Explore the rich narratives of David’s military genius as he embarks on campaigns that alter the landscape of the Middle East. From disarming enemies to forming unexpected alliances, David executes a strategy that aims to bring peace through victory. As battles rage and kingdoms fall, witness how David navigates the challenges of leadership and warfare with divine preservation on his side.
00:00:02 Introduction to Ronald L. Dart and ‘Born to Win’
The CEM Network is pleased to present Ronald L. Dart and Born to Win.
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There are some incredible ironies when you study the history written in the Bible. For example, it seems that people who live in Iraq… have always been a real pain. In fact, one of the first really great wars in David’s kingdom, after he finished off the Philistines and the Moabites, was to go and deal with the people all the way to the river Euphrates. He was on a major disarmament campaign. It wasn’t exactly weapons of mass destruction he was after, but he was bound and determined to disarm the Iraqis all the way back in his day. The story begins to be told in 2 Samuel 8. He says, David just went in, put down the Philistines, took over their cities, and ran the show down there. Then he crossed Jordan and smote Moab. He measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground. And 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. I should think so. It’s hard to know for certain what exactly he did here. It seems to be a cruel solution to a very old problem, but it may have put an end. to the military incursions of Moab for a very long time to come. In fact, probably Moab was more at peace in the years following this than they had been at any time in their history, because what David did was to get rid of two-thirds of those who might be fighting men out of Moab. Some suggest that those two cords tall were put to death, while the smaller, one cord tall, were kept alive. In any case, it was a depopulation of Moab, a country that had dealt a lot of grief to Israel for generations past. David was in the process of establishing an empire. Then he smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, the king of Zilba, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. David is fighting all the way to the Euphrates River in Iraq. And he took from this king 1,000 chariots and 700 horsemen and 20,000 footmen. Took them and captured them. And David hawked all the chariot horses. He reserved of them 100 chariots. Now, if you kind of put this in the picture that the horses in that day for warfare, they were entirely instruments of warfare. They were not used for agriculture. I don’t think they were even used for transportation, per se. They were for fighting men. What David did was take a country which had, say, a thousand tanks and reduce them to a hundred. It’s remarkable the scope of what David was doing. He was the Alexander of his day. By cutting the ligaments on the horses, he allowed the horses to live, but made them useless for war. It was the first comprehensive disarmament program ever imposed on Iraq and on the Middle East in general. Now when the Syrians of Damascus came over to help Hadadezer, David killed of the Syrians 22,000 men. And he put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts. This brought gifts basically seems to be a symbolic acceptance of David’s sovereignty over the entire area, that we will cooperate with you, we will go along with you, we’ll accept your governance over this area. And God preserved David wherever he went. So he took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and he brought them to Jerusalem. And from other cities around the cities of Hadadezer, King David took exceeding much brass. Now, when King Toy of Hamath heard that David had smitten all this host, then he sent Joram, his son, to King David to salute him and to bless him because he had fought against that Hadadezer and smitten him because Hadadezer had war with Toy. Here’s the old Middle Eastern idea. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. This guy had been fighting with him for a long time, and he was so happy. that David had finally put this man down. Well, he brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and brass, which King David did dedicate to God. He dedicated to the Lord with silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations which he subdued. It wasn’t particularly enriching himself. He had enough. Everything he took like this, he dedicated to God. of Syria, Moab, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and the spoil of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah. David got himself a reputation when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, killing 18,000 men. Now, these numbers seem terribly high in modern warfare. In fact, the funny thing about warfare is that the more technological, the more mechanical, the more armored and all it’s become, the more it’s destructive, but the fewer lives are lost. Back in those days, warfare was fought when, say, 10,000 men met 10,000 men in the field. And the first hour, really the first round of fighting, probably in the first half hour, half of those people were dead. Think about it. They’re out there with swords and axes and shields and helmets and all this kind of stuff, toe-to-toe, face-to-face, head-to-head, bashing each other around. Somebody’s going to die. And it isn’t going to take all that long for it to happen. So killing 20,000 men might be the work of a morning in wartime in those days. Well, David put garrisons in Edom, that’s south of Moab. Throughout all there he put garrisons, and they of Edom became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went. David reigned over all Israel, and he executed judgment and justice to all his people. And you know, there are times when I read this, I think this may be the only time in all of Israel’s history when judgment and justice was fairly executed among all the Israelites. Because before this time and all the way back through the judges, it was not. And as we come down to the prophets who will discuss the later kings to come on the scene, judgment and justice was way far off. Well, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the host. He was over the army. He was the general of the armies. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilad, was the recorder. Zadok, the son of Ahitab and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests. Zeruiah was the scribe. And so this is the government. And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Karathites and the Perilithites, and David’s sons were chief rulers. So you have a king, you have princes, you’ve got scribes, you’ve got a chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and so on it goes. This is his government all recorded for us. Now, chapter 8. is a summary of the incredible success David had in establishing his kingdom and his empire. He was no small player. He was indeed a man of war. He was a fighter. But it’s also apparent that he was a tender-hearted man. It may not sound like it reading this chapter, but the result of David’s forcible disarmament program was a net reduction in the level of violence in that violent world that existed at that time. I mean, wars were fought over practically nothing. Wars over boundaries, wars over cities, wars over embarrassments, war over offenses against somebody’s dignity. And people were dying in their thousands, in their tens of thousands, in their hundreds of thousands, in the endless wars that went back and forth across this region. So for a man like David to come along and kill off a lot of the armies of these other people… and of course to disarm them, brought about a radical reduction in the overall level of violence in the area. And David did not go out and make war on people who were living in peace. He made war on those who loved war. You want war? We’ll give you war. That might have been David’s motto. He put an end to violence. By killing the violent. Now, I know a lot of people today will say, oh, well, then you’re no better than the people that you’re trying to kill. The argument of moral equivalence. But I’m sorry. That’s wrong. It’s wrongheaded. Sometimes there is no solution to violence. except to put an end to the people who want to extract violence. Chapter 9 includes an episode that’s very revealing of the kind of man David was. I’ll tell you about that right after this message.
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The book of Samuel includes so much valuable history and lays the foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible. The entire series of programs on Samuel and the book of Kings is available for a special price this week only. Write to Born to Win, Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791 or call toll free 1-888-BIBLE44 and tell us the call letters of this radio station.
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Of all the men David had known in his life, His special friend was Jonathan, the son of Saul. When he first met Jonathan, right after killing Goliath, the Bible tells us that their souls were knit together. They became fast friends. I guess the brotherhood of war bonded them together. They actually had a covenant between them, and David had made certain promises to Jonathan concerning himself and his seed. The promise and the covenant resulted in the events of chapter 9. David, being established and getting a moment of peace, said, Is there still anybody left of the house of Saul so I can show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? I made a promise to Jonathan. I feel an obligation to this. And David always had a warm spot in his heart for Saul, even though Saul had been his enemy and tried to kill him. Well, there was in the house of Saul, or the man who had been of the house of Saul, a servant. His name was Ziba. So they called him into David, and the king said to him, well, of all things, are you Ziba? He said, yes, it’s me. And the king said, is there anybody left of the house of Saul that I may show kindness of God, the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, well, Jonathan has yet a son. He’s lame in his feet. It turned out that what happened is that whenever Saul and his whole household had to flee in front of David, that one of the nurses was carrying this boy and dropped him, and he was permanently lame in his feet. And the king said, Well, where is he? And Ziba said, Well, he’s in the house of Machir, the son of Amiel in Lodabar. So the king sent and fetched him out of the house of Machir. Now when Mephibosheth, this was the boy’s name, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, your servant. And David said, Fear not. No need for you to be afraid. I’m going to show you kindness for Jonathan, your father’s sake. And I’m going to restore to you all the land of Saul, your father. You know, land in Israel had been carried on generation after generation after generation by lot, and so that land belonged to that family indefinitely. But he had been denied access to it. He says, I’m going to give you back all that land, and you shall eat bread at my table continually. That’s very significant. He adds him to the king’s court. He bowed himself and said, well, what is your servant that you should look upon a dead dog like me? And the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said, I have given unto your master’s son everything that pertained to Saul and all of his house. You, therefore, and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him. You shall bring in the fruits that your master’s son can have food to eat. But Nephibosheth, your master’s son, shall eat bread always at my table. Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. He had been a servant of Saul, but he was a significant man in his own right. And he said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall your servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king’s sons. He made Mephibosheth a prince. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mishah, and all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to him. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, and he ate continually at the king’s table, but he was lame still in both his feet. It’s amazing to consider that this man was raised from a life of poverty to live like a prince. But what David had actually done for him was to raise him to the station he would have enjoyed if his father Jonathan had succeeded Saul to the throne. I presume he was about of an age that would be a son of David. And so consequently, he sat as one of David’s sons in their company at David’s table. Now, I came to pass after this. This is 2 Samuel 10. The king of the children of Ammon died. This is now, when you look across Jordan from Jerusalem toward Iraq, the northern tribes living up there were the Ammonites. Just below them, just south of them, were the Moabites. South of the Moabites were the Edomites. So the king of Ammon died, and Hanan, his son, reigned in his stead. Ammon again, that land just across the river where Ammon in Jordan is today. And David said, well, I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. In other words, in years gone by, the father of this young king had actually showed kindness and given shelter to David. So David sent to comfort him by the hand of the servants of his father, and David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. Now, here’s the picture. The king of Ammon dies, and David sends mourners on a state visit to attend the state funeral for this king in a neighboring state. Unfortunately, the king’s son was an idiot. Israel had good relationships with Ammon up to this point. But finally, this very young man decided to exert himself, he and all of his young companions. Normally, the servants of David sent over there to attend a state funeral would have had diplomatic immunity, just like they would in the modern world, so it was considered in the ancient world. But when they arrived, the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, Do you think that David really is honoring your father in sending mourners over to you? Hasn’t David rather sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it? So, instead of just telling these men, Thank you for coming, but no thanks. I would suggest you return to your king. Hanan took David’s servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. Now, this is why I think these were young men, a young king and his consorts, the guys his own age, who had great fun in taking these dignified diplomats, shaving off half their beards, cutting off half their garments right to the middle of their buttocks, and then putting them out in the cold to go home to the king. I couldn’t think of anything more calculated to be an insult to David. And after all that we’ve just been reading about David, it seems to be a singularly stupid thing to do. When they told it to David, he sent men out to meet them because they were greatly ashamed. And he told them, you wait at Jericho until your beards are grown and then you can come back to Jerusalem. As far as I can tell, David didn’t at this point do or contemplate doing anything else. But when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, I think that is an awfully good way to put it, they were just a stench in the nostrils. The children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians, the Syrians of Zobah, the Syrians of Beharab, 20,000 footmen, and of King Maacah, 1,000 men, of Ishtab, 12,000 men. They put together an army. Now, mind you, David was at peace. He had made a peaceful gesture. He had sent diplomats to a funeral. He gets an insult from these people, and then the next thing he knows, they are putting together an army for war. So, when David heard of it, he sent Joab, which was the worst possible news anyone could have given the people of Ammon. He sent along the whole army of the mighty men. And the children of Ammon came out and put the battle in array at the entering into the gates. The Syrians of Zobah, Rehob, Ishtab, Meachah were by themselves in the field. Okay, they have divided their forces into two. Probably not a wise thing to do. One in front of their gates and then over on the flank were the Syrians. When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians. He took his best fighters. and put them in array against the Syrians, a gesture of considerable respect to the Syrians, and of contempt, actually, for the Ammonites. The rest of the people he went over, put in the hand of Abishai, his brother, to put them in array against the children of Ammon. And here’s the deal, he said, if the Syrians are too strong for me, then you can fall back and help me. If the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I’ll fall back and help you. Be of good courage. Let’s play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God.” and the Lord do that which seems good to him. Joab had been a long time with David, and he knew that God was with him. He knew he fought for God, and he knew precisely how David would have handled it if he’d have been there. He said, God will fight for us. So Joab drew near, and all the people that were with him unto the battle against the Syrians, and the Syrians fled before him. They ran. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were ran, they ran themselves before Abishai and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem. And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together. And Hadarezer sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river, and they came to Helam. And Shobak, the captain of the host of Hadarezer, went before them. And it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him. In the end, the Syrians ran. And David slew the men of 700 chariots of the Syrians and 40,000 horsemen. and smote Shobak, the captain of their host, who died right there on the field. And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon anymore. You know, I would think so. But this whole battle with so much loss of life was totally unnecessary. It grew up around a young upstart king who didn’t know when he was well off and who didn’t understand that he really should leave well enough alone. Had he himself treated David’s emissaries peacefully and respectfully, none of this would have happened. The arrogance of youth cost the lives of thousands of men. And oddly, it even played in a way into one of the more disgraceful episodes in David’s life. I’ll tell you about that.
