March 26, 2025 - 2 Samuel 8-10

“After this [i.e., the anointing of David as king and the Lord’s covenant with him] David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.  And he defeated Moab and Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah . . . and the Syrians” (8:1-5).  And Zobah and Hamath and Edom . . . and . . .  The list goes on and on.  “So David reigned over all Israel.  And David administered justice and equity to all his people” 8:15.  Then, there’s David’s kindness to Mephibosheth, his defeat of Ammon and Syria.  Of course, the name Bathsheba is about to enter the story.  What a fall by David, but the story ends well.  That’s for tomorrow.  For today, may I simply say that it is good to have good and strong and wise leaders, leaders who rely upon and follow the Lord and, when they fall, repent and cry out to him for forgiveness.  Though a paraphrase of David’s words in Psalm 60, he could have sung these words as he went out to battle, words we ought to make our own.

O then to us in our distress

thy speedy succor send!

For vain it is on human aid

for safety to depend.

But by the helping pow’r of God

we shall do valiantly;

And He’ll our foes tread down, and make

beneath our feet to lie.   – New England Psalm Book (1758)