[Linux4christians] Saturday - 2 Samuel 7:18 – 8:18

Fri Jan 14 20:27:51 EST 2011

    Saturday

      2 Samuel 7:18 – 8:18

David Offers a Prayer to God

7:18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O 
Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this 
point? 7:19 And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken 
about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of 
dealing with men, O Lord God? 7:20 What more can David say to you? You 
have given your servant special recognition, O Lord God! 7:21 For the 
sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this 
great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. 7:22 Therefore you 
are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God 
besides you! What we have heard is true! 7:23 Who is like your people, 
Israel, a unique nation on the earth? Their God went to claim a nation 
for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome 
acts for your land, before your people whom you delivered for yourself 
from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 7:24 You made Israel your very 
own people for all time. You, O Lord, became their God. 7:25 So now, O 
Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his 
family a permanent reality. Do as you promised, 7:26 so you may gain 
lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The 
dynasty of your servant David will be established before you, 7:27 for 
you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told your servant, ‘I will 
build you a dynastic house.’ That is why your servant has had the 
courage to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are 
the true God! May your words prove to be true! You have made this good 
promise to your servant! 7:29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s 
dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O 
sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty 
be blessed on into the future!”

David Subjugates Nearby Nations

8:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took 
Metheg Ammah from the Philistines. 8:2 He defeated the Moabites. He made 
them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put 
two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites 
became David’s subjects and brought tribute. 8:3 David defeated King 
Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish his 
authority over the Euphrates River. 8:4 David seized from him 1,700 
charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but 
a hundred of the chariot horses. 8:5 The Arameans of Damascus came to 
help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 
8:6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; 
the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord 
protected David wherever he campaigned. 8:7 David took the golden 
shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to 
Jerusalem. 8:8 From Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David 
took a great deal of bronze.

8:9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire 
army of Hadadezer, 8:10 he sent his son Joram to King David to extend 
his best wishes and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over 
Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. He brought with him 
various items made of silver, gold, and bronze. 8:11 King David 
dedicated these things to the Lord, along with the dedicated silver and 
gold that he had taken from all the nations that he had subdued, 8:12 
including Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This 
also included some of the plunder taken from King Hadadezer son of Rehob 
of Zobah.

8:13 David became famous when he returned from defeating the Arameans in 
the Valley of Salt, he defeated 18,000 in all. 8:14 He placed garrisons 
throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord 
protected David wherever he campaigned. 8:15 David reigned over all 
Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.

David’s Cabinet

8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of the army; Jehoshaphat 
son of Ahilud was secretary; 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son 
of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was scribe; 8:18 Benaiah son of 
Jehoida supervised the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were 
priests.

      Prayer

Lord, none may stand before Your power, and all must eventually kneel 
before You. May I be useful in Your service and always humble in submission.

      Commentary

David prays to the Lord God from a heart overwhelmed with gratefulness 
and surprise. He recites God's blessing of and faithfulness to the 
nation of Israel.

David's prayer is a little odd as he asks the Lord God to keep his 
promise of blessing as though God needed his permission or his request – 
it may have been that David was so emotional that he thought he needed 
to agree and to ask.

With the power of the Lord God David defeated the enemies of Israel in 
every direction, he took from them plunder which he dedicated to God, 
and he made them subjects who paid tribute.

Among the priests were some of David's own sons.

      Interaction

        Consider

David was wise as he stopped to give praise to the Lord God and also 
gave to Him the first fruits of successful warfare.

        Discuss

Might David have been looking at the example of Saul when he asked God 
to fulfill His promise to bless his descendants?

        Reflect

An ancient Chinese military general quipped “The enemy of my enemy is my 
friend.” King Toi of Hamath apparently viewed David as such since he had 
been at war with Hadadezer and David had defeated Hadadezer.

        Share

When have you been so emotional in your worship of the Lord God that you 
found yourself asking Him to do things that He had already said He would do?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you a place in your life where the promises 
of the Lord God have been blessedly fulfilled.

        Action:

Today I will gratefully praise and worship the Lord God for all that He 
has done to fulfill His promises in my life.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

             Sunday's text will be: 2 Samuel 9:1-10

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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