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Okay, you can turn in your Bibles 
to 2 Samuel chapter 10. 2 Samuel chapter 10. I mentioned 
earlier that Proverbs 28.13 sort of preached itself. The text, 
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses 
and forsakes them will find mercy. That's a sermon that does preach 
itself. 2 Samuel 10 is not like that. It's a bit of a difficult chapter 
in terms of trying to draw out some practical lessons for us. It's pretty much a chapter dealing 
with Israel's war with the Ammonites and the Syrians. But I do lean 
on Calvin and Ralph Davis, so I hope that we'll get something 
practical out of this chapter tonight. I'll begin reading in 
chapter 10, verse one. It happened after this that the 
king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun, his son, reigned in 
his place. Then David said, I will show 
kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed 
kindness to me. So David sent by the hand of 
his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants 
came into the land of the people of Ammon. And the princes of 
the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, do you think that 
David really honors your father because he has sent comforters 
to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search 
the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it? Therefore Hanun 
took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut 
off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them 
away. When they told David, he sent 
to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the 
king said, Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then 
return. When the people of Ammon saw 
that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people 
of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians 
of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and from the king of Maacah, 
1,000 men, and from Ishtab, 12,000 men. Now when David heard of 
it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. Then 
the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle 
array at the entrance of the gate. And the Syrians of Zobah, 
Beth-rehob, Ishtab, and Maacah were by themselves in the field. 
When Joab saw that the battle line was against him, before 
and behind, he chose some of Israel's best and put them in 
battle array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he 
put under the command of Abishai, his brother, that he might set 
them in battle array against the people of Ammon. Then he 
said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall 
help me. But if the people of Ammon are 
too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good 
courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities 
of our God. And may the Lord do what is good 
in His sight. So Joab and the people who were 
with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they 
fled before him. When the people of Ammon saw 
that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai 
and entered the city. So Joab returned from the people 
of Ammon and went to Jerusalem. When the Syrians saw that they 
had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. Then 
Hadadezar sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the 
river, and they came to Helam. And Shobak, the commander of 
Hadadezar's army, went before them. When it was told David, 
he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to 
Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David 
and fought with him. Then the Syrians fled before 
Israel, and David killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen 
of the Syrians, and struck Shobak, the commander of their army, 
who died there. And when all the kings who were 
servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, 
they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were 
afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore. Amen. Well, as we look at this particular 
chapter, there's a couple of things that we ought to notice 
before we jump in. The first is that in chapter 
eight, we have basically a description of all of David's battles, or 
most likely all of the battles that occurred during David's 
lifetime. Now chapter 10 focuses upon the Ammonites and the Syrians 
and most likely amplifies or explains further what's going 
on or what's already been stated in a summary fashion in chapter 
8. And the story of the Ammonite 
war serves as the backdrop to the story concerning David and 
Bathsheba and Uriah. In fact, Ralph Davis says that 
chapter 10 certainly sets the stage for chapters 11 and 12. 
The Ammonite War serves as the historical background for the 
David-Bathsheba-Uriah fiasco. And the end of chapter 12 brings 
closure to the Ammonite problem left hanging in chapter 10 at 
verse 14. So you see that this serves as 
the foil for what goes on in chapters 11 and 12 in terms of 
David's sin with Bathsheba. Because it was when the kings 
went out to battle, David stayed back and he sent Joab out into 
the battlefield. That's when he committed the 
sin he committed with Bathsheba and then with Uriah. So, what 
we have specifically in chapter 10 with the Ammonites and the 
Syrians, I think breaks down into three sections. First, the 
rejection of David's kindness in verses 1 to 5. Secondly, the 
battle with David's enemies in verses 6 to 14. And then thirdly, 
the subjugation of David's enemies in verses 15 to 19. Again, probably 
a further description of what was given to us in summary form 
in chapter 8. This is an amplified version, 
most likely, of that situation. Now, note first the rejection 
