2 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 1

 Metheg Ammah is most likely another name for the city of Gath. Gath

had always been under the control of the Philistines however it was

allotted to Ephraim and is located in Israel, west of Jerusalem.

 We will read in this chapter of the expansion of Israel under David.

David takes the land from 6k square miles, to 60k square miles!

Today, Israel is only about 8700 square miles. The original size of

Israel given to Jacob by God was much larger. It stretched from the

Nile River to the Euphrates. That’s modern-day Israel, Palestine,

Jordan, parts of Syria, Iraq and Egypt, estimated at between 300k and

2M square miles! Today, all of Israel can easily fit within any of our

Great Lakes!

2 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 2

 It is most certainly not surprising to read chronicles of an ancient king

strengthening and protecting his own people through conquest. It was

simply the way before modern technologies, communication treaties,

global geopolitical norms (if that is even a thing). It is however a bit

odd to read how ferocious David was against Moab.

 David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabite. And it was to the

people of Moab that David entrusted his mother and father to protect

them from King Saul. Some have theorized that something bad had

happened to his parents or that they weren’t cared for well or

respectfully there so this is a bit of retribution.

 We begin to see also here the principal of tribute. This is somewhat of

a tax or a tithe of the land and people to be under the protection of the

King. It’s from this tribute that David begins to amass the materials

that he will eventually provide to Solomon for the building of the

Temple and the elements of the Temple.

2 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 3 – 8

 For some of this, David is recovering perhaps land that was lost under

the reign of Saul. We see the word, “recover,” in verse 3. While Saul

was skewed and his thinking twisted by his self-focus, the land was

being lost. The kingdom itself was being lost and ultimately would

have been completely lost if Saul had remained in power. A significant

and clear picture of the flesh…

 Some of this land was not (or at least wasn’t recorded to be) under the

control of Israel under Saul at all so perhaps this “recovering” speaks

all the way back to the original plan, the original land given to

Jacob/Israel by God. And I love that point! Go get all God has

promised even if you’ve never seen it done before!!!!!

 So we read of David and the brutality that he displayed and there’s two

points to make on that. First, perhaps it was too much. And this

contributed to the fact that while David was God’s man, God would

not permit these same hands to build the Temple because of his

barbarity…

 We could also use this to expose a biblical principal. The people of

Moab, the people of Gath, the people of Syria representing

godlessness, lawlessness and the flesh… Certainly the enemies of the

people of God. And when the flesh is to be dealt with, it is to be

dealt with. With utmost savagery.

 Jesus even stunning His disciples one day making the metaphorical

directive, Matthew 5:29-30, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck

it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of

your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you;

for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than

for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

 An additional point to make is that David is a man that is not ok with

being at rest with his enemies. At some point, unchallenged, they will

make their offense against his people, his land, his home. And so, he

goes on the offense. He is interested in advancing, passionately with

purpose, and overcoming that which threatens the future of his people.

 The enemy is always after us. There is no rest on the part of the

enemy. I wonder if you realize that? It is a constant attack. If you are

not defeating, then you are being defeated! It’s like that whether folks

know it or not in the life of every person. We are either advancing or

we are regressing. There’s no real coasting in life. Life doesn’t work

like that. If your auto pilot is engaged then you are truly back sliding

even just considering what could be being gained in the time you are

gainless!

 We are given the armor of God in Ephesians 6 and in that stack of

armaments there is only one offensive weapon. The Word of God! It is

by spending time in the Word, learning the Word, learning what is

right and acceptable to God, and then aligning yourself through your

own effort of free will to the Word that you gain ground against the

enemy in your life!

 Jesus made a very offensive statement in Revelation Chapter 3 about

the church of Laodicea. He said in Revelation 3:15-17, “I know your

works, that you are neither cold nor hot (at rest). I could wish you

were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold

nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich,

have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know

that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.”

 Have you become a lukewarm, passionless, Christian? We all can at

times! So go on the offense. Study your bibles. Pray for your enemies.

