rom. 8:1-2, 11].)

¹⁵And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host (general of the army); and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.

¹⁶And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the Priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

¹⁷And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites (these last two groups were probably Philistines who served as Davids bodyguards; they had, thereby, thrown in their lot with David, consequently forsaking their past, in effect, symbolic of all Believers); and the sons of David were chief about the king.