of David's kindness. There's a strong link between 
chapters 9 and 10, and I would argue that it's strongly linked 
with chapter 11. Notice in chapter 9. Now David 
said, is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul 
that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Remember 
last week we saw that, it's that hesed, that's that covenantal 
term, that steadfast love, that love that endures and that goes 
deep. David wanted to express such 
kindness to the household of Jonathan, specifically to this 
young man Mephibosheth. Well, in chapter 10, we have 
the same emphasis from David. He has shown this hesed with 
reference to Jonathan's family or Saul's family. Now he turns 
his attention to his foreign policy and he says the same thing. Notice in 10.1, it happened after 
this that the king of the people of Ammon died and Hanun, his 
son, reigned in his place. Then David said, I will show 
kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash. as his father showed 
kindness to me." That kindness is the same hesed. It is the 
same thing. So we see it in chapter 9 with 
reference to Saul's family. We see it in chapter 10 with 
reference to David's foreign policy. When we get to chapter 
11, there's an absence, a conspicuous absence of this hesed, but what 
we see is David's ruthlessness in laying with Bathsheba and 
then committing murder to cover this particular sin. But in chapter 
10, David is functioning in an exemplary manner. It is good 
for us to show kindness, not just to those whom we really 
like, but to show kindness to those who are not in our sphere 
of influence, those who are outside of our particular orbit. Now, 
whether they had an actual covenant in place or not, I certainly 
do not know. And we also don't have any record 
of Nahash's kindness to David. You remember that Nahash was 
the Ammonite that faced Saul at Jabesh Gilead and Nahash was 
the fellow that wanted to scoop out the eyes of the Israelites 
in order to subjugate them. Of course Saul and the persons 
of Israel didn't quite like that idea and so they went to battle 
and Saul was victorious. So Saul and Nahash were enemies. So, perhaps it was the case when 
David was on the Lamb, when he was fleeing from Saul, it could 
be the case that Nahash gave him safe haven or that Nahash 
did something to him. We see specifically that David 
says, I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as 
his father showed kindness to me." So something was done positively 
for David, and so now David wants to return the favor, and he does 
so specifically to Nahash's son, who is called Hanan. And this 
is also a good It's a good token to do, you know, among kings 
and among those who are leaders. It is good to make these overtures 
and to reach out and to engage in this sort of thing. So David 
then sends a delegation. Notice in verse 2b. So David 
sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his 
father. And David's servants came into the land of the people 
of Ammon. Now this is an official delegation. These are ambassadors 
from David. This is a goodwill venture. This is a reflection of David's 
heart. This is kindness in action. And 
so what Hanun does throughout the course of the events is absolutely 
reprehensible. It is a disgusting thing that 
Hanun does in terms of listening to his counselors and turning 
his attention or his wrath against these ambassadors. Notice the 
rejection of David's kindness in verse 3. And the princes of 
the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that 
David really honors your father because he has sent comforters 
to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search 
out the city, to spy it out and overthrow it? You see what the 
advisors are saying? Can't trust David. You can't 
trust David's men. They didn't think for a moment 
that this was legitimate hesed. They didn't think for a moment 
that this was legitimate kindness. They thought this was David's 
attempt to get into the city, to overtake the city, and to 
bring these Ammonites into subjection. And this is what they fill Hanan's 
ears with. And of course, Hanan hears them, 
and he listens. And note what he does in verse 
4. He took David's servants, shaved 
off half of their beards. Now, this probably doesn't mean 
this way, okay? If they had a beard down to here, 
he didn't just, you know, give them a little bit of a trim. 
Probably did it that way. So they've got half beard and 
half smooth face. And then he cuts their garments, 
cuts off their garments in the middle at their buttocks. So 
their private parts are showing. Now, this was a great insult, 
not only to these delegates, but to the king that sent them. 
Listen to Vanoy. He said, the beard was a sign 
of manhood. Now, don't go home tonight if 
you don't have a beard and say, I'm resolved to grow a beard. There's a movement among the 
young restless and reformed today that, you know, there's manliness 
associated with beards and, you know, they may not be too far 
off afoot because there was a story in ancient history, there was 
a drunkard that was lying about and some men from another clan 
or another tribe came and they shaved off his beard while he 
was in this drunken stupor and it caused a war between these 
two clans or tribes. So it wasn't something that men 
took lightly. So Vanhoy says, the beard was 
a sign of manhood and a source of pride to men in the ancient 
Near East. And it was therefore a serious 
insult to degrade someone's beard. This nefarious insult extended 
to David and the entire nation he and his envoys represented. 