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But first, this important message. For a free copy of this radio program that you can share with friends and others, write or call this week only. And request the program titled The Book of Samuel, number 14. Write to Born to Win, Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791. Or call toll free 1-888-BIBLE44. And tell us the call letters of this radio station.
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Chapter 11. It came to pass after the year was expired, at the time when the kings go forth to battle, I gather they got around to whenever the ground got hard enough to move people back and forth without getting too much mud, that this is the time we go out to fight. So David sent Joab and his servants with him, all Israel, the whole gang, and they just absolutely destroyed the children of Ammon, paid a terrible price for their king’s foolishness. And they besieged the city of Rabbah. But David, this was small work, so he didn’t go. He stayed home at Jerusalem, which turned out to be a mistake. An idle mind, idle hands, the devil’s workshop, they say. It came to pass in an evening tide that David arose from off his bed. Probably couldn’t sleep, probably bored. walked up on the roof of the king’s house where it was cooler, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Now, if you want to have fun in a party sometime, if you’re talking with friends or sit around chatting, one of the games you can play is casting the movie. And we’re going to cast the movie of David and Bathsheba. Who are you going to select out of today’s crop of gorgeous women to play the part of Bathsheba? Because she was apparently something else. So David sent and asked about this woman, and somebody said, oh, it’s Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Now, Uriah the Hittite’s an interesting fellow. His name, Uriah, is Israelite, because the I-A-H at the end of it basically means Yahweh, or he is something of a friend or a servant of Yahweh. But he is a Hittite born, not an Israelite born. His wife, on the other hand, is a daughter of Eliam. Now, when you see the E-L at the beginning of a name in Hebrew, you’re talking about God is this or God is that. So this family was certainly, by this time, Israelite to the core. Bathsheba herself, definitely an Israelite. Well, David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. For in her washing, she was purified from her monthly uncleanness. And then she went back home. But there is the law of unintended consequences that you have to think about. The woman conceived on this one occasion and sent and told David, I’m with child. So David has a problem. He sent to Joab saying, send me Uriah the Hittite. He hatched up what he thought was an infallible plot to cover up his deeds. So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David says, well, how’s Joab doing? How are the people? How’s the war prospering? All this small talk. And finally, David said, go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and boy, the king sent him several steaks and a lot of food down from the palace to go with him. Problem. Uriah was a unique man. He was a leader of men. And there wasn’t any way, while his men were camped out in the field, he was going to go home and live well. He slept at the door of the king’s house in the quarters of the servants of the king and didn’t go home. They told David, Uriah didn’t go to his house. And he called him in and said, Uriah, didn’t you come from your journey? Why don’t you go home to your house? And Uriah said to David, now God give us people like this. He said to David, the ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents. And my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are camped in the open fields. Shall I then go into my house and eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing. This man was a leader, and he understood what leaders do. They set an example for their people, and they don’t go off and take care of themselves while their men are left out there in the cold to suffer. So David said to Uriah, wait here today and tomorrow also, and I’ll let you go. And finally, David called him in. He’s going to try one more time. This time he gave him food and drink and got him drunk. And even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his Lord, but he still wouldn’t go home. And David is down to desperate straits. So he wrote a letter to Joab, and he gave it to Uriah to carry down to him. And Uriah carried his own death warrant back to Joab. It’s a heart-rending story. Such a good man, and such a terrible loss, and so unnecessary.
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Until next time. The Born to Win radio program with Ronald L. Dart is sponsored by Christian Educational Ministries and made possible by donations from listeners like you. If you can help, please send your donation to Born to Win, Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791. You may call us at 1-888-BIBLE44 and visit us online at borntowin.net.
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