Serve people around you through humility and grace. Do the things

that break the character of ungenerousity and narcissism! Learn,

know and personally apply the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit!

To be at rest with the things about you, the things about me that are

not godly and therefore not wise is unacceptable in the opinion of the

Lord AND rips us off of what God would make out of our lives!!!

2 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 9 – 14

 Garrisons are strongholds. They are the presence of the kingdom in an

area or territory that is ruled by the kingdom but outside of the border

of the actual territory. This is a smart and strategic thing to do. It

ensures that as daily life continues, there aren’t lines crossed, there

aren’t threats being generated that will threaten the authority, the rule,

the providence or the profiting of the kingdom! And the wisdom of the

successful kingdom runs the place!

 Just like that, we have to do the same thing when we take territory for

the Lord in our hearts and lives. We want to setup strongholds so that

the enemy does not even have an opportunity of a foothold again in

that area.

 The absolute best garrison anyone can setup in their lives is humble

honesty with a trusted person who you give permission to hold you

accountable. For example, if you have a problem of some sort in the

flesh, you tell someone. Someone who is able to watch over your life,

and to pull your card when you want to go there again.

 If you today don’t have anyone in your life that you have been humbly

honest with in telling them not what THEY did to you but what YOU

are struggling with in the flesh…, hate, anger, blame, unforgiveness,

self-protective focus, so that they can counsel you and hold you

accountable to overcome that thing…, well, you are garrisonless…,

you’re definitely NOT sinless… You DEFINITELY need garrisons!

And here’s the thing, if you think you are without need then you are

exactly what Jesus said in Revelation 3, “You do not know that you are

wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked…”

 Honestly most folks don’t know and don’t want to know and tell

themselves they are good people so that they can sleep well at night.

When what’s really there, if you could forcibly peel back their

spiritual eyelids for a second, what’s really there are the enemy’s

strongholds in their hearts and lives… That sap and steal and rip

folks off of what could be if they weren’t lukewarm in their faith!

 Look at what happens with David! From the nations that are not the

people of God that he sets up his garrisons, he receives spoil! Benefit!

Profit! Articles of silver, articles of gold, articles of bronze! And as

they are received, he dedicates them to the Lord!

 Our articles of silver, gold and bronze are the fruits of the Spirit. Love,

joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

self-control. Yes, from within us but even more, flowing through

others to us! These things didn’t come from David. They came TO

David!

 Listen, tough stuff here. If folks are short with you then check the

mirror! If you’re not feeling the love, make sure you check the

mirror!! Because for a person that advancing in the spirit, these things

come naturally through others TO you! 1 Samuel 2:26, “And the child

Samuel grew in stature, and in favor with both the Lord and men.”

 Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor

with God and men.” Here’s the principle. When someone is stiff-

necked, without grace and entirely self-centered, when they look for

affirmation, they don’t get it. This is a tribal psychological norm!

This is natural! Psalm 18:25-27, “With the merciful You will show

Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself

blameless; With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the

devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble

people, but will bring down haughty looks.”

 If the version of especially the people of God around you that you get

isn’t filled with affirmation, grace, favor…, all the fruits…, well, the

writing may be on the wall but blindness has set in. Why? Lack of

advancement in the spirit. Lack of garrisons against the enemy. The

fruit should FLOW to you just as it flows through you if you are

walking in the will and favor of the Lord!

2 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 15 – 18

 No great leader succeeds by himself. Judgment and justice. These two

words in the Hebrew mean order and righteousness. David did this by

advancing against his enemies, dedicating the spoils to the Lord and

sharing his kingdom, authority and rulership accountability with those

he trusted…

 Not without hardship and mistake… We will see that later when the

sons of his sons, some of them rebel and some of them are aided by

men from these names… But even so, the Lord preserved David

because even though folks around him lost sight of the Lord, David

had Nathan… His one of many garrisons. Who knew the heart of the

king, held him accountable, and ensured the strongholds the enemy

built were brought down!