So it was a diss upon them, but as well upon the entirety of 
the nation, including its king. Davis says that Hannon could 
hardly have inflicted a more shameful insult. The men's manliness 
was both marred via the beard and exposed via the buttocks 
and the private parts. So this was a great embarrassment, 
a very shameful thing, a very terrible way to treat these official 
delegates or envoys who have come from Israel to minister 
David's kindness to this new found king. This was a terrible 
decision on their behalf. So David then tells the man, 
according to verse 5, to go chill in Jericho until their beards 
grow back. Of course, they could fix their 
garments so that they were no longer exposed. But basically, 
in verse 5, when they told David, he sent to meet them because 
the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, wait at Jericho 
until your beards have grown. and then return. Now we as the 
reader have to imagine that things aren't going to go well for the 
Ammonites. We as the reader know that David 
does express hesed, he does have a kind and gentle and messianic 
spirit, but we also know that David is a military leader and 
as a commander of armies and as the king of Israel, he's no 
pushover. When men insult his troops and 
when men ultimately insult the nation, men are ultimately insulting 
the living and the true God. So David is going to respond 
in kind and that brings us to the battle with David's enemies 
in verses 6 to 14. In the first place, the troops 
are gathered in verses 6 to 8. We see the troops, the Ammonites. Notice in verse 6, they made 
a stink of themselves. It's literally what it says. 
When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves 
repulsive to David, or that they stank before David. I mean, this 
was a situation or an incident where they did cause a sting. 
And they had made themselves repulsive to David. The people 
of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians 
of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and from the king of Maacah, 
1,000 men, and from Ishtab, 12,000 men. So you see what the Ammonites 
do. The Ammonites know they're going to go throw down with Israel. 
And the Ammonites realized that Israel is a formidable foe. And 
in order for the Ammonites to successfully meet Israel on the 
field of battle, they've got to spend some money. If you read 
the parallel, in 1 Chronicles 19, they paid a great deal of 
money to get these Syrians. Essentially, they're mercenaries 
who have come now to battle alongside the Ammonites. The Syrians were 
no friends to Israel either, so they were probably chomping 
at the bit to form this coalition so that together, Ammonite and 
Syria can go in and destroy David and all Israel. So the troops 
of this coalition is gathered together. Notice the army of 
Israel gathers together in verse 7. Now, when David heard of it, 
he sent out Joab, or he sent Joab and all the army of the 
mighty men. Now, there could be a bit of 
foreshadowing right here in chapter 10 that links us to what's going 
on in chapter 11. Remember, this is a literary 
work. Remember that it's a written piece of information and data. And remember that the Bible is 
written in a very genius manner, and there are literary conventions 
that are used, and foreshadowing is certainly a convention. Well, 
here David sends Joab. If we are thinking in terms of 
2 Samuel 11, we know that David sends Joab when the kings go 
out to battle. This is already a foretaste that 
David has sort of, not reneged, but has pulled back on being 
that marshal or that military leader and commander of his troops. In this instance, he sends Joab 
to take care of business. Now, Joab functions very competently 
in this particular chapter. In fact, the only hint or the 
only whiff of theology comes from Joab. You realize that on 
this Wednesday night Bible study, we're going to learn theology 
at the feet of Joab. Now we have seen Joab up to this 
point and he's sort of a fickle man. He stands behind David and 
he's a good soldier for David but not consistently. There are 
instances and seasons and times where Joab does not carry through 
and Joab does some things that are absolutely contrary to what 
David wants. It was Joab who killed Abner. It was Joab who engaged in that 
particular act of assassination. Joab will ultimately be put to 
death because he sides with Adonijah rather than Solomon when it comes 
time for David to die and when Solomon ascends the throne. But in this chapter, Joab is 
a competent leader and he's also a good theologian. But at this 
particular point, in verse 7, we ought to notice that David 
sends this particular servant, rather than engaging in it himself. Now note, the strategy is formed, 
I'm sorry, in verse 8, then basically the people of Ammon came out 
and put themselves in battle array. Now, the parallel in 1 
Chronicles 19 tells us this is the city of Medeba. Other scholars 
say that it was Rabbah. Now, they're not contradicting 
what it says clearly in 1 Chronicles, but if you compare 1 Chronicles 
19 and 2 Samuel 10, you've got your work cut out for you in 
terms of some numbers, in terms of some figures, in terms of 
some place names. That's just not in my wheelhouse 
to try and deal with this evening. But just suffice it to say, either 
Medabah or Rabbah is the place where they are assembled. Now 
note the specific strategy formulated in verses 9 to 12. In the first 
place, it's a difficult battle for Joab. This is a difficult 
battle for Joab. David sends Joab out with all 
the army of the mighty men. But this is not an easy thing. 
