2 Samuel 8:1

2 Samuel 8'1 says, And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.  David began to subdue the enemies of Israel, starting with the Philistines.  He began to take back the land of Israel and some of their enemies land.  If we have surrendered something that God has given us spiritually to the enemy today, if we agree put our faith in Him, He will restore it, as it was really God through David’s faith in Him that was giving David victory.  Verse two adds, And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.  Next, David  defeated the Moabites killing half of them.  He then drew a line down the middle of them and killed those on one side of the line and kept those on the other side as his servants.  Matthew Henry says that two*thirds were destroyed and one third was kept alive but that it was a full measure of mercy.  We must never be short in extending God's mercy to those we meet, even our enemies.  Verse three continues, David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.  David next defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah as he continued to reclaim the land of Israel.  As followers of Christ we may not always recover things taken from us in this lifetime, but our everlasting victory is assured.  Verse four concludes, And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.  Hadadezer  had been well armed, with a thousand chariots and at least seven hundred horsemen, though chapter eighteen, verse four puts the total number at seven thousand and twenty thousand foot soldiers, which David took.  He made the horses lame and the destroyed all but a hundred of the chariots.  Matthew Henry says David destroyed most of the chariots because his faith was in God and not the things of this world. Though Christians may be outnumbered and even outgunned, the victory is already ours daily if we remain faithful to Jesus Christ.  Of course, our everlasting victory can never be taken away from us.  Verse five states, And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.  When the Syrians came to the aid of Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.  We should not be surprised when those who are enemies of God come to the aid of one another, but we must also never forget that the everlasting victory is ours through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse six adds, Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.  David put garrisons in Syria and the Syrians became his servants while also bringing him gifts.  David was successful because God preserved him wherever he went.  As Christians, God has already preserved us as His, so we simply need to live by faith in Him.  Verse seven continues, And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.  David took the shields of gold from the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.  Verse eight concludes, And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.  David also took a lot of brass from the cities of Hadadezer.  These were now his by right of the spoils of war.  Still, we are never to be at war with the world today as Christians for material gains.  We are to do everything for the glory of God and His eternal kingdom instead.