David mobilises his troops for war. Firstly Joab and Abishai lead the people into battle, and the Syrians and Ammonites flee before them. At this point, in v16, Hadadezer, who’s a Syrian king, sends for reinforcements – and more Syrians arrive. This time David himself takes command of the Israelite forces, and the Syrians are defeated again. 40,000 horsemen and […]

Verse 12 reminds us that our part is to be courageous – and to leave the results to God. ‘Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him’. It’s not just Joab who talks like that. Do you remember Jonathan […]

How does the king react to his kindness being rejected? The first thing to notice is that he cares for his shamed servants. He shows such compassion for them, because he knows that they’re suffering for his sake. That’s something for us to remember as well. If you’re mocked or laughed at for being a Christian or for speaking up […]