Note verse 9, when Joab saw that the battle line was against him 
before and behind. He's sandwiched in by enemy invaders. He is sandwiched in by those 
who are against him. This is not a happy place for 
Joab to find himself. Note Joab's response in verse 
9b and 10. What Joab does in order to deal 
with these two contingencies is he splits his forces. Says, 
he chose some of Israel's best and put them in battle array 
against the Syrians. So he takes a contingency of 
troops to face the Syrians. And then he takes the rest of 
the troops and sends them with Abishai so that they can face 
the Ammonites. And then very specifically, his 
strategy is easy. Notice in verse 11, he says to 
Abishai, if the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall 
help me. But if the people of Ammon are 
too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Makes good 
sense, doesn't it? Instead of a man being placed 
between a rock and a hard place, he divides the troops, he faces 
Syria, he sends Ammon, he faces the Syrians, and then Abishai 
and his troops face the Ammonites. If it gets too much for me, you 
come and help me. If it gets too much for you, 
I will come and help you. And then that brings us specifically 
to his exhortation. And this is the theology in the 
chapter. Notice in verse 12. In the first 
place, he encourages Abishai and arguably all of the troops 
of Israel, he encourages them to be of good courage. Notice, 
be of good courage and let us be strong. It's a good thing 
to say. This is what we are told by God. 
to Joshua when he assumes control, or reign, or rule, rather, over 
the nation of Israel. He has to be of courage. He has 
to be strong. This is the way you rally troops. 
This is the way you exhort people as they go into battle. You don't 
tell them, you know, we're really in a bad straight here, and we're 
probably going to lose. No, no. You tell them, be strong. Be of good courage. You need 
to realize that the fight that is before us is a good fight. 
We need to wage the good warfare. This is the same sort of thing 
that Paul does with Timothy in 1 and 2 Timothy. He tells Timothy 
to be of good courage. He tells him to be strong. He 
tells him to be faithful. Paul as well, to all Christians 
everywhere in Ephesians chapter 6, tells us to be strong, to 
stand in the Lord's might, to put on the full armor of God. 
The people of God ought to live in light of verse 12 in 2 Samuel 
10. We ought to be of good courage 
and we ought to be strong. That should move the people of 
God in our generation. That should cause us to do good 
things for the glory of God, for the well-being of His church, 
for the good of individuals in His church. Note, secondly, He 
then gives something of an explanation of a just war. In fact, Calvin 
calls this sermon on this section what a just war actually is. 
You hear that today. Is it a just war to just go and 
invade foreign peoples? Is it a just war to go take somebody's 
oil or to go take somebody's loot or to go take somebody's 
gold? Well, Calvin makes the argument 
that 2 Samuel 10, 12 is the justification for a just war. Notice, be of 
good courage and let us be strong, notice, for our people and for 
the cities of our God. So the good and the welfare, 
the well-being of the people in a civil polity and the glory 
of God. That is the cause or that is 
the justification for a legitimate war. The welfare, the well-being, 
the safety, obviously, of a people in a civil polity and the glory 
of God. Listen to what Gil says. He says 
that the people of Israel might not be carried captive. In other 
words, we are to be of good courage and we are to be strong for our 
people so that they're not carried away captive, so they're not 
enslaved. We just read from Mrs. Hamilton 
that in China there's thousands of ladies and children that are 
sold into prostitution or slavery. Well, one of the reasons that 
men fight wars is so that such things don't happen. Gil says 
that the people of Israel might not be carried captive and their 
cities spoiled and plundered. Well, certainly we defend the 
property of persons in a civil polity because the persons depend 
upon that property in order to give them life. If persons come 
to take away our livelihood, to take away our stuff that sustains 
our very existence, well, that's an opportunity, or a time rather, 
for us to engage in just defense. He says, and instead of being 
cities where the people of God dwelt, and he was worshipped, 
would have taken become the habitations of idolatrous heathens, and where 
temples would be erected to idols, and the worship of them. These 
were the arguments he used to engage them to fight manfully 
for their country, the liberties and the religion of it. That's 
a good observation. That's what's happening here 
in 2 Samuel 10-12. Now, I don't think Joab is stating 
it as if to convince a people or a Congress to go ahead and 
authorize the use of force in this wartime setting, but what 
he does say ought to be the motivating factor for men fighting war. 
You ought to be of good courage. You ought to be strong. Why? 
