A string of
conquests characterized David’s early reign.
He subdued the Philistines, Moab,
Syria and others.
It was a bloody campaign. However, he was strategic in
his approach.
Thus the
horses that he plundered, were either committed to chariot work or houghed, which involved cutting their back tendons so that they could not be used
in war again.
He took
chariots and accumulated material for weapons, from the iron, bronze, silver
and other artifacts he plundered from his enemies.
He also set
up garrisons in conquered regions to ensure that his conquests submitted to the
terms of war and did not come back and trouble his people again.
Like
Alexander the Great, he was content to let people live and go on with their
daily plans, as long as they did not undermine the authority of Israel.
He was a
fair, just and magnanimous king. What a contrast to Saul.
He provided for Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)
As order
started to set in, David considered other priorities.
He did not
forget his friends and sought out Jonathon’s family. A servant, Ziba, told him about Mephibosheth and the accident that had lamed him since infancy.
David
brought the youngster into the palace, treated him with all dignity and
allowed him to eat at his table for the rest of his life.
He also
required Zeba and his 15 sons, to continue serving Mephibosheth, by maintaining
his fields and his harvests.
The king of Ammon died (2 Samuel 10 & 1 Chronicles 19-20)
Nahash, the
king of Ammon had been kind to David in his struggles against Saul, so when he
died and his son Hanun assumed his throne, David sent a diplomatic envoy to
him.
But Hanun
treated his envoy shamefully by cutting off half their beards and half their
clothes. When Ammon realized that they had offended David, they hired
mercenaries from neighbors, including the Syrians.
David then
sent Joab and his brother Abishai to deal with them and, although they were
outnumbered, they prevailed – and when those facing Joab withdrew, so did those
facing Abishai.
It didn’t
end there though, as the Syrians regrouped at Helam, across the Jordan. This
time the king roared and David routed them. Then he claimed their seven hundred
chariots.
His power
was growing daily and he held sway over a significant army.
The Bathsheba saga (2 Samuel 11)
David was
starting to feel more comfortable with his reign. Things were in order and the
kingdom was at peace.
That is the
slippery slope of supremacy that led to the idea of tempting God, which for
Jesus meant a night on the slippery, treacherous heights at the pinnacle of the
temple.
He sat out
on the roof of his house one evening and saw her bathing below. She was
beautiful to him, so he sent messengers to fetch her and spent the night with
her.
She then
fell pregnant. It was a saga that would repeat throughout history in all the
courts of power and was notably characterized by John F Kennedy.
David faced
a real dilemma. So he sent for her husband, Uriah, the Hittite. The two dined
together and David found out from him all that was happening on the front.
But after
leaving the palace, Urriah slept outside the palace. When asked why, he showed
real character by saying, “My countrymen are in tents as they defend our land,
how then can I sleep in comfort or be with my wife”.
David was
blinded to the man’s virtuous character and sent him back to the front, with a
letter to Joab instructing him to expose Urriah to the heat of battle and to
then withdraw from him.
He didn’t
last long, which cleared David to marry her and avoid a scandal. She
bore him a son.
Carefully
worded statements to Joab smoothed the whole matter over and buried the saga, which was okay with Joab as his first priority was the king.
Justice caught up with him (2 Samuel 12)
However, it didn’t
take long for Nathan to show up. He used a subtly worded parable to provoke the
King’s sense of justice and then delivered the reveal.
When the king
realized he was found out he broke down, but the damage was done.
God swore
that the sword would never be far from his house and that others would take his
wives as he had taken Uriah’s. However, David was spared, but not his son.
Over the
ensuing 7 days, David fasted and prayed for his son, but when he sensed it was
over and the child was dead, he washed himself and ate, to the dismay of all.
He explained that while there
was hope prayer mattered, but once the child was dead, life had to go on. Bathsheba then bore him another son, Solomon. He would inherit his throne.
Meanwhile
Joab kept fighting Ammon and defeated them. He also took the crown of their
king, a heavy gold headpiece – and set it on David’s head.
Sadly, Joab showed a
despotic side to his character, for he tortured the conquests of Ammon. That said, Ammon probably deserved it all.
(c) Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com