For our people, for their well-being, for their welfare, so our children 
and so our wives do not end up as prostitutes or slaves. And 
four, I love the language, the cities of our God. Remember at 
this particular juncture, what we have is that the visible expression 
of the kingdom of God is old covenant Israel. David is the 
anointed one. David sits upon the throne. but 
the kingdom is God most high. It belongs to him. And the fact 
that he says, and for the cities of our God indicates or highlights 
to us something of the Abrahamic promise. It was the promise made 
to Abraham by God that he would give him a land. And that land 
would have cities. That land would be the land that 
Yahweh your God is giving you. And so what Joab says to the 
people of God in this instance is to be strong for our people 
and for the cities of our God. And then notice the expression 
of confidence in the sovereignty of God. Look at what Joab says 
at the end of verse 12. And may the Lord do what is good 
in His sight. Now there's a world full of theology 
in that statement. Again, Joab is an interesting 
fellow. Joab has done things thus far 
and will do things later that should cause us to scratch our 
heads and say, man, with a commander like that supporting me, who 
would need an enemy? I mean, there's some things that 
Joab does that really isn't good. But in this instance, what Joab 
says is absolutely right. He casts himself in dependence 
upon the sovereignty of Almighty God. Now, we need to remember 
that though the Word of God comes from Balaam's ass, or it comes 
from Joab in this particular instance, we need to remember 
that we take heed to the Word of God. The Second Helvetic Confession 
says this, the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. Wherefore, when the Word of God 
is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, 
we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed and received 
by the faithful, that neither any other Word of God is to be 
invented nor is it to be expected from heaven. And that now the 
word itself, which is preached, is to be regarded. And this is 
the point I want to draw from this quote. I realize that Joab 
is not a preacher lawfully called. I realize that Joab is not functioning 
as an apostle or an evangelist or a prophet or as a minister 
of the gospel. But look at what the Helvetic 
Confession goes on to say. It says, And that now, the word 
itself which is preached, is to be regarded, not the minister 
that preaches. For even if he be evil and a 
sinner, nevertheless, the word of God remains still true and 
good." Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 23. We'll see that 
when we get there. tell you, but don't do what they 
do. Well, how could Jesus say that? 
These were immoral men. He says, don't follow their pattern. 
But insofar as they accurately preach the law of Moses, of course 
you do what they say. Of course you're supposed to 
imbibe what they say. So back to 2 Samuel 10, we ought 
to learn at the feet of Joab. He says, and may the Lord do 
what is good in his sight. This is a trust. dependence upon 
the very sovereignty of God. Joab doesn't know what the outcome's 
going to be. You know, Joab didn't have the 
rest of 2 Samuel 10. Joab didn't have 2 Samuel 11. 
Joab didn't have 2 Samuel. Joab at this particular juncture 
has Ammonites, you know, on the one side, and he's got Syrians 
on the other side. As far as Joab knows, he's going 
to be gunned down in a bloody massacre. He has no understanding 
whatsoever that he is going to be victorious at this particular 
juncture. But he casts himself into the 
lap of divine sovereignty and may the Lord do what is right, 
do what is good in his sight. Calvin says, Joab understood 
that no matter how bravely he behaved, all his forces could 
still do nothing unless God gave the victory. Praise God that 
Joab knew that, and praise God that Joab expressed it this way. 
He doesn't say, be of good cheer, let us be strong for our people 
and for the cities of our God, because when we're strong for 
our people and for the cities of our God, we always win battles. That's not what Joab's argument 
is. He says, be strong, use the means, 
the Cromwellian piece of advice, you know, pray and keep your 
powder dry. Definitely, Joab wants us to 
be strong, Joab wants us to be of good courage, Joab wants us 
to know what we're fighting for, but Joab trusts ultimately in 
the sovereignty of God. And may the Lord do what is good 
in his sight. Now, Calvin goes on, and I'm 
going to quote Calvin at length because I think he teases out 
a very important principle in verse 12 here. He addresses the 
idea that some may see a lack of trust in the statement of 
Joab. I mean, if you get it for a moment, you think about it, 
this, and may the Lord do what is good in his sight. I've already 
said, Joab doesn't know what's going to happen. He says, may 
the Lord do what is good in his sight. Some might interpret that 
as Joab's not real confident that he's going to be delivered 
on that day. He doesn't say, and may the Lord deliver us from 
these Ammonites and Syrians. He doesn't say, and may the Lord 
open up heaven and pour down hailstones upon the enemies of 
Israel and rout them so that they will no longer be a problem. 
He doesn't ask, or he doesn't prescribe, or he doesn't give 
the method that Yahweh ought to employ. He simply throws himself, 
as I said, in the lap of divine sovereignty. So Calvin deals 
with this. He says that God promises His 
intervention, but He doesn't tell us how He will intervene. And so what may appear on the 
part of Joab as a bit of unbelief is actually a strong expression 
of faith in the sovereignty of God. Calvin now, he says, well, 
if someone still claims that Joab did not show that he trusted 
in God, that he was not thoroughly assured of the promises of the 
law, the reply to that is that God does not give particular 
promises about this or that to his children. Now, I'm drawing 
this out because I think we falter here. There's an element of faith 
in the Christian life. If God spelled everything out 
for us, every jot and tittle, every particular, every how, 
every when, every where, every why, we would forget all about 
Him. We are constantly cast in the 
same lap of divine sovereignty that Joab found himself in. Calvin 
says, We certainly have this point, which should firmly persuade 
us that God will never abandon us, and that in the end He will 
show that our hope in Him was not in vain, so that our faith 
will not be frustrated when it rests upon His mercy and His 
truth. Nevertheless, we must remain in suspense about many 
things. For instance, when we ask God 
for our daily bread, it is not that we are assured that He will 
send us a good harvest or a great vintage. We should leave that 
in His hands and patiently await what pleases Him. You see, that's 
what Joab is doing, and I think that's what's important. How 
many times do we pray to God and just leave it with Him? And 
may the Lord do what is good in His sight, or do we give Him 
15 things that we'd really appreciate it if He did it just like that? 
Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with specificity in prayer. 
I don't think there's anything wrong with going through the 
front door of heaven and letting our petitions be made known to 
God. But there has to be a balance in there somewhere. We have to 
recognize that God is a sovereign being and that he doesn't work 
according to our whims every step of the way. There needs 
to be this reality, may the Lord do what is good in his sight. 
Calvin goes on to say, we should leave that in His hands and patiently 
await what pleases Him. He says, when we have any illness, 
we must rest well assured that He has not forgotten us and that 
we have such access to Him that in the end we will feel that 
He has looked on us in pity. The promise of God should be 
fully sufficient in regards to that. However, when we would 
like to have the word that today or tomorrow He will restore our 
health, we do not know. We are even in doubt of living 
and dying. Calvin then goes on to point 
out that Joab had no certainty of victory here because he had 
no specific promise. There's a specific promise, brethren, 
take that specific promise right back to God. But if there's not 
a specific promise, we need to say with Joab, and we need to 
mean it, and may the Lord do what is good in his sight. We 
need to trust Romans 8.28, God does cause all things to work 
for good. Now brethren, I have long been 
convinced that Paul there is not speaking about good things. None of us would need any convincing 
that God causes good things to work for our good. You would 
not need Romans 8.28 tonight to tell you that finding a bag 
of money on the side of the road is a good thing. You would affirm 
that wholeheartedly. Cancer, however, you'd need some 
convincing. And Paul does that with Romans 
8.28. All things God causes to work for good. You see, this 
is where the rubber meets the road in our appreciation of the 
sovereignty of God. Are we really trusting in Him 
and acknowledging His sovereign will? So Calvin then concludes, 
we see, therefore, that Joab's uncertainty was not a lack of 
faith, for we can certainly doubt. I don't think he's saying he's 
giving us license to doubt. I think he's saying we certainly 
do doubt. He says, although we embrace 
the promises of God and hold them as absolutely certain and 
infallible, what we doubt are the things which are not clear 
to us. That is how he wants us to remain 
in suspense about many things and to leave it all to his secret 
counsel and his providence. In other words, if you're a control 
freak like me, I mean, Rebecca just mentioned, I think I've 
had this pencil as long as I've been here. Why? Because I don't 
like change. That's tough when you've got 
this kind of a God, because He doesn't promise that every single 
day, every single issue is going to function in the same exact 
way. You have to trust. You have to 
cast yourself into the lap of divine sovereignty. You've got 
to reckon with Romans 8.28 and internalize it and hold on to 
it, even when things may argue contra or converse to what you're 
seeing. I know the Scripture says that 
all these things are working for good, but God, I don't see 
it. Help me to see it. Help me to appreciate that the 
Lord's will is supreme and that's what's happening and that's what's 
good. Let me embrace it and kiss it and enjoy it, you see. I think Joab has a lot better 
theology in terms of practical Calvinism than I do in many respects. 
And then notice, as we ought to expect from our God, the way 
that he answers is truly amazing. Notice the victory achieved in 
verses 13 and 14. So Joab and the people who were 
with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians and they 
fled before him. That's great, isn't it? How do 
you deal with Syrians? Well, they run from you. Joab 
probably had a newfound confidence in 12B, and may the Lord do what 
is good in his sight. He could, you know, cradle one 
of his grandchildren on his knees or put one of his grandchildren 
on his knees years later and say, you know, I cast myself 
into the lap of divine sovereignty. I prayed to the Lord God and 
the Syrians that I was facing turned around and ran. And then 
when the Ammonites saw the Syrians turn around and run, the Ammonites 
turned around and ran. Our God is good, isn't he? Now, 
that doesn't mean every time we pray this prayer, cast ourselves 
upon the sovereignty of God, all of our enemies or our Ammonites 
or our Syrians are gonna run away. Name your Ammonites, name 
your Syrians, pray this prayer and off they'll go. I mean, that's 
the way we formulize Christianity. We take the prayer of Jabez and 
we become, you know, these formulaic prayers that God enlarges our 
territory. That's not what we're supposed 
to do. We're supposed to reckon with the divine sovereignty and 
the will of God and realize that He's got us where He wants us 
and He will see us through all our challenges and difficulties, 
perhaps not in the way that we would specify or even in the 
way that we would like, but He has promised to never leave us 
nor forsake us. It's truly an amazing section 
of scripture. So the victory is achieved. Syrians 
flee, Ammonites flee. That brings us to the final consideration, 
the subjugation of David's enemies. They flee, but the Syrians regather. 
Notice the regathering of the Syrians in verses 15 and 16. 
When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, 
they gathered together. Then Hadadezer sent and brought 
out the Syrians who were beyond the river, and they came to Helam. 
And Shobak, the commander of Hadadezer's army, went before 
them. So they gather together. Now 
note what David does. This time he doesn't send Joab. 
This time David goes, verse 17, when it was told David he gathered 
all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And 
the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and 
fought with him. Do you ever wonder when these 
You know, armies around Israel will get the message that their 
God fights for them and their God wins. I mean, how many Ammonites 
and Syrians have to die before they realize that there is a 
God in Israel? I mean, the foolishness of sin 
is obviously on display in the enemies of Israel. They fight, 
notice in verse 18, and the Syrians fled before Israel. David killed 
700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen of the Syrians and struck Shobak, 
the commander of their army, who died there. And when all 
the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were 
defeated by Israel, They made peace with Israel and served 
them. So you see, this is another sense. 
When they become vassal to the king, they pay tribute and they 
are now subject to David. He is extending the kingdom of 
God on earth. So the Syrians were afraid to 
help the people of Ammon. So, thus concludes the Ammonite 
and Syrian War, but we will return to the Ammonite War at the end 
of chapter 12. So, what we find in verse 14 
in terms of the final disposition of the Ammonites, that will be 
suspended until the end of chapter 12. What the author does here 
is finish the Syrians for our consideration. But just a couple 
of thoughts before we close. In the first place, we ought 
to appreciate, as we always ought in our study of David, the typical 
significance of David. The typical significance. In 
other words, how he functions as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the first place, the kindness 
of David is expressed to a pagan king. Now, the kindness, the 
hesed of David is expressed to a pagan king. Our Lord Jesus 
Christ, as the second person of the triune God, as God himself, 
expresses kindness to those who aren't believers, doesn't he? 
In fact, Calvin develops a pretty long section on how we ought 
to be like David when it comes to this sort of charity and this 
sort of kindness even to pagan enemies. We ought to truly display 
what Christ is all about. Christ certainly will deal with 
his enemies, to be sure, but until such time as he cuts them 
off and sends them to hell, the sun rises on them, the rain falls 
upon them, they're unable to eat, they're unable to drink, 
he expresses that kindness to his creatures, the way that David 
expressed kindness to a pagan king. In the second place, and 
we made this observation in chapter 8, the nations rebel against 
God's anointed one. The nations rebel, in this case, 
Ammonites and Syrians, they rebel against God's anointed one. Just like David says they will 
against Jesus Christ, he says that in Psalm 2, David does, 
and we see it played out in his earthly ministry. We see Psalm 
2 applied when it comes to Herod and to Pilate. These men were 
formerly enemies, but when it came to go against Jesus Christ, 
they become friends. We see in Acts 4, the apostles 
are praying and applying Psalm 2 to their situation, to that 
reality that Herod and Pilate had conspired together against 
Yahweh and against his Christ. And we see a foretaste of that 
here in this Ammonite Syrian coalition against the Lord's 
anointed. And then a third observation 
we ought to appreciate with reference to the typical significance of 
David is the life and death nature of the battle or of the war, 
just like Jesus faced when his opposers conspired against him. Now, as we read through this 
chapter, there's not a lot of details, isn't there? This isn't, 
you know, the sort of battle story, if you were a history 
buff, you would, you know, probably buy at the local bookstore. You 
want, you know, big books with detailed accounts and eyewitness 
accounts and, you know, body counts. We have a bit of that 
in there. But, you know, some of the more bloody and epic scenes 
and some of the more heroic and valiant acts, this is not reported 
that way. It's pretty cut and dry. So it's 
easy for us to be detached and not appreciate what's happening 
here. In the same way, we often, you 
know, go through the realities of Isaiah 53, you know, reminding 
ourselves that Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with 
grief, and we read through those passion narratives without fully 
appreciating the weight and the death and the horrors and the 
grief that Christ entered into, or the fact that Jesus said, 
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I mean, he's cut 
off by the Father when he's on the cross. Now, Blakey, a commentator, 
makes this observation concerning David in 2 Samuel 10. He says 
it requires But a very little consideration to see that the 
wars which are so briefly recorded in this chapter must have been 
most serious and perilous undertakings. The record of them is so short, 
so unimpassioned, so simple that many readers are disposed to 
think very little of them. But when we pause to think what 
it was for the king of Israel to meet on foreign soil, confederates 
so numerous, so powerful, and so familiar with warfare, we 
cannot but see that these were tremendous wars. They were fitted 
to try the faith as well as the courage of David and his people 
to the very utmost." And not only David, but Joab. I mean, he's facing down Syrians 
and Ammonites and he says to the people, be of good courage 
and let us be strong. They needed that pep talk. They 
needed that exhortation because they were standing before a formidable 
foe, a formidable enemy. So with reference to the typical 
significance, never let us forget what our Lord Christ went through 
in terms of the opposition that was poured out upon Him, not 
only from men, but from suffering the wrath of God on our behalf. As well, we ought to appreciate 
the theology of Joab. Remember what Calvin said concerning 
that whole idea of casting ourselves upon God's sovereignty. Davis 
says this with reference to Joab. He says, there is a strange chemistry 
here. Taking Joab's words into our 
dilemmas may make us both more confident and less certain. Confident 
in the sovereignty of God, but less certain in terms of how 
it's all going to flesh itself out for us. We like the more 
certain, don't we? We like to know exactly where 
the daily bread is coming from. We like to know exactly how the 
Syrians and the Ammonites are going to be routed. We like to 
know exactly what the Lord has in purpose for us, but that's 
not how it is. We don't know what's going to 
happen in a day. We don't know what a day will 
bring. This is why Jesus says, you know, worry about today, 
don't worry about tomorrow, sufficient is the troubles for today. What 
Davis goes on to say, at some point we will not see, or will 
we not see, that if Yahweh will do what He thinks, that will 
also be what is good for His people? If Joab stirs up our 
faith, we owe him our thanks. I think that's a good observation 
there on verse 12b. And then finally, I think we 
ought to always appreciate when we leave a chapter like this, 
the faithfulness of God. I mean, if Joab casts himself 
upon divine sovereignty and God delivers him, what does that 
tell us? We ought to cast ourselves upon 
divine sovereignty, trusting that God will deliver us. He 
may not rout our Syrians and our Ammonites in precisely the 
same way, but He has promised to us to never leave us, to never 
forsake us, and that He will always be our God. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in Heaven, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for these 
chapters concerning David. We thank You for the theology 
of Joab, even in this chapter tonight. And I pray that You'd 
help us to get our minds and our hearts wrapped around these 
things, help us to realize there's no better place than to be dependent 
upon a sovereign God, a God who is caring and gracious and good, 
and who has promised already in Romans 8 to work all things 
for our good. We ask God that you'd help us 
to walk by faith, to trust these promises, and to realize that 
you will do good for your people. We ask that you would go with 
us now and watch over us in the remainder of this week. Bring 
us together on the Lord's day that we may worship and serve 
you. And do bless the Santiago's, give them a safe trip and a blessed 
time with us on this Sunday. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen.